[RML]

Dan Deavours (deavours at ittc.ku.edu)
Tue, 28 Aug 2001 13:36:36 -0700

I just had a very unpleasant experience. I just made a big move, and
fortunately most of my fish survived. Everything's going reasonably well.
Of course, the tanks need to cycle, and the amonia's starting to get up
there pretty high, so I do a water change on one of the tanks. All the fish
(M. Irianjaya that I wanted to breed right away) in the tank promptly died.

I'm pretty sure it's a cholorine death, but I used my normal double of the
dechlorinator (basic sodium thiosulphate).

I called the water company to see what's up. They're putting in 3.5 PPM
chlorine in the form of chloramine since they provide water up to 40 miles
away.

I don't know what's "normal," but 3.5 PPM seems kind of high. What kind of
dosage do I need to be using? Also, if I'm using water with 3.5PPM
chloramine and dechlorinate, do I get 3.5PPM amonia when I'm done? Yikes!

I also learned that the pH is high, like around 8.5, maybe as high as 9,
never below 8. They raise it primarily with lyme. I think I'm fated to
never be able to grow plants. Apparently the reason the pH is high is
because of lead and copper used in the water systems. That seems to be
typical in the midwestern US, or at least that's what it's been like the
last 3 places I've lived. Is there an easier way of de-lyming water, except
something like RO?

Dan Deavours
ITTC - University of Kansas
2335 Irving Hill Road
Lawrence, KS 66045-7612
deavours at ittc.ku.edu