Tap Water Quality Terrible

[Sandi_W]

My tap water quality is terrible.

Ammonia .50
PH 7.0
KH below 17.9 (comes out of the tap yellow)

With the one small pond, I was running water into a 5 gallon bucket, adding Amquel, and lugging the bucket to pour into the pond. Not fun in the summer and sure ain't gonna be fun this winter, especially with the new pond add-on and q-tank.
I believe I read somewhere (can't find it now of course) that if your tap water contains only Chlorine you can add "some" water directly to your pond and just put the chlorine treatment into the pond, but that if your water contains chloramines you can't do this.
Ortho has a "hose end sprayer" that I use when I need to fertilize my plants. Would one of these work to add already treated water to my ponds? I know there are hose filters available, but do they remove chloramines also? What does everyone else use?
Sandi

[Jackie Ramo]

You ammonia levels are no different than mine. A good dechlor will bind up the amonia until the filter deals with it. Add the dechlor, turn on the hose no need to lug bucket and spraying over the water is one of those myths that Werner is talking about.

The pH will probably rise once the water is areated so I'd not worry about that. KH can be raised using baking soda. I add BS with each water change, keeps my KH at 120.

So its not great water but its not terrible water.

[Sandi_W]

Jackie, Thanks again. I can't believe I've been lugging a bucket all summer for no reason! I even did it today. :lol: (If there was a DA smiley, I'd use if for myself now)

Sandi

[Jackie Ramo]

I'd like a hit yourself in the forehead smiley myself :grin: I bet it would be the most used one!!! by me anyway.