Iron in well water

[humbirdlover]

I have always gotten the water for my small pond, from a mountain spring. During the summer when water level goes down, add a barrel or two when we haul water for the veggie garden. We have a lot of iron in our well water, and maybe a touch of sulphur. I know not to use the tap water from the house because we have a system downstairs that uses solar salt, to remove the iron. But would the un treated water be safe for the fish pond?

 

[sissy]

solar salt filters if you read about them do not remove iron they only soften the water .I have a filter that removes some of the iron but never had a problem with it in my fish pond .If you go on any sight for solar salt systems they all say they do not remove iron .

 

[sissy]

Most of Virginia has iron in there water and the solar salt ones really remove such a small amount it really makes no difference .I had checked into them closely and the only system i found that will remove 50% of the iron was over 2000 dollars installed and had all these gadgets and things they claim removed it .After it rains hard for a day the iron content of your water in your well will actually go up .It makes the water hard and I used to have staining until my son put the water filter in and then just a couple of months ago my pump went out on my well and had to pull it 450 ft. out of the ground to replace it and I am guessing the storm we had with all the lightening must have damaged the pump and ven all that effected my filter and storage tank .Since I was buying the same filter it was just easy for me to take the old one out and put the new one and then replace the bladder also .My insurance did pay for all of it minus deductable .

 

[humbirdlover]

Actually it's a water conditioner. All the salt brine does is clean the resin part of rhe unit. We have had one for 35 years. the first one had a seperate brine tank and a cylinder tank. We had to replace that last year with an all in one unit. If we didn't have it, it would stain everything. Before we installed the first one, back then, LOL It ruined clothes, stained our fiberglass tub to where it's still to this day, redish brown in the bottom. But knock on wood, both units have always removed the iron.Oh yes, quite expensive, but the alternative would be far worse to me in the long run. But I guess it's like everything, what works for some folks may not work for others. and oh yes, we have been thru the pump replacement . That is NOT easy. so then you think the well water would be ok for the pond? I would be using a spigot from outside of the garage, that isn't hooked up to the conditioner.

 

[humbirdlover]

Little side note to our area Back in the first decade of the 19th century, possibly earlier, the were iron furnaces build in our area. Two of which are about 2 miles and 5 miles from me. According to the 1860 census, the one called Columbia Furnace consumed 3,304 tons of ore, 280,0000 bushels of charcoal, and 340 tons of lime, to produce 1,365 tons of pig iron valued at $30,098. They dug the ore from big pits, burned trees to make the charcoal and hauled the pig iron on a dinky railtoad that went right thru our front yard. We can still today, dig up mule shoes and railroad spikes. so it doesn't wonder how we come by our iron water...Hope I didn't bore anyone, just thought it was an interesting bit of info

 

[sissy]

I have a whole house filter that self flushes itself and it has worked better than my neighbors 1000 dollar filter .It is the one lowes sells for just over 200 dollars and so simple to install it is amazing .These days they make every thing homeowner friendly .I got the new amtrol bladder tank and it was easy as pie to install .The filter i have works by itself and you never have to add anything and you can set it to self flush itself anytime and how many times you want and if the electric goes out it resets itself .Is not huge and was easy for me to handle by myself .The old plastic filter thing with the cartridge they had on there I use with a charcoal filter on the hose to fill the pond .I figure this way No worries .I bought a new one as slippery fingers me broke the plastic bottle thing around it and just went to tractor supply and bought new one for under 20 dollars .The self flush I have had in my house for over 8 years now .

 

[sissy]

Well glad they don't do that any more .I read about VA and there water and seems to be common any ways to have iron in your water .So seems it is normal ,if you call pink clothes normal :razz: :luxlove: gotta love pink if you live in VA

 

[Waterbug]

But would the un treated water be safe for the fish pond?

I can't say all untreated water from every source is safe, but you've been using this source and the fish aren't dead, so it sounds safe to me.

The biggest issue imo would be mineral accumulation and that's true no matter the water source. If water is only added to replace evaporation the mineral content of any pond is going to increase over time. Can be a long time, can be a short time.

Actual water changes fixes the issue whether a trickle water change, pond overflowing from rain, or traditional pump out some water and replace.

 

[humbirdlover]

thanks Waterbug.