Melbourne Water Quality

[flukes]

After seeing the problems Sydney residents have been going through with quality, i have now noticed some odd things about Melbourne's water. After doing some research on the internet, it seems that my water company Yarra Valley Water, doesnt show any signs of the water being tainted. Although i still think something is wrong all i can do is filter any water before putting it into the tank. I advise any other melbourne residents too do the same. Although i cant prove much as i cant test for most things iam sure it is some thing in the water, just for those intrested here is a link to Yarra Valleys Water specs.
http://www.propertyflow.yvw.com.au/waterquality/default.asp?style=home

[Bad Inferno]

What effect is the water having on your fish ? and what sort of filter are you using on your tap water. I live in Endeavour hills Vic so would be very interested. The pH here is about 8 straight from the tap and letting it settle overnight doesn't really change things much. Although must admit have not really tested this for quite some time. I knoe my 25% water change takes my pH from ~6.6 to 6.9 then overnight will settle back down.

[flukes]

Being in Ehills you wouldnt be supplied by Yarra Valley Water would you?? The fish have just gone dark and very very skittish, freaking out and swimming into walls for no reason. Ive checked all tests that i have, ph,kh,gh,amonnia,nititres,nitrates and nothing has changed.
Ill try filter my aged water with carbon and see how i go.
Does an R/O unit remove any toxins or other chemicals? Or is its main use for lowering hardness??

[Merrilyn]

Flukes, an RO unit takes everything out of the water, salts, calcium, chlorine, heavy metals, toxins etc and leaves you with very, very pure water which cannot support life. Thats why you add essential salts etc back into the water. Fish
can't live in pure RO water.
You've probably already thought of this - but I wonder if you could have a bacterial bloom in your tank. It can happen pretty easy with the amount of food we use especially when we are growing out juveniles. You can have a tank that looks as clean as a whistle but a build up of bacteria can affect the fish in just the way you describe. JMHO :)

[flukes]

Hrmm think i might have to invest in a an R/O unit. But i guessing here with an already low hardness that the R/O mix with tap water would have to have a larger portion of tap water to replenish some of the buffering power other wise there would be large ph swings. Is this right or how do we increase the hardness again so this wont happen?

[Merrilyn]

I see where you're coming from, but I still don't know if RO is the right way to go for our Melbourne water. I've opted to go for a U.V. sterelizer. It's only been on the big tank for 2 weeks but as I sit here looking at the tank ( as I type) I have got 2 pairs actually spawning. The old marlboro reds have staked out one end of the tank and a young pair of blue diamonds are trying to lay eggs on the filter intake pipe. I'm sitting here waiting to see if I have a true pair. I'm really pleased with the quality of the water with UV, and obviously the fish are pretty pleased too. I've never used a R/O unit, but I understand that the salts you add back into the water increases the hardness and so buffers the ph. It seems to me that if you have to add some untreated tap water to the mix then you are defeating the purpose of getting 'clean' r/o water. Some of our members from USA with first hand experience of r/o water may be able to give you more accurate answers.