Can I use cloudy well water for water changes? Water parms included (added photos)

[KittenFishMom]

(I added photos at the bottom to compare normal water with cloudy water.)

I filled my new cleaned 15 gallon tank with the cold cloudy well water, added Seachem Stability and new polishing filter media in a cleaned Marineland Internal Water Polishing Filter (high volume, I think 5ated for 75 or 100 gallons) and ran it all night. I still can not see through the water this morning. Note: We have a mechanical filter and a UV filter on the well.

The water parms this morning are:

Ammonia: a little under 0.5 ppm (using ACO test strips, have ordered API  test kit)

Nitrate: 0

Nitrite: 0

GH: 0

KH: 120 ppm

pH: 8.0

temp 78

Can I use this water for water changes? If yes, at what percent of the tanks?

Photos:

Empty new tank after water polished for 14 hours:

Betta tank after 2 water changes over a week:

Tank where I have not done water changes: 

Edited February 26, 2022 by KittenFishMom
added photos

[Biotope Biologist]

I suppose it depends on what the cloudiness is caused by? I’d run a full well test to make sure nothing is contaminating your ground source. I’d imagine it’s likely just silt and you would probably need to run a low micron filter filament to remove it. 
 

I don’t have well water so maybe someone else who does may have more insight.

[KittenFishMom]

 I can't get it test professionally until Monday.  All my tanks are coming due for water changes, but are not urgent yet. I will cut back on feeding and see if that helps.

The well is deep, but very close to the lake. The well has always had a moodiness to it. No one in the area drinks their well water. 

[CT_]

0gh? Do you have a water softener system?

[KittenFishMom]

no water softener system. Just a "paper" mechanical filter and a UV light on coiled glass tubes. That is the water as it comes out of the well. 4 companies have tested it to be completely soft with a high pH.

[sairving]

On 2/26/2022 at 4:04 PM, KittenFishMom said:

no water softener system. Just a "paper" mechanical filter and a UV light on coiled glass tubes. That is the water as it comes out of the well. 4 companies have tested it to be completely soft with a high pH.

That's very unusual. Normally, well water with a high ph is going to have high gh as well. Until it gets tested, best guess is there's a lot of sediment in the water. 

 

[Flumpweesel]

My thoughts on water are if I wouldn't drink it I probably wouldn't add it to my fish tank.(I know I wouldn't drink water after adding prime but I think you get my drift above). And while suspended silt is probably safe it's probably a similar experience for the fish as us walking through a sand storm (generally not deadly but far from pleasant).

Fingers crossed the tests are all good on your water and once the table has settled you'll be back to the lovely clear stuff

[KittenFishMom]

@Flumpweesel I have ordered Prime, so we can use the city water from our house until the cottage water clears. Here at the cottage, there is weird well water, and lake water and water you bring from home or the store.  We will get a full work up done on the water on Monday.  

[Brandon p]

I use my well water but I let it sit for a day. I fill 4 5 gal buckets and let it sit for a day. I have used the well water when cloudy and not had a problem as long as you are willing to let the tanks trickle the water in.