Is there an upper limit to tds/ hardwater

[Markp2483]

Is there an upper limit to tds/hard water? Over the past year and half I’ve noticed my city water tds has crept up from 160 to 335. Using aquarium coop test strips I’m at 300+ for both GH and KH. Ph 8.0. Maybe 5 or 10 ppm nitrate out of the tap.  All my tanks have lots of plants and they all grow fine except for scarlet temple strangely. I dose ferts with a dosing pump and inject CO2. Before water change my tds is 550-650 depending on evaporation. After a 50% water change my tds is at 450 range.

Tank 1 has: neons, cherry barb, praecox rainbows, some ottos, hasbrosus Cory’s, cherry shrimp and a bristle nose

 

tank 2 has: lambchop razboras, embers, neon gobies, hillstream loaches, yellow neo shrimp and two giant Kuhli loaches.

 

tank 3 is a old folks tank and some praecox fry

tank 4 is a shrimp spill over tank/ qt

Mini pond has a bunch of rice fish 

 

shrimp breed like crazy

 

I feel like I’m on the high side of safe but maybe I’m projecting because I notice the water is itchy after showering.  Is there a a hypothetical line we should not cross?

also is there any guidance on dosing ferts with hard water? I’ve moved to mixing my own dry ferts but all the suppliers recommend using ro water which I would like to avoid or a least limit it’s usage

 

what do you all think? Problem or just in my head

 

[Lacey Grant]

I dont worry to much about ppm or tds. I am on a well and my ppm is way above most..... like in the 1,000. I have multiple tanks with multiple different types of fish from beta all the way to arowana. Just as long as your parameters are within normal range it should all be fine.

[knee]

If the livestock are thriving and even breeding, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Just keep the parameters stable and they will do fine. Some plants will thrive and do better in softer water so I'd give away or donate plants that struggle in harder water.

[Darax]

Is there a way to combine TDS and mass spectrometry to do chemical analysis without reagents? 

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/26/2023 at 4:03 PM, Markp2483 said:

I feel like I’m on the high side of safe but maybe I’m projecting because I notice the water is itchy after showering.  Is there a a hypothetical line we should not cross?

are you using things like dechlorinator during WCs?  Sounds like you're on a well and you might have farmland nearby?

On 2/26/2023 at 4:03 PM, Markp2483 said:

also is there any guidance on dosing ferts with hard water? I’ve moved to mixing my own dry ferts but all the suppliers recommend using ro water which I would like to avoid or a least limit it’s usage

Get test kits for minerals so you actually know what you need to dose!  They have strips as well but I can't say that works in the range you need or their accuracy.