i'm thinking about building a pond in my yard and since its going to be close to a well pump i was hoping to use that water instead of city water. my only concern is whether or not my well water will be safe for fish. what do i need to test for to ensure that my water is fish safe?

i think the usual tests are all the typical water parameter tests: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature.. with the addition to kH and gH?

haha but i can't help you with what you want your parameters are... i haven't had experience in that area.

The well water should be safe enough for fish if it is safe for drinking. However, I'll agree with Tink that you should do all the standard aquarium tests on the well water, including kH and gH, so you'll know if you need to add anything to the water or worry about pH crashes. Well water shouldn't be chlorinated at all, so you won't need to use a dechlorinator. There are also tests for iron and such, but I'm not sure if it will be necessary to use them.

I'm sure somebody more knowledgeable/experienced will come along and add their , and even help with interpreting your test results.

I would be more worried about heavy metals. I would find someplace that could test for that kind of thing, or get a water conditioner that will detoxify heavy metals.

hmm..i'll have to look into who can test that for me. where do i get a conditioner for heavy metals?

Although the main concern with treating water is dechlorination, most water conditioners also detoxify heavy metals. Whatever water conditioner you have is probably fine- just check the label.

Right on the front label it should say "Detoxifies heavy metals." I think NovAqua does, and it's likely that Prime does as well.