# TDS of London Tap Water



## sr20det (8 May 2012)

I ordered a digital TDS meter, on the bay, not sure how accurate they are, but thought it would be a quick indicator of water. Quick and Easy.

Arrived this morning, and being my newest gadget i had to test.

2" of tap water, slipped in meter.  

344 ppm.

http://theaquariumwiki.com/TDS

According to the link, its unpleasant water  

 

Read, water temp could affect the reading, was ice cold water.  But am I right in thinking that is crazy high?


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## logi-cat (8 May 2012)

my coldwater comes out at 339ppm


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## Matt Warner (8 May 2012)

Hi, I am thinking of getting a tds meter to measure my water. Can you share the link where you got yours from.
Cheers


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## sr20det (8 May 2012)

Matty1983 said:
			
		

> Hi, I am thinking of getting a tds meter to measure my water. Can you share the link where you got yours from.
> Cheers



Sure thing bud,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370476471479?

Could have gone cheaper, but didnt fancy waiting for it from HK, or the far east.  UK seller, and was quick delivery too, in honesty.  Already have a digital PH meter, but ordered a matching one to the TDS. Similar price


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## sr20det (8 May 2012)

logi-cat said:
			
		

> my coldwater comes out at 339ppm




Hmmm, not far off then.  Assuming you use RO?  Or other? For your tanks.


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## logi-cat (9 May 2012)

At the mo its mixed with ro for my 25l p@h cube. Gone up to 450 ish as i dose dry salt. Home to 3 x celestial pearl danios, 3 x pgymy cories and quite a few rcs. Plants growing like wildfire. Lookin to hopefully set up a shrimp tank soon for crs so will have to look for a alternative.


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## Aqua sobriquet (9 May 2012)

I ordered a TDS meter last week as well so I'll be testing the clear stuff from all over the place when I get it!


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## sr20det (9 May 2012)

Aqua sobriquet said:
			
		

> I ordered a TDS meter last week as well so I'll be testing the clear stuff from all over the place when I get it!



haha, gonna test some rain water this evening, as its been a bit wet out.

Will test my tank which isnt planted at mo, to see how that fairs with the bio system in place.


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## sr20det (9 May 2012)

logi-cat said:
			
		

> At the mo its mixed with ro for my 25l p@h cube. Gone up to 450 ish as i dose dry salt. Home to 3 x celestial pearl danios, 3 x pgymy cories and quite a few rcs. Plants growing like wildfire. Lookin to hopefully set up a shrimp tank soon for crs so will have to look for a alternative.



My main tank isnt planted, just a rockery tank, but am planning a re-scape which I have been planning for yonks.  But its a guppy tank, which do well in the tap water.

But just got my hands on a nono, and fancied shrimp and amazon based fish, hence might have to bit te bullet and get a RO , the thing is I plan to dose el, will that push it up?  In which case, can I not just use the tap water as is?  Assuming plants will strip some minerals directly from the tap water?

Did some reading, and peeps are putting in water under 100ppm TDS through an RO, to bring it down to 0, and looking at RO units, it says high TDS water should not be put through it  , wonder when they mean high 300+ is kinda high :?:

I read on here 100ppm is best for shrimp or just above?


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## dw1305 (9 May 2012)

Hi all,
Even cheap TDS meters are usually pretty robust and accurate. They are only electronic meter that doesn't need regular calibration, as they just pass a current (through the solution to be measured) between 2 electrodes. 

If the meter hasn't got automatic temperature compensation you need to read the water at 20 - 25oC, because conductivity changes with temperature (higher temperature = higher reading) so values are always quoted at 25 °C ("standard temperature"). 






All these meters measure electrical conductivity (in microS/cm), and then use a conversion factor (in the range 0.5 to 0.64) to convert conductivity in microS to ppm TDS. (100 microS ~ 50 - 64 ppm TDS).

Pure H2O is an electrical insulator, so the conductivity of an "electrolyte solution", (what we call water but actually a dilute solution) is a measure of its ability to conduct electricity. The relationship is linear until you get into very "salty" solutions. As well as disassociated salts, weak acids also contribute to conductivity.









I think that 344 ppm TDS sounds in the right range. The water will naturally  be calcium (Ca++) and (bi)carbonate (HCO3-) rich from the limestone aquifer, and will have picked up sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions from road salting etc.,  PO4--- ions from the heavy metal water treatment, optical brighteners from washing powders (and a limited amount from agriculture), various ions from sewage treatment and diffuse pollution from agricultural fertilisers (NO3- and K+ mainly), so it is quite a long way from H2O.

cheers Darrel


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## Aqua sobriquet (9 May 2012)

Very informative Darrel, thanks for that.

Now, as you've put me off drinking the stuff is it safe for me to drink (lots) of Beer instead!


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## sr20det (9 May 2012)

Nice one Darrel, good read, and explanation.  Not too bad then, I too well know London water or Thames Water is reknown for being very hard.

I am tempted to collect rain water and filter it through carbon for my tanks in the hope that it makes it safe from air contaminants.  Or just invest in RO unit,  They seems a tad pricey mind.

Do folk keep fish in that water ppm?  Or am I rightly thinking that it isnt sufficient for a planted stocked aquarium?


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## Aqua sobriquet (9 May 2012)

My meter has just arrived and the results are ...

Tap water (Surrey) 340 ppm
Sainsburys "Caledonian" bottled water 109 ppm
Rain water from my garden 13 ppm

We have a water purifier at work so I'll check that out as well.

Water at work (West London) 335 ppm and after going through the purifier 335 ppm!  :?


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## Matt Warner (9 May 2012)

Very interesting read! I now know why London tap water is so crap, and why many of you add rain or RO water to it. What does London water actually taste like?


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## sr20det (9 May 2012)

17ppm London Rain water.
298 brita filter jug water.
428 kettle boiled and cooled water.
388 ppm Hot water from tap, cooled. (Boiler routed).

All I could get my hands on for now.


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## sr20det (9 May 2012)

Matty1983 said:
			
		

> Very interesting read! I now know why London tap water is so crap, and why many of you add rain or RO water to it. What does London water actually taste like?



I don't think its taste that bad, but peeps from the north complain its nasty. Cant say I really notice it. Immune maybe.


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## Morgan Freeman (10 May 2012)

I've grown up with it so don't really notice the taste so much. It's not exactly the best however and showers are far more enjoyable with softer water.

I've kept a planted tank without problems with pure London water. I know use filtered rainwater.


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## sr20det (10 May 2012)

Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> I've grown up with it so don't really notice the taste so much. It's not exactly the best however and showers are far more enjoyable with softer water.
> 
> I've kept a planted tank without problems with pure London water. I know use filtered rainwater.



Same, here, lived in London my whole life, cant say I notice it, showers, cant say I notice either, there is a taste difference though when i visit the north, hard to explain it. difference is hardness i guess, lol

i think i may do the same with rainwater, looking at water butts. filter through carbon.

i have kept fish in london tap water mostly no problems. Except oto's, for some reason they didnt fair well in my tank, which I put down to water. :?:


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## Morgan Freeman (10 May 2012)

*Now use filtered rainwater.

I think Otos are generally quite sensitive though I haven't kept them myself.


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## sr20det (10 May 2012)

Aqua sobriquet said:
			
		

> Water at work (West London) 335 ppm and after going through the purifier 335 ppm!  :?



hahahaha. Well, that was worth it


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## Piece-of-fish (27 May 2012)

350ppm is quite normal for London. We did measure 220ppm yesterday and double checked with 2 tds meters just in case. Really interesting. Will keep an eye if it changes back.
I think 350 is ok for most fish and even shrimp. Taste wise I have tasted tap water in at least 10 countries and can tell you London tap does taste best. I don't believe in all that crap to drink bottled water. Just a marketing thing if you ask me.


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## ghostsword (27 May 2012)

I get 300 on my tap water, east london.

I now use a RO unit to drop it to 20, an do a 50% tap mix water change. 

About tasting water.. Yuk, london tap is pretty manky. 


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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## sr20det (27 May 2012)

Really cold I can get 320, but once settled to room temp its seem to rise, to 350.

Rain water is the way toward for me, but not had much of late, which is nice. But not if you actually need it lol


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## sr20det (28 May 2012)

Piece-of-fish said:
			
		

> 350ppm is quite normal for London. We did measure 220ppm yesterday and double checked with 2 tds meters just in case. Really interesting. Will keep an eye if it changes back.
> I think 350 is ok for most fish and even shrimp. Taste wise I have tasted tap water in at least 10 countries and can tell you London tap does taste best. I don't believe in all that crap to drink bottled water. Just a marketing thing if you ask me.






			
				ghostsword said:
			
		

> I get 300 on my tap water, east london.
> 
> I now use a RO unit to drop it to 20, an do a 50% tap mix water change.
> 
> ...



Not sure how you guys are managing 300 or even under???  I am in Stratford, and doubt the water would be much different localish?  220 would be ideal.  Once in tank it rises to 450 ish (assume its subtrate, cat litter), which isnt so bad as the fish seem fine however maybe rain water of the 17ppm in a 20% water change would bring that right down in a nano.  I would be happy with 300 in all honesty.


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## dw1305 (28 May 2012)

Hi all,


> Taste wise I have tasted tap water in at least 10 countries and can tell you London tap does taste best. I don't believe in all that crap to drink bottled water. Just a marketing thing if you ask me


Piece-of-fish, I salute  you are a true Londoner, I don't think any-one else is ever going to say that about London tap water, but I do agree about bottled water being a rip off. Personally I really like to drink our tap water (Corsham, Wilts), not much chlorine, or anything else, other than the chalk, it really is "sweet water".


> Really cold I can get 320, but once settled to room temp its seem to rise, to 350.


Conductivity rises with increasing temperature, the quoted values should all be at "standard temperature" = 25oC.

cheers Darrel


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## sr20det (28 May 2012)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> 
> > Taste wise I have tasted tap water in at least 10 countries and can tell you London tap does taste best. I don't believe in all that crap to drink bottled water. Just a marketing thing if you ask me
> ...



London or hard water tastes cooller IMO as is more chilled/ICED where as soft water does always taste warmish to me or IMO.


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