Question
Hi. I have been considering buying a Cephalotus, but have seen info saying they are fincky with water, and I was wondering if these tap-water chemical levels would be ok for most Carnivorous plants or not...
Alkalinity (total), mg/L  CaCO 3
n/a
247
31

Aluminium (acid soluble), mg/L
0.10
11
<0.02

Arsenic (total), mg/L
0.01
2
<0.001

Boron, mg/L
1.4
2
0.02

Cadmium (total), mg/L
0.004
2
<0.0002

Calcium (total), mg/L
(B)
5
10.15

Chloride, mg/L
250
4
7.93

Chromium (total), mg/L
0.05
2
<0.001

Colour (true), PtCo units
10
53
<5

Conductivity, mS/cm @ 25 oC
n/a
12
109.17

Copper (total), mg/L
2
12
0.04

Cyanide (total), mg/L
0.08
2
<0.01

Fluoride, mg/L
1.5 (C)
247
0.80

Hardness (total), mg/L CaCO 3
200
12
30.83

Iron (total), mg/L
0.2
12
<0.05

Langelier saturation index
>/= 0
12
-1.32

Lead (total), mg/L
0.01
2
0.0003

Magnesium (total), mg/L
(B)
2
1.2

Manganese (total), mg/L
0.4
12
<0.05

Mercury (total), mg/L
0.002
2
<0.0005

Nickel (total), mg/L
0.02
2
<0.0005

Nitrate, mg/L -N
50
2
<0.04

pH
7.0?.5
247
7.7

Selenium (total), mg/L
0.01
2
<0.005

Silica (molybdate-reactive), mg/L
n/a
2
8.55

Sodium (total), mg/L
200
4
9.38

Solids (total dissolved), mg/L
1000
1
71

Sulphate, mg/L
250
4
7.98

Turbidity, NTU
2.5
53
0.11

Zinc (total), mg/L
1.5
12
0.05

I am not sure which are harmful to carnivorous plants, if any are, so I enclosed the whole list sorry!


Answer
Hello Kath,

When dealing with carnivorous plants you mainly want to worry about calcium and magnesium and total water hardness.

If the hardness of your tap is over 50, it would not be advisable to use with carnivorous plants.

I added some of these values into my search engine and found they relate to New Zealand water sources. Under the hard water listing the value you have is well under 50... it is the value 30.83... so your tap is soft enough for use with carnivorous plants.

Congratulations on having soft water from your tap for your plants,

Christopher