Can I put store bought spring water into my aquarium, as water naturally evaporates?

Question

The water quality at the school where I work is NASTY. Can I refill my tank with spring water from the grocery store or is filtered water better?

Answer 1

The problem with bottled water is it varys in water chemistry from bottle to bottle. Often the same brand is bottled from several different sources. Rapid change, even good change, is bad. The real questions are

1)What is the pH, and KH of the tap water.

2)What sort of fish do you have?

Each type of fish prefers a certain water chem. So your water may be great for your fish. Look up your fish at http://liveaquaria.com then test your water. You may find for example you've got 7.6 pH, and a 15 KH water which tastes nasty, but is great for molly, guppy, gourami, betta.... Remember if you can drink it some sort fish will love it. (Once the chlorine is removed.)

PS- Distilled water is really bad. It's way too soft, acidic, and lacks minerals. Their are no fish suited to it. It is a good way to dilute basic and hard water, but don't try to change things too quickly.

Answer 2

Spring water should be fine, just test the water to ensure that it is not too hard or too high pH - as spring water can at times contain lot of minerals.

You can use distilled water, but you will either need to mix it with spring water (a good idea if the spring water is very hard or alkaline) or with tap water, or purchase additives for distilled water, because it does not contain the essential minerals and electrolytes that tap and spring water does.

Answer 3

As long as it ain't the flavoured sort, it should be fine (but expensive)........ a cheaper option if the water quality at the school is as bad as you say, would be to save a few bottles the spring water comes in, and fill them up with the tap at home....... or perhaps get your hands on one of them large plastic bottles they use for refilling Water coolers.

Answer 4

There's no substitute for a 4 stage reverse osmosis filter of your own. I used to use bottle water (spring, distilled) for my marine tank. Then I switched to my own filter and the changes in my tank health was dramatic. Much better than any bottled.

Answer 5

How about the water at your home? If the water at your home is decent, then it would be cheaper for you to treat your home water and store a few gallons of it in plastic jugs or gallon jars. Then bring in a gallon or two when you are ready to do a water change.

Answer 6

Hey there. I've been using "drinking water" for my two freshwater tanks. It hasn't messed with the PH or done anything weird to my fish. I'd say it works fine. I buy mine from "Publix" So if you're in the three southern states, Florida, Alabama and Georgia, I'd bet you might have one near you

Answer 7

It will be okay but cheaper to take tap water and let it set in an open jug for a few days and it will be just as good and consistant coming from the same place all the time

Answer 8

I wouldn't.....spring water can contain aditives to "enhance flavoring".....if you know it's regular spring water and you only have non-tropical fish then adding room temperature spring water should be ok....if they're tropical fish then match the temperature and pH levels between the new and tank waters first.

Answer 9

I wouldn't use spring water, but have found that distilled water works fine! I use it for my tanks, and have never had an issue. Make sure that you still use water treatment when you do a water change or add new fish!

Answer 10

Bottled water would be a pain when doing your weekly water change. Might be OK at first but would get really tiresome really quick.