Posts Tagged ‘aquarium’

Should I Use Tap Water In My Fish Tank?

Fish are probably the easiest pets to take care of. You have to purchase a tank or bowl, add some water, some fish, and some fish food. Sounds pretty easy doesn’t it? While it can be simple to take care of fish, there are some things that can make it a bit more complicated. You have to be sure that all the fish that you place in the tank are able to get along with each other. You also have to feed your little friends that right food and perhaps most importantly, the climate of the water has to be perfect. Water for your fish tanks can come from several sources, including ordinary tap water.

Now, there are those people out in the world that feel tap water is horrendous and they certainly won’t drink it, let alone put fish inside it. I mean, it’s full of all kinds of chemicals and things that are harmful to me, right? They’d be harmful to the fish, too – right? Umm.. that would be “no” and “no”.

There are some basics that you should know when are setting up a freshwater tropical fish tank. First, the water temperature should be between 72 and 82ºF. The pH of the water should be between 6.5 and 7.5. The nitrates and ammonia should be at zero with nitrate <50 ppm. It’s best that the water’s hardness is between 4 and 12GH. Each one of these parameters has to be balanced with each other. When tap water is used in an aquarium some sort of conditioner has to be added in order to help you make this goal. If your tap water comes from a well it might already be balanced, but the water should always be checked before adding fish to the tank.

You shouldn’t have any trouble finding these conditioners at well stocked pet or fish supply store. The fast acting ones can be added to the water as you are adding your fish to the tank. These conditioners are perfectly safe for the fish. It won’t make them ill or cause them harm, either physically or mentally. Make sure that any product you choose contains a chlorine remover or dechlorinator because it’s the chlorine in the tap water that causes most of the problems. Phosphates, pesticides, and copper are also commonly found in tap water. These substances will have to be countered with some kind of balancing agent that are typically found at any store and are sold in a tablet form. If any of these substances are present in the water in levels that are too high, stress or other ailments can develop. In most cases, tap water is reasonably balanced and is fine for your fish.

There are other sources for aquarium water other than the tap, including distilled water, rainwater, and reverse osmosis water. The main problem with collecting rainwater is the risk of also collecting pollutants and debris. It is an especially bad idea in areas that frequently experience acid rain. While using RO water might sound like a good idea, it’s really not. You see, drinking purified water is great for humans, but rather bad for fish. You would have to remineralize and oxygenate the water in order to maintain the right chemical and organic balance.

Make sure you feed your fish, give them a comfy home, and use well balanced water. When you do this, you shouldn’t run into any issues with your fish in regards to your health.

About the author:
April Levine is an aquarist with years of experience in keeping tropical fish. She maintains many fish tanks full of the rarest tropical fish in the world.