After a few months of cyanobacteria on the gravel and brown algae (diatoms?) on the silk plants that just isn't going away, I've decided to restart the aquarium. Aside from providing a smooth transition for my betta, I want to accomplish two things: 1) I of course don't want a recurrence of the cyanobacteria and diatoms, and 2) I want to try for neutral pH (tap is 7.5).
A fish store worker recommended that, with such a small tank, I might be better off with bottled water. I assume non-chlorinated spring water would be easiest. I'd of course test it.
Another option is to run my tap water through a Britta faucet filter. The website says their faucet filter removes or reduces chlorine, lead, asbestos, turbidity, benzene, TTHMs, cryptosporidium/giardia, atrazine, lindane, trichloroethylene (TCE). It doesn't remove or reduce copper, cadmium, or mercury. I don't know what any of these might mean, if anything, for cyanobacteria, diatoms, or algae. I'm letting a cup of filtered water sit and will test its pH, nitrites, nitrates, and KH (the only tests I have) later today.
I could also go with 100% distilled water treated with Replenish, but I don't know if I'd be getting in over my head. So many aquarists say to use tap water if at all possible.
My main question about these options is whether avoiding my tap water will allow me to better control for cyanobacteria, algae, and diatoms.
On to the pH. I hope to have neutral pH to have an environment more favorable to NH3 than NH4. Also, neutral pH will help with having higher dissolved CO2.
Thanks!
A fish store worker recommended that, with such a small tank, I might be better off with bottled water. I assume non-chlorinated spring water would be easiest. I'd of course test it.
Another option is to run my tap water through a Britta faucet filter. The website says their faucet filter removes or reduces chlorine, lead, asbestos, turbidity, benzene, TTHMs, cryptosporidium/giardia, atrazine, lindane, trichloroethylene (TCE). It doesn't remove or reduce copper, cadmium, or mercury. I don't know what any of these might mean, if anything, for cyanobacteria, diatoms, or algae. I'm letting a cup of filtered water sit and will test its pH, nitrites, nitrates, and KH (the only tests I have) later today.
I could also go with 100% distilled water treated with Replenish, but I don't know if I'd be getting in over my head. So many aquarists say to use tap water if at all possible.
My main question about these options is whether avoiding my tap water will allow me to better control for cyanobacteria, algae, and diatoms.
On to the pH. I hope to have neutral pH to have an environment more favorable to NH3 than NH4. Also, neutral pH will help with having higher dissolved CO2.
Thanks!
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