Distilled water? or not?

[Nocturn]

Iwas recently getting distilled water when changing out some water, but appearntly this has some downsides...making the water soft. Is there any sort of water I should use instead that I could buy at a grocery store?

 

[An t-iasg]

I use RO (reverse osmosis) water in my tanks. I get it at my grocery store. There's an RO machine by the pop aisle. It's 39 cents a gallon if you bring your own container. I bought the containers the first time, for 79 cents each, but if you bring them back for a refill, then the price is 39 cents. All the bottled water brands are more expensive than this!

I measure the pH of my tap water before a water change. If my tap pH is 8, then I mix 6 cups RO water to 10 cups of tap water. I mix the waters up in an empty bottled water gallon jug. There are 16 cups in a gallon. If my tap is 8.2, then I mix up 8 cups RO water to 8 cups tap water. The pH ends up at 7.2.

 

[tabitha]

Distilled water is not good for a tank... you can use the suggestion above as probably the cheapest way to buy water at the store... i think basically any drinking water will do the trick tho...

 

[MantisX]

Is this water for a fish only tank, or were you thinking of plants?

 

[Nocturn]

fish only

 

[shawmutt]

I use ro water, and then add salts to it to correct the pH and Hardness. There are ready made salts available (ro right and such) but I just make my own mix.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I used drinking water with mine then realized that is too expensive and bought dechlorinator and pH stuff =o)