My tap water is terrible. What can I use for my new tank?

[SoFla94]

My tap water is not very fish friendly. I don't know if it's because of the crazy amounts of fertilizing done around here or what...but the amount of nitrate and nitrite in the water is quite high. Using a test strip, these are the values I get straight out of the faucet:

Nitrite: between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm
Nitrate: between 40 and 80 ppm
These test strips don't have ammonia on them.
Chlorine: 0

I was concerned about putting in water with these levels into my new tank. So, I used a combo of rain water, distilled water, and tap water and got levels pretty close to 0 before putting in my betta. After putting the betta in the new tank tonight, I've started hearing about cycling the tank with no fish for weeks. I didn't do that so there are no helpful bacteria in it yet. If to cycle the tank with my fish in it I have to do partial water changes every day or every other day like I've read...then what water can I use to put it the tank? With these many water changes, it just wouldn't be financially sane to keep buying that betta-specific water pet stores sell (is that even any good). The girl at the pet store said distilled water, so I looked this up and apparently that's no good...so I'm at a loss :-|.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[mgamer20o0]

you have well water? the betta water is just worthless. know anyone one you can test their water and see about just getting water from them?

 

[fishmonkey]

you could get an RO/DI unit

 

[SoFla94]

What's an RO/DI unit?

Sorry, I'm new to this. Such terminology zooms over my head

 

[SoFla94]

you have well water? the betta water is just worthless. know anyone one you can test their water and see about just getting water from them?

According to our water quality report, the source of our water is groundwater wells from aquifers, and it's treated and filtrated at two plants. Their tests say the nitrate level is 10ppm and nitrite is 1ppm so why mine is so high is beyond me

 

[Joker741]

What's an RO/DI unit?

Sorry, I'm new to this. Such terminology zooms over my head

RO (Reverse Osmosis) and Deionization

Water Purification: Aquarium Reverse Osmosis Systems

 

[mgamer20o0]

two things i would do. option 1 get some water and put plants in it to help suck out the extra nitrates and nitrites. option 2 would be the ro. you can buy a ro unit or go to the store that sells filtered ro water.

 

[SoFla94]

RO (Reverse Osmosis) and Deionization

Water Purification: Aquarium Reverse Osmosis Systems

thanks for explaining!

 

[SoFla94]

two things i would do. option 1 get some water and put plants in it to help suck out the extra nitrates and nitrites. option 2 would be the ro. you can buy a ro unit or go to the store that sells filtered ro water.

So, since I probably have to start doing these partial water changes soon because I naively didn't cycle my tank before adding my betta, would drinking water from the grocery store filtered by reverse osmosis be good enough? Would that be better than distilled water?

 

[fishmonkey]

exact same thing

 

[Zer0]

Well, i dont see why it wouldnt be better than the water your trying to avoid. Most of the time bottled water is the exact same tap water, just ran through large brita-like filters to make the water taste good or different. This is not always the case, but is evident. Look, i know you dont want to, but getting the ro/di unit just really is cost effective. If you go to the pet store to buy their water everytime you need to do water changes, your going to wind up exceeding the cost of just purchasing a machine that makes perfectly good water. You can get an RO unit for 130$ and a GOOD one at that. Try ebay. This will not only save you mass money, but you know exactly whats in the water, unlike if you bought it from some other place, who may add other things in the water, or maybe just dont care and mix it with other things. Who knows. An RO unit is your best option.

See it this way, you have the tank for years, and everytime you do a water change.. you need water from your pet shop, or wherever you get it from. Eventually in those years, you will have payed alot more money for the water, than if you purchased the RO unit at a ONE TIME price of 130$ which makes water.. anytime.. anywhere.. when you need it. Idk, choice is yours, but it seemed like a rational decision to me.. so i bought one. lol. Whichever way you go, good luck!

 

[SoFla94]

exact same thing

But then they put a different label on them and charge you more for one vs the other. Sigh...

 

[Zer0]

Nowwww you get it lol. Its all supply and demand and commercial marketing in this god forsaken world.

 

[Nippy Fish]

I can get R/O water from the machine outside my grocery store for .20 a gallon.

 

[Zer0]

I can get 75 Gallons from my RO unit for 0$.

 

[fishmonkey]

except for the people that actually pay the water bill Links!

 

[Zer0]

Haha, i guess so.

 

[fishmonkey]

lol

 

[CementShoes]

Well, except for the cost of the waste water, the eventual cost of replacing you filters, the cost of a TDS meter (if you have one).

I can get 75 Gallons from my RO unit for 0$.

 

[joy13]

If the bottled water has anything on the label that says something added to enhance the flavor don't get it unless you are going to use dechlorinator usually the something is chlorine.