So I have been using distilled water in my tanks and now I've heard it isn't good to use. (I thought it would be better because of no chlorine) if I should use tap water and do water changes using jugs, all I have to do is put the right amount of aqua safe in each jug and it should be fine? How long do I have to wait before adding the water?
Water dechlorinator q's?
- Thread starter Rolance
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
molliwopp
Aquarium Advice Addict
Distilled water is good but needs to be remineralised.
If you dont want to buy the minerals needed you can mix it with tap water. Youre also adding a ph balancer right?? your keeping angelfish right?? I would slowly wean the tank off both the distilled water and the ph chems. You could Or do a 50:50 distilled : tap mix. But start with 90:10 or 80:20 eventually getting to the 50:50 over at least a week.
What is the ph of your tap in comparison to distilled water?
To dechlorinate tap water just add the dechlorinator to a bucket, match temp and then add the tap water and its ready to go.
If you dont want to buy the minerals needed you can mix it with tap water. Youre also adding a ph balancer right?? your keeping angelfish right?? I would slowly wean the tank off both the distilled water and the ph chems. You could Or do a 50:50 distilled : tap mix. But start with 90:10 or 80:20 eventually getting to the 50:50 over at least a week.
What is the ph of your tap in comparison to distilled water?
To dechlorinate tap water just add the dechlorinator to a bucket, match temp and then add the tap water and its ready to go.
Ian086
Aquarium Advice Addict
Water can be added immediately after adding water dechlorinater. Have a look for Seachem Prime or Safe, both super concentrated(Safe even more that Prime). Add to the new water before adding to the tank or declor the ENTIRE tank volume and then just add the water from the tap. Remember to try and match the temp of the new water with the tank water temp.....
I need to go by a master testing kit so I can test everything and compare my tap water. But yes I have a tank with angels and another tank with some glofish. Both have been set up with distilled.
How am I supposed to match the temp of water in a bucket to water in my tanks when my tanks are heated to 78ish deg F
How am I supposed to match the temp of water in a bucket to water in my tanks when my tanks are heated to 78ish deg F
Ian086
Aquarium Advice Addict
How am I supposed to match the temp of water in a bucket to water in my tanks when my tanks are heated to 78ish deg F[/QUOTE]
Mix the water with the hot and cold taps. You soon be able to guess the temp by touch. I set my water boiler to the exact temp of my tank, so i just use the hot tap.....
Mix the water with the hot and cold taps. You soon be able to guess the temp by touch. I set my water boiler to the exact temp of my tank, so i just use the hot tap.....
Ian086
Aquarium Advice Addict
Try and get some Seachem Prime. It's extremely popular and does everything you need to declor the water....
Ian086
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's as important as having water in your tank!!!!!
Haha sounds like I definitely need to get one. And maybe some prime instead of using aqua safe. Then I will do water changes and slowly change my distilled water changes to tap water. Is there any reason my tap water shouldn't be used even putting prime in it?
Old Scales
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you get a master test kit you should test your tap water. I was a level 3 state liscenced water treatment technician for the company I just retired from. We try to keep tap water at 7.2 to 7.4 pH to prevent corrosion to city lines and house plumbing. But cities may be higher due to the area geology. The other thing to test for is nitrates and possibly Phosphates(Only pertains to algae growth) and degrees KH (carbonate hardness)
Chlorine and chlorimides are detoxified easily with dechlorinating water conditioners.
If your tap water is 6.8 to 7.6 and your nitrates low and your dKH is from 4 to 8, your water will be great to use.
I put my water for changes into a small tub, put in a little 50w heater set to my tank temp, put in a air stone from a small cheap air pump, the declorinator and thermometer and let it sit overnight to degass/oxygenate the water.
Hope this helps. It makes life so much easier if you can use your city's water.
Caudially, OS.
Chlorine and chlorimides are detoxified easily with dechlorinating water conditioners.
If your tap water is 6.8 to 7.6 and your nitrates low and your dKH is from 4 to 8, your water will be great to use.
I put my water for changes into a small tub, put in a little 50w heater set to my tank temp, put in a air stone from a small cheap air pump, the declorinator and thermometer and let it sit overnight to degass/oxygenate the water.
Hope this helps. It makes life so much easier if you can use your city's water.
Caudially, OS.
thumper_65590
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I have learned that if you use Prime, the API kit will test positive for ammonia. I use an API master kit to test everything but ammonia. I use the seachem test kit for my ammonia test.
Darkseid76
Aquarium Advice FINatic
@thumper
I use Prime and I've never had that problem.
I use Prime and I've never had that problem.
Ian086
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have never had that problem or have never heard anyone here, reporting that???
I put my water for changes into a small tub, put in a little 50w heater set to my tank temp, put in a air stone from a small cheap air pump, the declorinator and thermometer and let it sit overnight to degass/oxygenate the water.
Hope this helps. It makes life so much easier if you can use your city's water.
Caudially, OS.[/QUOTE]
Is there a reason why you do this???
No need to switch your water conditioner, if your happy with it, stay with it unless you are using or planning on using Purigen.... I do love Prime though!!!
Well I have been using distilled water because my past experiences using my house's tap water never turned out good. I need to test the tap water and see if it is good enough to use I guess. Probably still better than the distilled I have been using. But a lot of people just use aqua safe and that works fine?
Ian086
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah aqua-safe is good but when you run out, have a look for Prime. Super consentrated, so goes along way. Try starting a thread- AquaSafe or Prime, i think i know the answer already!!!!!
Darkseid76
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I agree Prime goes a LONG WAY!! lol
I have 55 gal and I do weekly PWC. All I need is either half or a full capful, which is plenty.
A capful treats 50 gallons so its well worth it.
I have 55 gal and I do weekly PWC. All I need is either half or a full capful, which is plenty.
A capful treats 50 gallons so its well worth it.
DavidAl
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I think what thumper is referring to is that IF there is ammonia present, the API ammonia test will pick it up (it measures the total ammonia by raising the pH, which makes Prime ineffective), even with the use of Prime, giving you a false-positive.
However, this is not the case with the Seachem ammonia test, as Seachem has designed their products, i.e., Prime and the ammonia test, to work collaboratively. Seachem's ammonia test will read the free ammonia without raising the pH, thus not making Prime inoperable.
David
Similar threads
