Hello everyone, Have a question. Can I use Distilled or better yet natural spring water to refill and or use for water changes in my aquariums. I live in Florida (Clearwater) and have a piece of property near the Ocala national forest where there are a lot of natural springs (ie) silver springs big tourist spot because of the clearest water and manatee. I have a very deep well 80' and the water is the best I have ever drank out of tap, I also use it for irrigation and like all wells in Clearwater that leave rust stains on your home or fence my property in Ocala does not....Thank you all inadvance...
Distilled and or natural spring water.
- Thread starter ClwtrTank
- Start date
Agreed, if it is good to drink (which it sounds like is true) then chances are your fish will be fine in that water.
I advise against distilled water as it doesn't contain any buffer material (no hardness/minerals at all). Distilled water leaves you susceptible to pH swings.
I've heard of it being used to 'cut' very hard water to an acceptable hardness for certain fish species (SA soft water species for example)
I've heard of it being used to 'cut' very hard water to an acceptable hardness for certain fish species (SA soft water species for example)
You would need to treat distilled water or rain water just like RO, DI, RO/DI water to add minerals and adjust for pH.
(I use Seachem Replenish for minerals and Seachem Neutral Regulator and Alkaline Regulator for pH).
Well water and/or spring water is usually just fine. If you're in an agricultural area, you should probably test for nitrates in any ground water.
(I have high nitrates in my well water due to a 95 acre dairy farmers field across the road. I use deionized water made using an API Tap Water Filter, rain water and filtered well water [filtered to remove nitrates] for water changes).
(I use Seachem Replenish for minerals and Seachem Neutral Regulator and Alkaline Regulator for pH).
Well water and/or spring water is usually just fine. If you're in an agricultural area, you should probably test for nitrates in any ground water.
(I have high nitrates in my well water due to a 95 acre dairy farmers field across the road. I use deionized water made using an API Tap Water Filter, rain water and filtered well water [filtered to remove nitrates] for water changes).
Distilled water can sometimes be more harmful for fish than normal water. Tap water is normally best unless you want to mix it with some distilled water to regulate the PH. That said, there are better ways to do that anyway, and unless you are keeping something like discuss, you shouldn't have to change the PH as your fish will adapt.