[gramesy777]

When doing a water change is there any benefit to using distilled water versus tap water? What about spring water? I tried using distilled water today and i'm not sure if its worth it. Any thoughts?

[patrick1234]

Well ppl are going to tell you to not use tap water at all i use tap in my tanks tho and have no truble at all.....But But i live right next to the rocky mt and the water i get out of the tap is very very clean all ready but allso if you have old pipes that can add stuff to the water im not saying dont go with tap but it is going to take some time with top off water of one or the other to show if it will help or not

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I am one of the people that will tell you not to use tap water.There are some pretty bad things in most tap water all over the US.Copper and led are on the top of the dangerous list(not only for the fish but for you too).Add to that chlorine,amonia,chloramin e,silicate and a long list of other things.Now there are those who say they have gorgeous tanks and all they ever use is tap water.To them my response is......Imagine how beautiful it would be if you didnt use tap water.We are holding captive critters in a place not of there choosing,we as aquarists owe it to these critters to provide them with the cleanest enviornment we are capable of.Why spend a small fortune to feed them and care for them,provide the light they need a flow that makes them happy and an enviornment thats close to there natural home and then put them in tap water.

[gramesy777]

is distilled water a good choice in place of tap water?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

sure it is.And you can get r/o water at most lfs.

[lowincwrx]

I was going to used tap water so i bought some stuff that my lfs had that kills the chlorine and other stuff (sorry i'm not quite sure what its called or actually does). when it came down to it i thought to my self, going in to this hobby i'm expecting to put alot of money into my tank might as well pay a little extra so i bought my water premixed at my lfs.

i was told distilled would be a better option than tap though.

[Gieke]

you might be talking about "Bio Safe" tap water detoxifier. Ive heard its good for chlorine, not much else.

Its always better to not have bad things in your water than to treat bad things in your water.

Distilled or ro is the way to go for a reef tank IMO

[rlcline76]

Chemistry and the Aquarium

[NATIVEVAMAN]

When you mix dechlorinating agents in tap water the agent and the chlorine become something else.What?you say.darned if I know but I dont want either one in my tank lol.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Becky,after I saw that link I got into the richmond tap water sight were the list the contents for thew last 4 years.I am now buying bottled drinking water.

[rlcline76]

I would have thought that you'd know the molecular structure of chlorine compounds. I am sure Randy Holmes-Farley knows what chlorine becomes...probably somewhere in this link:

Reef Central Online Community - Reef Chemistry Articles

[reefnoob1991]

Tap = bad, end of story. Chlorine, chloramine, copper (dangerous to invertebrates!), lead, other nasty junk you do NOT want in your water! Distilled and RO water removed most if not all of the bad things you don't want in the water