Anyone here tasted their aquarium water?

[Yenko]

Today I decided to taste some aquarium water, so I did. It had a bit of a taste; but not much considering that there are fish living in it. On the other hand, nitrates in that tank are <5 mg/l so it's not exactly a cesspool.

I know people are going to tell me that it's disgusting; but my tap water is gotten from a lake with the same sorts of things living in it; fish plants and bacteria. Most of the risk of water-borne diseases comes from human waste and fertilizer getting into water; the only reason unchlorinated water in 3rd world countries is so bad is because of the massive amount of human waste getting into the water.

I wouldn't make a habit of drinking tank water, but on the other hand, if you're willing to put fish in water that you're unwilling to consume even in small quantities (I tried about 10 ml of water) then mabye you should consider wether you should be keeping fish.

 

[Raechal]

I will not lie...Today I had a taste of my betta's water. I added aquarium salt to his bowl and I wondered if it tasted like saltwater like the ocean....So I tasted some. )

I've also tasted some of my tank water by accident. I will be syphoning out some of the water from one of my tanks when something gets stuck in it I have to suck the other side of the tube to get the suction going again. One time I sucked up a whole mouthful of crap that was in the gravel. Not very fun, but I got over it after I brushed my teeth like a million times.

 

[Doggfather]

The only time i ever tasted water was when syphoning i don't think i'd want to go trying anymore than that

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I used to swim in a river where in the summer you could taste the motor oil from the boats.... aquarium water tastes a lot better, I can tell you that much.

 

[Angry_Platy]

I tasted some of my QT tank water this morning....I had added salt and was wondering exactly how salty it was....well, it didn't taste fresh but not like the ocean....a hint of salty taste....

Thats in addition to the time I had to mouth siphon platy fry out of my filter.....DAMN fish

 

[Mr Miagi]

LOL, yeah, i have too during a water change.......nothing muich difference, but it was still gross, my fish had just p*iss%d in that water.... lol

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

LOL you're all mad!

 

[ThinIce]

Is this a dodgy fetishistic area of Fish keeping coming to light?

Still, I take your point about the lake water and the human waste

 

[bunjiweb]

I've had to taste it when syphoning out water, but be VERY careful, you don't know what you could pick up if you injest too much aquarium water....

Have you heard about the girl who caught tuburculosis from her tank after syphoning too much water and swallowing alot.

Ben

 

[rdd1952]

As long as water still comes from my faucet, I think I'll just get my drinking water from there.

 

[Jht]

once and i'll never do it again.............

 

[3neko]

if you're willing to put fish in water that you're unwilling to consume even in small quantities (I tried about 10 ml of water) then mabye you should consider wether you should be keeping fish.

I totally understand your reasoning there. I might just taste my tank water next time I do a water change. I just have to make sure my mother doesn't see, she might think I've gone insane.

 

[steelhealr]

Only one word...YUCK

 

[reddeerhobbiest]

funny to see a post like this, since last night i was change my tank water and was haveing a horrible time spilling and splashing my self with the dirty water. This made me wonder if anyone ever really gets sick from the tank water. but i have never. I thing that if you handle things alot that have small amounts of things that could make you sick (like tank water) you would have to build up some sort of rezistance to these bacteria or what ever. I came to this conclusion after working in a place where i would pound out raw chicken breasts all day getting meat and water from the breasts in my eyes and face all the time. I never did get sick once. I could be wrong but it is just an observation.
by the way way don't more of you buy a gas syphon fron your local hardware store to get your gravel vacumm or what ever started (they are usually cheap)

 

[Tolak]

Plenty of times. Not much different that a mouthful of pond or lake water. Used to syphon gas from a rental truck place to run motorbikes when I was a kid. A mouthful of gas is bad.

Tolak