Bottled spring water?

[Byron]

Bettas are softwater fish, the residue in their kidneys... It scares me because I have 253ppm hardness in my tap water..

OK. In that case, you are best using RO water. Bottled drinking water will usually contain minerals, much of it is "mineral springs" or similar. Though it may be much less than your tap water, and an improvement. Also watch for iodized salts and such.

Rainwater is usable, if collected in a safe area and collected safely (in a tub/bin, not as runoff from a roof).

 

[Salty&Onion]

OK. In that case, you are best using RO water. Bottled drinking water will usually contain minerals, much of it is "mineral springs" or similar. Though it may be much less than your tap water, and an improvement. Also watch for iodized salts and such.

Rainwater is usable, if collected in a safe area and collected safely (in a tub/bin, not as runoff from a roof).

There is a gas station (I have mentioned it before on this thread) near me, their slogan says "free air & water", the water I assume is DI? Would DI water be fine for my betta tank?

 

[Byron]

There is a gas station (I have mentioned it before on this thread) near me, their slogan says "free air & water", the water I assume is DI? Would DI water be fine for my betta tank?

Yes. Soft water fish do not need minerals in the water, they obtain them from their food. So most any "pure" water is OK. But to make it go farther, you can mix DI or RO with a bit of tap. Betta are not that fussy over very soft water.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Yes. Soft water fish do not need minerals in the water, they obtain them from their food. So most any "pure" water is OK. But to make it go farther, you can mix DI or RO with a bit of tap. Betta are not that fussy over very soft water.

Thank you, much appreciated Byron

 

[Retired Viking]

Not sure where you live at but I go to a soft water dealer called Culligans. They sell RO water for .29 cents a gallon which is cheaper than spring water and distilled water. I would see if there is a soft water business in your area many also sell RO water.

 

[seangee]

There is a gas station (I have mentioned it before on this thread) near me, their slogan says "free air & water", the water I assume is DI? Would DI water be fine for my betta tank?

You need to confirm that. I would assume it was tap water.

 

[mbsqw1d]

You need to confirm that. I would assume it was tap water.

Agreed. DI water when it comes to cars is only used for topping up wet battery cells. The water and air they have on supply is probably intended for topping radiators and tyres, and tap water is sufficient for this

 

[Essjay]

I agree. It unlikely that they would give away deionised or distilled, but tap water, yes.

 

[Salty&Onion]

It looks like I'll never get the water...........
What about peat moss? I heard it will soften the water?

 

[Retired Viking]

Look for a bottle water distributor in your area, they would probably have RO water. Many water coolers use RO water.

 

[Byron]

It looks like I'll never get the water...........
What about peat moss? I heard it will soften the water?

No. There are two distinct issues here, and many get them confused. One is the hardness, expressed as the GH (this is primarily calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water). The other is the pH. Organics like peat, dried leaves, fish excrement, etc will tend to acidify the water but not reduce the GH, or minimally depending. But the pH is not going to move much if the GH and KH are sufficient to buffer the pH.

 

[Salty&Onion]

No. There are two distinct issues here, and many get them confused. One is the hardness, expressed as the GH (this is primarily calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water). The other is the pH. Organics like peat, dried leaves, fish excrement, etc will tend to acidify the water but not reduce the GH, or minimally depending. But the pH is not going to move much if the GH and KH are sufficient to buffer the pH.

Well, RO/DI water is a huge problem for me then...