AzSciFi

I just started a 5 gallon hex aquarium and without thinking used tap water that goes thru a water softner. I used the dechlorination liquid and something labeled Stability. I waited 24 hours before adding my betta fish. Now that I've been doing some reading I see I've made mistakes but so far the fish are ok. I'm feeding frozen blood worms once a day. What about using distilled water? What about using bottled water? I plan to exchange one gallon water each week. I have a Molly and one guppie plus snail in the tank with the betta and they appear compatible. Thanks for any advice.

chickadee

Just watch closely and, yes, by all means use bottled SPRING WATER not distilled or drinking water. It has some of the minerals and stuff the other types take out and helps the tank along. You may have to take more than 1 gallon a week out until the tank is cycled, if it is not. More like 2 gallons every other day or so. Do you have a Master test kit for Freshwater Aquariums, not the strips? You will need one if the tank is to stay healthy. You need to keep an eye on the parameters of the water with respect to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

If your tank is not cycled, you need to read the following so you understand what is going to happen to your tank and readings...

http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

With fish in your tank you should not allow the levels of the above compounds to go above:

Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate 20

Since you already have fish in the tank, the fishless cycle will not be possible and the way to control the spikes of higher ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is to do water changes. Do a 50% water change every time that the levels get to the above readings and they will stay below.

When your cycle is complete the readings for the tank will be:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrates Less than 20

Rose

chickadee

You will have to remove the water from that tank and start with water that has not been treated with water softener salt. I am sorry to say that the information I gave you was incomplete. The salt adds sodium to the water and that is bad for the fish. I am so sorry that I did not get this out to you before but I just found this out.

Rose