

The good news is, for the majority of you, tap water is all you need to fill your aquarium. Why make life harder by using a different water source if you don’t have to? Simply turn on your faucet, and you have as much water as you need – it’s cheap and readily available.Īfter all, you are already paying the water bill. Tap water is the most common source for water in freshwater aquariums, and it’s easy to see why… With that out of the way, let’s look at the different sources of water you can use in your aquarium.įishLab Tip: Want to do less water preparation? You may be able to choose a species of fish that will happily live in the parameters of your water source.

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The results of your tests will guide you on how to make your water safe or whether you should choose a different water source altogether! For example, you can use Purigen to remove ammonia or an alkalinity buffer to increase KH.Īll water sources require some preparation on your part to make it safe for your fish. Many products are available to improve the water quality. However, the ideal levels of these vary according to what you keep in your tank.ĭon’t stress if you test your water and find that the levels are not ideal. Now, there are three others you should test. What should you test for? Well, start with these four… It contains almost everything you need to perform these tests. I recommend grabbing an API Master test kit.

You can do it yourself with an aquarium test kit. Unfortunately, you won’t know what’s in your water until you test it.ĭon’t worry! Testing is quick and inexpensive. Part of your job as a fish keeper is to monitor these levels in your water and make adjustments as necessary. For example, your fish may not live as long or refuse to breed. However, it does negatively impact their health and happiness. Others are dangerous and can kill your fish.įish can adapt to less-than-ideal water conditions. While you cannot see it, your water actually contains many different salts and elements dissolved in it. You see, water quality is the number one deciding factor in whether your fish live or die. Whatever water you decide to fill your aquarium with, test it first! The importance of testing your water sourceīefore continuing, I want to make one thing clear: The importance of testing your water source.
