Ageing the water vs water conditioner

[kristaml24]

Hey guys

Just wondering when you guys set up your tanks are you just ageing the water or using a water conditioner?

Or maybe both

And how did you go about this?

Im reading conflicting advice and im getting a little confused at the moment... the last thing i want is to harm my boys in any way.......

[Chuckie]

Both. The pH of tap water can swing substantially in the 24 hours after it came out of the tap, even if you use dechlorinator.

Or use rain water *lol*

[zhong89]

I'm doing both coz from the research that i've done. It says that water conditioner is suppose to get rid of chlorine or chloramine or other stuff they put in water.

When you put chemicals such as water conditioner and salt in tap water, the water's pH fluctuates aging the water is suppose to help the pH fluctuations in water to settle down so that pH fluctuations will not happen with your fish in it and cause stress.

Again don't know if this is true... but in my case it's better safe than sorry.

Or use rain water

But aren't you worried that the pollutants in air will dissolve into the water? Like sulfur to cause sulfuric acid?

Edited April 22, 2010 by Joan

[Anasfire]

If it were dissolving in high enough levels we'd have acid rain. And I don't think Australia has had a serious case of acid rain in over 20 years. All the good things in the atmosphere also dissolve into the water, like nitrogen for plants. Hence why grass goes so green after it rains, not just from the drink of water, but from the dissolved nitrogen also.

Plus bettas prefer neutral to slightly acidic water anyway *lol*

Edited April 22, 2010 by Fighters4U

[Chuckie]

aren't you worried that the pollutants in air will dissolve into the water? Like sulfur to cause sulfuric acid?

Nope. My fish have never spawned/grown/looked/been better. I stand the water in a 4' tank of 'canary fish' (culls) before I use it, and wouldn't use it if those fish got sick.

[Rod]

IF your water supply is treated with chlorine...then you can remove it by ageing the water....ie bucket in the Sun for a couple of days...or if you are in a hurry use conditioner

IF your water supply is treated with Chloramine...then best use a conditioner as it is a lot harder to remove than chlorine(that's why most authorities now treat water with chloramine)

Rainwater works.....if I lived in South East Asia or America....pollution would worry me

99% of the time it's not a problem in Australia....particularly if the water used comes from a tank where bacterial culture clean it up

Rainwater absorbs co2 and forms carbonic acid which is why most rainwater is slightly acidic

A mixture of rainwater and treated tap water gives softer water with some Kh to buffer the water and stop large ph fluctuations

In Acid water toxic ammonia becomes less toxic ammonium

Bettas will be Happier and healthier in soft acid water

[Mitch]

i use both. To explain (I now siphon off a small amount of clean tank water to clean sponge filters, thanks Lilli) then use a gravel filter to siphon off water into a watering can for later use in the garden. I have several three litre orange juice bottles that I filled last week and keep downstairs to replace the water I siphon off this week and add half the recommended conditioner dosage. So the water has aged for a week and the temps are approx the same as the tank. This system seems to have worked (until last weekend and this week) I havent had any major losses.

[kristaml24]

Thanks guys

I appreciate the insight

I was just reading that ageing - well more to the point airstones have no real benift - yet another site claims to just condition the water then another claims to do both!

Little confusing when you read 3 different things lol

But thanks

Edited April 23, 2010 by kristaml24