# Using filtered water



## DotFrog

Supposedly my dechlorinating drops are probably making my water stinky, and I don't really like putting those smelly drops into tap water, and I feel better using filtered water from one of those Britta filter drinking water jugs. Is this ok?


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## pH7

DotFrog said:


> Supposedly my dechlorinating drops are probably making my water stinky, and I don't really like putting those smelly drops into tap water, and I feel better using filtered water from one of those Britta filter drinking water jugs. Is this ok?


Absolutely not ok. Water from your Britta filter will still have chlorine. If you want to avoid the need to add dechlorinator, you have to filter on a MUCH lower level. You'll need a reverse osmosis filter for that. RO filters pretty much remove everything from your water, even on the atomic level if you get a decent unit. The problem with RO water is that it is so stripped of naturally present minerals that the water is near zero hardness. This is not ideal at all.

If you have RO water, you will have to add minerals to the water for it to become usable again. This is known as remineralization. In the end, you've gone from adding dechlorinator to adding minerals instead, and you're paying more money for your water; the RO filters don't just produce clean water, they also produce waste water that is discarded during the process. The need for reverse osmosis is limited to applications where your source water is very hard and full of toxins or dissolved solids, or when you keep fish that require very soft water such as wild discus.

So ask yourself, do you really want to filter chlorine out of your water when it's going to come at such an expense of extra time, money, and convenience?

Just use your tap water and Seachem Prime water conditioner. The "stinky" smell of Seachem Prime conditioner is normal, and goes away after it has been added to your water. If you have stinky water after you've already treated it, you have a different problem.


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## Gizmo

If you choose to go without dechlor, you'll need to let your water sit for a few days to allow the chlorine to gas out of the water. HOWEVER, if your water has chloramine in it, there's no way to remove it from the water save from dechlor agents or an RO unit, as pH7 says.


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## DotFrog

So, I should only use tap water and drops unless I buy expensive equipment? Btw, I use aqua safe


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## pH7

DotFrog said:


> So, I should only use tap water and drops unless I buy expensive equipment? Btw, I use aqua safe


Use Seachem prime and get rid of the aqua safe. You can use filtered water if that is your preference, but you still have to treat it. Typically your fish and plants need the trace minerals in your tap water which filtered water will often not have. Using tap water is usually the way to go unless your water is very hard and/or alkaline


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## DotFrog

Ok thank you


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## jrman83

DotFrog said:


> Supposedly my dechlorinating drops are probably making my water stinky, and I don't really like putting those smelly drops into tap water, and I feel better using filtered water from one of those Britta filter drinking water jugs. Is this ok?


Don't believe it. Sometimes there is some stuff posted by people less informed.


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## beaslbob

I just filter my water in tank.


with the plants.


I let the tank initially run fishless for a week then add fish slowly.

And use straight untreated tap water and just replace the water the evaporates.

I run the cold water from a commonly used faucet for a half minute or so the collect the water and pour it into the tank.

My water supply uses chloramine.

my .02


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## jrman83

lol, you're the one that got the OP on this path to begin with saying that dechlor can cause your tank to stink....which is absolutely false!!


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## FishFlow

I use seachem Prime now, and it doesn't stink, I was using another product previously and it didn't stink. The qty of the declor in the tank is so small, even if it did smell, it'd be hard pressed to be smellable after added to 10, 30, 100 gallons.

Try another declor, one that doesn't smell.

If all that fails, try eatting more beans. You won't be concerned about the fish tank smell any longer.


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## holly12

I use Prime as well. It smells like sulphur, because of the ingredients, but once you add it to the water, the smell is completely gone. My tanks smell nice and earthy! Like a forest after it rains!


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## NeonShark666

I would suggest you use Distilled or Drinking water for your aquarium. You can get them at most large Gocery Stores. At Walmart or Safeway you can get it as cheap as 40 cents a gallon by using an old jug. Water from these souces contains no Nitrates, Chlorine, or Phosphates. Drinking water will commonly have a ph above 7.5 while Distilled water will have a ph below 6.5, if fully aeriated. Add a little African Cichlid salt or Sea Water Mix to stabalize the ph in your Distilled Water.


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## snail

I agree with others some dechlorinators have a slight smell of sulphur but you won't notice the smell much or at all after you've added it to your tank. Other things can make your tank smell, during cycling for example a bit of a smell is common.


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## DotFrog

holly12 said:


> My tanks smell nice and earthy! Like a forest after it rains!


Lol, your tanks are underwater forests! Do I need more plants?


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## jrman83

We'll just call the whole thing BB BS.


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## DotFrog

jrman83 said:


> We'll just call the whole thing BB BS.


?


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## pH7

DotFrog said:


> ?


BeaslBob Beauty Supplies


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## jrman83

Nobody knows what BS means?


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## pH7

jrman83 said:


> Nobody knows what BS means?


 Of course we do, I was just trying to be nice


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