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Can you use tap water for betta fish?

Updated: 10/6/2023
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14y ago

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Distilled water should not be used in any aquarium environment where fish are concerned. Distilled water does not contain essential nutrients or minerals that fish need in order to survive such as calcium, magnesium and sodium.

Without the essential nutrients, fish will not be able to osmoregulate which means they would not be able to maintain the correct balance of minerals in their body, and would likely die a slow painful death.

In addition, not all RO (reverse osmosis) water is safe for freshwater aquariums unless you add the essential minerals back to the water (due to reasons mentioned above) as some RO systems remove the minerals, but, RO is safe to use in a saltwater aquarium due to the marine salt mixes containing those vital minerals.

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11y ago
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12y ago

NO! Betta fish, like all other fish, use their gills to absorb oxygen out of the water that they live in. In doing so, however, they also absorb certain trace minerals and other nutrients that are in the water, much like we do when we drink it. Distilled water contains no trace minerals or nutrients; it is completely sterile, and therefore has a lesser capability of harboring oxygen molecules (the molecules have nothing to "cling" to), not to mention trace minerals and such. Humans should not drink distilled water because of its' utter lack of mutrients and electrolytes, so think of it this way: if you can't drink it, your fish probably can't live in it. He'll almost certianly die if you make him live in distilled water, especially if it's free-standing water and doesn't have a filter/water pump.

fresh water fish absorb water trough their bodies, the body acts as a filter that is where the trace elements are gathered from.the diet of the fish will make up for any trace elements not absorbed thouhg the water, betas have a breathing tube, from it they can get oxegen straight from the surface,they do not depend totally on gills for air, they can almost live in sewer water and survive " that's how they stay alive in thoes little jars they are sold in. distilled water does not hurt betas!

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14y ago

Tap water is OK for most fish including Bettas. Just ensure that any chlorine is allowed to evaporate off overnight in a bucket before using it. If your reticulated system has chloramine added rather than chlorine you would have to use a commecial water conditioner available at good pet shops.

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13y ago

Not a good idea to, water in nature are rarely purely distilled, it contains salts, buffers and nutrients, etc. that the fish rely on. Plus, it would alter the pH, salinity, GH, etc.i

If it is in a saltwater tank, it is a must. The optimum water would be reverse osmosis water. Distilled and RO water do not contain any phosphates, nitrites, nitrates, or any other bad things.

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12y ago

Whether you treat your water or use distilled water, the water MUST be dechlorinated and free of chloramine. I would personally recommend using the water treatment products. They are called water conditioner. Make sure that your water conditioner removes both chlorine and chloramine-chloramine is an unnoticed but equally toxic and deadly substance. Make sure to read the directions on the back of the water conditioner for proper dosage.

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11y ago

If you mean purified or distilled bottled water, yes you can. Be sure there is no chlorine in the water, or use the special compounds that can neutralize chlorine. Also consider adding (exactly according to directions) salt that is prepared for fresh water fish. This can have a soothing effect on your bettas.

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14y ago

Provided the Chlorine is removed by either letting the water stand or the use of a water "conditioner" there is absolutely nothing wrong with tap water. The vast majority of aquarists use it.

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12y ago

sure! that's what i do!

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12y ago

Yes as long as it is not chlorinated.

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Q: Can you use tap water for betta fish?
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Do Betta fish drink spring water?

Some people do not believe it but the best water to use in your betta fish tank is tap water. Bottled and distilled water has been "purified" and does not have the minerals that your Betta fish needs. If your tap water is so bad that you do not even drink it, than use spring water.


Can you use just regular water from the tap for a beta?

Tap water is the best water for betta fish! There is no need to go out and buy expensive betta fish water...it's no different then tap! If you want to be sure that the tap water is safe for your betta, put in some sort of conditioner for the water.


What can you do for fresh water?

If you are talking about fish, I have a betta fish, and usually you use tap water, I do. Also if you would like to have safer water for the fish then you can use cleaners that you can buy at pretty much any pet store. I hope this helped!


Is it ok to use tap water and water conditioning tabs with betta fish?

As long as your tap water is safe for you to drink, then yes. You should consider buying the water conditioner in liquid form so that you can use exact amounts rather than being limited to a specific dosage due to the tablets


Can i use tap water and boil it for betta fish?

Betta's are a very strange type of fish. For most fish putting them into previously boiled water would kill them, boiling water removes the oxygen vital for life. However, Betta have a special organ that lets them breath atmospheric air. Which means every now and then bettas will go up to the surface to get air. So maybe there is a chance of a BETTA surviving since it would not rely on the air in the water.


What kind of water do betta fish use?

You should use tap water or bottled water. If you are using tap or bottled water, make sure you buy a bottle of Water Air Contitioner for the Betta. Make sure it says: Betta Water Conditoner, or on the bottle it says it can be used on all kinds of fish. Also, at Petco, they have a gallon of something called Betta Water. You won't need any chemicals for this, they made this water safe for the Betta. Thinking about buying a Betta Fighting Fish or need the right supplies for it? Here is the list of supplies that you will need: -A GLASS bowl. [Plastic bowls might have harmful chemicals] -Betta Water Conditioner [Or a water conditoner that can be used for any kind fish] -Betta Fish Food -Rocks for the bowl -1 or more plants [Betta's love plants to hide in] - A sponge to clean out the Betta bowl [Clean it twice a week] -If you want, you could buy a net IF YOU want to. You could put him in a cup, too. This is about everything you need. By the way, you shouldn't put a Betta male and female together UNLESS its their breeding period. Otherwise, the male might damage the female because males are much larger then the females. NEVER put the same sex [male&male/female&female] together, because they WILL fight. Places to get Betta Fighting Fish: Petsmart, Petco, Walmart Supercenter. If you need to know anything else about the betta fight fish, look it up on www.Google.com , There should be some good sites there. Hope this information is helpful!! Good luck taking care of your Betta Fighting Fish!Bettas are freshwater fish and can be kept in dechlorinated tapwater (buy water treatment from your pet store). However, they do need their water kept clean and warm. It should be changed often, especially if not filtered. A betta MUST be kept either in a room with central heating, or in a heated tank or bowl. The water should not be allowed to drop below 18 degrees C.


Is it better to put a fighting fish in pond water or tap water?

you can use both but tap water is a bit better for them


Can you use soft water in a fish bowl or do you use bottled water?

The type of water you use in your fish bowl depends on the type of fish you plan to put in the bowl. You can use tap water, soft water and bottled water in a fish tank.


Can you use the Betta Water Conditioner with bottled spring water?

Water conditioner is for removing chlorine from tap water to make it safe for fish to live in because chlorine will kill fish. Bottled spring water does not have chlorine so why on earth would you consider using a chlorine remover? If it ain't there, you can't fix it hey?


How can you clean clody water in a fish tank?

if you just bought the fish let the water in the bowl sit out for about 24hours before putting it in. But make sure that your water has no chlorine in it. NO tap water. If you use tap water you have to get water cleaning drops for the tank.


Can my betta go right in new tank?

First make sure if you put tap water in there you put water cleanser in there which can be bought at a pet store. Keep your betta in the bag and float it in the tank for 15 min. then without dumping the bag water in the tank use a net to move your betta to the tank.


What kind of water do you use if you dont want to wait to put your fish in?

Use water from the tap, and then use Tap Water Conditioner. The bottle usually says how much is needed depending on how much new water you're using.