That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

One common question that we receive about setting up new aquariums is about the most basic ingredient to the aquarium, the water that goes into it. There are a lot of terms that can get confusing when someone is trying to determine how to fill their aquarium and from what source. The options can be staggering – tap water, bottled water, prefilters, and so on – and starting with the right foundation can make all the difference, from the smallest betta bowl to the largest reef system.

Tap Water

This is probably the easiest and most accessible water source in most areas. Whether you get your water from a municipal water sources or from a well, it doesn’t get much easier than going to the nearest sink to fill your bucket or tank. Its ease is definitely a benefit, but keep in mind that municipal water sources will usually contain chlorine or chloramine to kill bacteria and well water sources may contain phosphates or other organics. Tap water can be used, but should be treated or purified to remove these materials before it goes into your aquarium. Read More »

A few hundred years ago, people in Western cultures like 16th century England often drank very little water. Because of untreated sewage draining into water sources and contamination in rivers, other beverages like beer and wine were actually preferred as safer choices. As technology and our understanding of health and technology advanced, we came up with more ways to purify our water sources. At the start of the start of the 19th century, a scientist named William Cumberland Cruikshank found that chlorine would purify water by killing microbes and bacteria like the notorious E. coli. Chlorine is still used in most developed countries to make drinking water safe and chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia is starting to overtake even this old standard. Read More »