Post by Denise on Jun 29, 2003 2:30:56 GMT -5
Hi Sef,
Glad if I could help a little. I think your brand of bottled water sounds fine, and if Horatio is happy, then you don't have to worry. If you want to continue your search for the perfect water, I can tell you a little more. Wal-Mart's own brand of spring water has a fairly high pH of probably 7.8. I know a lot of people who use it with no problems. They carry other brands, but just in the small bottles, I think, which would be a lot more expensive when you are buying enough for a fish tank. The Wal-Mart near me carries a brand called Crystal Geiser, but only in small bottles. I have tested it and it is very neutral. My grocery store carries it in gallons, but it is one of the more expensive brands. If I only had one or two bettas, I would buy it for them every week, but it's too much for eleven bettas! Not that I'm cheap when it comes to my babies, but that's also too much to carry! Wal-Mart carries the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals pH test kit, but I think they only have the deluxe model with the up and down drops included. I get the little test kit at Petsmart. This kit is much more economical than using those test strips which are very expensive. I kind of turned into a mad scientist with my first pH test kit and I tested lots of different waters. One other thing is that even the same brand of bottled water can vary sometimes. I would test every new bottle of water you open and make sure it is the usual pH. Always have several bottles on hand, and if one is way different I would just use it for yourself for drinking water and open the next bottle for your betta. Of course, you have a five gallon tank I believe and are doing one gallon changes each week, so only changing one gallon with a little different pH is not going to be a drastic shock, so you should be okay even if the water differs a little. Don't drive yourself crazy over the pH like I did in the beginning. Sometimes I think I try too hard. I know people who don't go to half the trouble I do and their fish are just fine. Horatio is a real beauty and you are on the right track to keeping him healthy and happy!
Glad if I could help a little. I think your brand of bottled water sounds fine, and if Horatio is happy, then you don't have to worry. If you want to continue your search for the perfect water, I can tell you a little more. Wal-Mart's own brand of spring water has a fairly high pH of probably 7.8. I know a lot of people who use it with no problems. They carry other brands, but just in the small bottles, I think, which would be a lot more expensive when you are buying enough for a fish tank. The Wal-Mart near me carries a brand called Crystal Geiser, but only in small bottles. I have tested it and it is very neutral. My grocery store carries it in gallons, but it is one of the more expensive brands. If I only had one or two bettas, I would buy it for them every week, but it's too much for eleven bettas! Not that I'm cheap when it comes to my babies, but that's also too much to carry! Wal-Mart carries the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals pH test kit, but I think they only have the deluxe model with the up and down drops included. I get the little test kit at Petsmart. This kit is much more economical than using those test strips which are very expensive. I kind of turned into a mad scientist with my first pH test kit and I tested lots of different waters. One other thing is that even the same brand of bottled water can vary sometimes. I would test every new bottle of water you open and make sure it is the usual pH. Always have several bottles on hand, and if one is way different I would just use it for yourself for drinking water and open the next bottle for your betta. Of course, you have a five gallon tank I believe and are doing one gallon changes each week, so only changing one gallon with a little different pH is not going to be a drastic shock, so you should be okay even if the water differs a little. Don't drive yourself crazy over the pH like I did in the beginning. Sometimes I think I try too hard. I know people who don't go to half the trouble I do and their fish are just fine. Horatio is a real beauty and you are on the right track to keeping him healthy and happy!
