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Question: Distilled water yay or nay?

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christen525

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Hi I am new to axolotls and I don't trust my tap water. Is using distilled water from the supermarket ok? I appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks!
 
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christen525

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Thanks for your help! I want everything set up properly before I get any axolotl...I'm hoping shoegal still has some!
 
michael

michael

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If your local water is o.k. for tropical fish it is o.k. for axolotls. Sometimes bottled water is no better quality than water coming out of the tap. Axolotls do well in hard water. If your water is not hard some aquarium salt or saltwater mix added to the water will help. I have hard water and still add about 1 tablespoon of saltwater mix per 10 gallons of dechlorinated tap water to my Ambystoma mexicanum and Ambystoma andersoni water.

I'm glad I can squirt my water in with a food safe garden style hose instead of lugging jugs of water.
 
shoegal

shoegal

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Christen- here is a quote from the article SludgeMunkey recommended:

"Do NOT use water that is labeled as "distilled" or "drinking water". Distilled water (or Reverse Osmosis water) has virtually no ions in it, so it causes more work for the amphibian's kidneys. It may be used to replace water lost to evaporation, but an animal should not be kept in pure distilled or RO water. Bottled "drinking water" is usually just filtered tap water and probably no better than your own tap water."
 
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christen525

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Thanks Mariah

I read the article SludgeMunkey suggested and found it very helpful. I am going to use bottled drinking water for now to do 100% water changes daily since they are so young. When I put them in a big tank I am going to let the tap water sit for at least 48 hrs. then test the pH and chlorine before I do water changes. I have also read up on cycling and already have the big tank going so it will be ready. Don't worry, your babies will have a good home with me :)
 
SludgeMunkey

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Do not forget to add a dechlorinator to your water change regimen for the big tank, like Amquel+. While free chlorine will dissipate out of water, chloramines will not. Ageing the water is great for stabilizing supersaturated oxygen, but given the level of water treatment chemicals in the US Municipal systems, a few drops of a dechlorinator goes a long way to preventing headaches. An all in one product like the Amquel or Prime will also remove traces of copper and lead left over from the plumbing and water treatment plant.

On a final note, do a water chemistry test on a sample of the bottled water you plan to use. You may be surprised what you find!

When I was forced to use bottled water (for the last two years) I found CostCo's Kirkland Signature Spring Water to be very cost effective and safe.
 
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christen525

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Johnny-

Thanks for recommending costco's water and a dechlorinator, I was aware there could be chloramines that wouldn't dissipate but I didn't even think about copper, lead,ect.!
 
Melmo

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This brings up a question for me: Is filter water or distilled water ok for terrestrial species which are constantly exposed to it? Thanks.
 
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