Distilled water

Question
my mom gave me a five gallon aquarium on Sunday for my birthday and a beta who seems very happy to be in his new what i would compare to a mansion to what he had been staying in. I am very fond of him as he is my first pet. I thought filling the aquarium w/ distilled water would be a safe way to make his new home chlorine free. But read it is bad in the long run because the water lacks minerals he needs. Would it be safe to change the water out w/ treated tap swatter when I clean his tank next or do you think it will shock him. I really just want him to be a happy fish.

Answer
Hello!

Distilled water isn't taking away his minerals, but it is taking away his acidity. Distilled water is a little lower in pH that what bettas would prefer.

Just use normal old tap water, but condition it. If you go to your local pet store you should be able to find at least 3 or 4 different brands of tap water conditioner.

Seachem's Prime is my favourite, it it very easy to use. Just add the proper amount of drops and stir.

Here is what it looks like, copy and paste this into your browser.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753920&utm_medium=googlepro...

-Nick