water quality for Betta

Question
Hi Karen,
I have had two Crowntail Betta fish for about two weeks. They are each
currently in a gallon bowl.  I have been going crazy with the water for them as I read that Crowntails prefer a pH of
6, and my well water is about 7.8.  They have been in bottled Zepherhills Spring Water, which also has a pH of
about 7.8.  I would like to stop using the bottled water, as it is getting expensive with the frequent 50 % water changes (and I'm 25 miles from the grocery store) but I worry that my well water may have some kind of bacteria in it ( I do not add bleach to it as
my well man recommends.)  I do drink the well water myself
and have never had a problem.  Anyway, my fish are currently in a mixture of about 50% bottled Spring water,
25% well water and 25% distilled water.  And I add a few drops of  Aquarium Pharmaceuticals  pH Down, in an effort
to gradually lower the pH to  close to 7.  I'm currently at pH 7.6.  I'm conditioning the water with AmQuel+ and NorAqua+.
The fish seem okay, but I need to get the water temperature up, as it ranges from 74 to 76.  I have ordered them each a 3.5 gallon aquarium so I can heat the water.  I also ordered an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
tap water filter, which makes deionized water.  The filter comes with Electro-right and a pH adjuster.    
After reading your responses to other peoples questions, I don't know if I should start the deionized water process,
or just try to acclimate them to my  pH 7.8 well water (with conditioners)  (The GH is 10 and KH between 8 and 9 on my well water)
I look foward to your recommendation.  It is really wonderful of you (and others at this site) to share your
knowledge with novices like myself.  Thank You.
Gracin

Answer
Dear Gracin, thank you for the compliments!
It's very good that you are working so hard to get your water perfect for your bettas. But the thing about bettas and most fish for that matter is they are very adaptable and can thrive and spawn in a wide range of pH levels. And sometimes trying to adjust your pH does more harm than good. Especially when trying to lower the water. The naturally occuring Buffering level will absorb any acidic chemicals you put in the water. So pH adjusters only work for a short while. And the result of all this is pH ups and downs and some very stressed fish. Remember it's much more important for bettas to have a stable not specific pH, and as long as they get plenty of water changes they will thrive.

All my aquariums are about right around your pH level. About 7.6-7.8 and the fish thrive, bettas thrive and fish spawn also. I have found (and many other fish keepers have already discovered) that frequent partial water changes are much more important to fish than having their water at a specific pH.
Bettas can adapt to pH levels much higher than yours. And your Ph level is about right for many kinds of fish. I just wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure you keep their water clean and warm (About 76-79F is good) and I'm sure your Crowntail bettas will thrive!

I'm not sure about the well-water. Not having much experience with that makes it hard to really know. If there is bacteria in it, I'm not sure how it will affect your Crowntails. If you are worried, you could try using straight well-water (after using plenty of dechlorinator water conditioner of course) with a normal "veiltail" betta and not risk your Crowntails. Just see how he does and then determine if it should be used on your Crowntails. I can bet that the "guinea pig" betta will do perfectly fine.

I hope I've covered everything you've wanted to know, if not or if you have more questions, feel free to write again!

Best wishes to you and your bettas!
Karen~
ps: for more info on bettas and their care, visit-
        Bettatalk.com