# Best water for a planted tank?



## Gvtv44 (Jul 3, 2011)

What is the best type of water to use for a planted tank? I want to have some small fish and shrimp as well. I have an RO filter from my reef tank, municipal tap (high in chloramine, chlorine, hardness, etc), and could also (but don't want to) buy bottled spring water. It's a 7 gallon tank.

Thanks!


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## bat_billy (Jun 2, 2011)

I have had the best luck with a 50/50 mix of well water and RO water. The important thing is to buy a good test kit and make sure your water parameters are correct. With pure RO water you are going to have to purchase the necessary minerals using a product like RO Right.


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## xxxSHyXAxxx (Mar 16, 2011)

bat_billy said:


> I have had the best luck with a 50/50 mix of well water and RO water. The important thing is to buy a good test kit and make sure your water parameters are correct. With pure RO water you are going to have to purchase the necessary minerals using a product like RO Right.


 roud: +1

you can use just RO as long as you replenish the minerals. A lot of people do a 50/50 so they don't have to buy anything extra and it works great for them. i use streight RO with GH booster


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

I use straight tap water, but I have 4 dGH and 3 dKH water so it's already pretty soft.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Unless you're trying to breed fish or keeping a lot of low KH plants like toninas the best water is the water from your tap. Adding different pH adjusters and buffers is more trouble than it's worth and it's just one more variable to keep an eye on.


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## BudHop (Jun 24, 2011)

I've always woundered the same.
How about rain water?


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Jeff5614 said:


> Unless you're trying to breed fish or keeping a lot of low KH plants like toninas the best water is the water from your tap. Adding different pH adjusters and buffers is more trouble than it's worth and it's just one more variable to keep an eye on.


Yup, that seems to be where I'm at too. If I use RO/DI water, then I have to treat it and you have to keep it careful on how much you change exactly each week to keep the pH steady, treat the RO water, etc.

Tap water treated with prime, done. lol.


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## Gvtv44 (Jul 3, 2011)

So if I were to use a 50/50 Tap-RO mix, that would be a good combination (without the need for supplementing)? Thanks everyone for their input!


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## ohbaby714 (Feb 23, 2011)

RO water is great for my 5.5g. 
But for 40g breeder, i end up using rainwater instead. Got a barrel and been using for about 2-3 month now. Lately it rain almost everyday here in FL so, the barrel is alway full.
My shrimps, fish, and snails don't have anyproblem with it. Specially Snails and Shrimps population explode. 
My plants seem to grow fine and no chemincal needed.


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