# Eco Complete and Distilled Water?



## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Hi:

I understand that Eco Complete says to use with Distilled Water? RO water?

(I am about to start up another planted tank and am looking into Eco Complete. I doubt I am going to find any Activ Flora around these parts).

Anyway, if I used just RO water and I have had fish and frogs that have been in regular de-chlorinated tap water, would it be a big adjustment for them to go to RO water? Can the little frogs (ADF) live in RO water?

Thanks!

dbw


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## greaser84 (Feb 2, 2014)

The directions say for new aquariums you can use dechlorinated tap water or for best results use de-ionized or distilled water. You can use any one of those. When changing up your water source you should do it slowly so the fish can get acclimated to their new water. A sudden swift change could cause a problem. I don't know about frogs, but I'm sure they would be fine. Remember to remineralize ro/distilled/de-ionized water before adding it to your aquarium.


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## Topekoms (Dec 19, 2013)

greaser84 said:


> The directions say for new aquariums you can use dechlorinated tap water or for best results use de-ionized or distilled water. You can use any one of those. When changing up your water source you should do it slowly so the fish can get acclimated to their new water. A sudden swift change could cause a problem. I don't know about frogs, but I'm sure they would be fine. Remember to remineralize ro/distilled/de-ionized water before adding it to your aquarium.


Yes you HAVE to remineralize if you use ro/distilled/di water it effectively becomes *thirsty* for minerals and will suck them out of your fish/frogs/turtles or anything else it comes in contact with. Like you never want to use it with copper pipes it still start to erode the pipes by absorbing the copper.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

I used tap water and then dechlorinated it, no problems, had it for years.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

Never heard of this ro only water with eco. Always used tap.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

If your tap water suits the livestock, just use that. 
If you need to alter the tap water for the livestock, then use that (the altered mix). 

Do not worry about what sort of water it says to use with any substrate. 

I have used EC with tap water, GH and KH about 4-5 degrees, pH high 7s and it works just fine. 

Note that it does not have the fertilizers it seems to claim. 

To directly answer the question about the fish or frogs:
Always put them in water that matches what they are used to. If you need to make changes, do these changes slowly, over weeks, not hours. Fish have a hard time adjusting to water that is softer (less minerals, lower TDS) than what they are used to. I would suppose frogs would, too.


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## greaser84 (Feb 2, 2014)

Topekoms said:


> Yes you HAVE to remineralize if you use ro/distilled/di water it effectively becomes *thirsty* for minerals and will suck them out of your fish/frogs/turtles or anything else it comes in contact with. Like you never want to use it with copper pipes it still start to erode the pipes by absorbing the copper.


I agree that's why I said to remineralize ro water BEFORE putting it in your aquarium.


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## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Okay thanks. I think I can just continue using tap then.  

Thanks everyone for your help!

dbw


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