Spring water or RO

[customshopguy]

What does everyone thing about using spring water in a tank. We have little windmill water stands in vegas and the stuff is only $1.25 for 5 gal. but it tastes so good that i am worried that it may be the reason for my algae problem.

Does anyone else use spring water and have any luck with it?

Thanks a lot for any input.

[wharyat]

I was using drinking water for a while with no problems b4 i got my ro/di system; read the ingredients/additives on the label, make sure it has no phosphates, or any other bad stuff.

[Doug1]

If its spring water its not free of excess minerals, and other stuff. Generally they dont have to list composition, just test for bacterial or similar contamination.
RO/DI water is recommended because its theoretically pure and free of contaminats that may be harmful to delicate reef inverts, stuff that EPA and other agencies allow in potable water for humans.
The other reason is that with basically pure water , you add salt water mix and then supplemental calcium, buffers, etc to get your water params where you want them to be without having to deal with unwanted other stuff, ie, chlorine,chloramines, lead, zinc, phosphorus compounds, etc

[Junkzoo]

If you can get them to test and post water quality of the spring water, then you have something,,,otherwise RO is the way to go , you know what you have then,,,
I'd rather drink/use RO water,then any "bottled/spring" water available in the stores,all they do is bottle a "spring" source,,technically anything that comes out of the ground(well),,,,and maybe run thru a carbon filter,,,,read the labels,it's not what it used to be , on quality/purity

[customshopguy]

thanks for the reply's. does RO water taste good or does it taste like distilled?

[wharyat]

I love RO water, it's all I can drink now; IMO better than any bottled water out there.

[electricbluelizzy]

Just a thought, on drinking RO water.... Realize that general water is an important source of minerals for humans (ex. mineral water) that are not present in RO water. Thus, RO water literally leaches minerals out of your body, or so I've been told... (Why you wouldn't want to drink distilled water particularly either...) plus it tastes bad... Your body can utilize these minerals out of water more easily than any other source.
I live on a spring fed well, so I'm spoiled, but its something to think about. RO water probably does taste better than much city or beach water, but remember, its ONLY h20...
Not that big of a deal, you can get these minerals elsewhere....its just not as easy...
Anyway, most of us are more worried about the fish health than our own, but FWIW there's my 2 cents...

[wharyat]

Exactly, fish are more important.