Distilled water has a lot of great benefits to humans that consume it. Distillation creates purified water that has no contaminants or impurities in it. That means people won’t get sick from drinking it or letting it get into their system. Can the same be said for fish life? A lot of people like to set up aquariums and fish tanks in their homes for the purpose of putting exotic fish into them. This may seem like a great idea, but you have to really do your research in determining the type of water you should use. A layman may think that distilled water would be great for fish because it is pure and unpolluted. However, you must remember that fish live and breathe in the water. They need to be consuming water that correlates with their natural ecosystem. This means natural spring water or saltwater is what you should be filling up your fish tank with, depending on the type of fish you have. But, there is no fish that is supposed to inhabit distilled water because distillation is not natural to their environment. They need to inhabit water that is full of the essential minerals they need in order to survive.
So, what is the solution? If you use ordinary tap water in your aquarium then it can still be harmful to the fish because you don’t know which chemicals or pollutants reside in the water. However, there is a way to have the best of both worlds. If you want to use distilled water in your fish tank and don’t mind spending the money getting it, then go for it. But, before you add fish to the tank you will need to buy some mineral and vitamin supplements specifically designed for fish in an aquarium. You can get these supplements at any pet store that sells fish tank supplies. Then what you will have to do is regularly mineralize the water with these supplements to keep the fish healthy. That way your water won’t have any impurities, but instead only healthy minerals for your fish to thrive on. The same method can be applied towards an aquarium that has saltwater. The only difference is that you will have to buy a lot more supplements to make up for the elements that natural seawater has in it. These elements include calcium, carbonate, strontium, iron, molybdenum, iodine and more. Taking care of fish in this manner requires a lot of work, but if you use distilled water as the base then your fish will stay healthy for a longer time.
