[Killietalk] Rain water vs. tap water

["Hladky, John" <John_Hladky at tdytsi.com>]

All this talk about water quality made me think to ask y'all (Yes I'm in the
south!) a question.  

I started building a pond this summer.  When I put tap water in it, it turns
to pea soup in about 4 days.  (Tap comes from the Tennessee River via the
local water treatment plant.  It is pretty soft, but I don't know any
numbers.)  When I let it fill with rain water it stays clear for weeks.  I
figure that the theoretically "distilled water" coming from the sky has no
(or less) nutrients than the river water.  

My question is: Which water should I use in my killi and other tanks?  (I
only have one tank set up right now (I recently moved.), a 29 with two pair
of gardneri and a pair of Kribs.  But I am planning on setting up a 55 soon,
as well as several smaller tanks.)

If I use rainwater I will have less algae, but will my plants (which are
almost as important to me the fish are) stop growing because of the lack of
nutrients?  

Thanks!
John Hladky
Huntsville, AL

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