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britta filtered water/ unsafe tap water



Hello there!

I am a new addition to the list and to plants.  I planted my tank in
September.  It seems to be doing well except for a bit of algae, etc.  

My question is ... Does anyone use water filtered through a britta filter
for their tanks?  Is the britta the exact same as an aquarium carbon filter?
I am afraid to use my tap water (my tale is below, for anyone interested in
trying to identify what is in my tap water).  I have been using strictly
britta water in my tank, and all this talk lately about needing to add
elements to the water etc has made me concerned that the britta is removing
stuff the plants need along with the bad stuff.  What do you guys think?
Could this have long term effects on the plants?


MY TALE
  I moved to a new (for me) but very old (1960) apartment with an old fish
tank containing some random fish (a guppy, 2 very old corys, a pristella
tetra, a neon).  I filled the tank with britta and tap water.  They were
fine.  I decided to plant the tank.  Put the fish in a bucket filled with
tap water (dechlorinated etc of course) while I took the tank apart.  Next
morning, all the fish (including a baby cory I found in the undergravel
filter :(  ) were dead except the 2 adult corys.  I figured they ran out of
oxygen and the corys lived because of their breathing thing.  Got mad at
myself and put a bubbler in for the corys just because.  Came home from
errands and the male cory was laying on his side.  Put the corys in britta
water.  Male died, female (biggest of all the fish) lived after a week of
careful nutruring, although her tail fin has crooked sections.  Both showed
signs of blood in their abdomens and where their fins connect to their
bodies.  The bucket was not responsible.  The obvious thing here would be
lead poisoning (we have named the cory Pb :) and she is happy in her new
planted tank with three new friends).  The apartment is certainly old
enough, but the water also has a yellow tinge to it.  Are other elements
possible culprits?  

Well, I hope this wasn't too fishy or too long for that matter :).  You guys
seem to know a lot more about water than fish people so...

Thanks a bunch!
Nicole