Is tank water nasty to you?

[warhawk]

Over the years I have noticed a lot of people freak out about fish tank water. I see people going to great lengths to not get water int their mouth when siphoning water but I don't get it. Don't get me wrong I don't want to drink my tank water but I don't think it would hurt me if I did, in fact for the right price I would drink a glass. My tanks get water changes every week and none of them have the fishy smell.

I start the siphon on all my tanks by sucking on the end of the hose every time, done it for years and I find it the fastest way to do my water changes. Every week I get some water in my mouth but it's a small amount and just spit it out not a issue. I use clear hoses so I can see the water so if I would watch I could keep from ever getting water in my mouth. I remember as a kid having to siphon gas out of my dads truck to ride dirt bikes, many times I got mouth fulls of gas and fish tank water is nothing. I know the water has fish poop but so does the lakes/oceans we all swim in. Maybe it's just me I don't see anything to worry about.

Just wondering how many others worry about tasting fish tank water?

 

[SandNukka15]

Doesnt bother me....Imo if your tank has a fishy smell then u aren't doing water changes enough or ur tank has some problem that needs adressing.....none of my tanks smell........I don't get water in my mouth when siphoning....you don't need to continuously suck on it like a thai hooker......just one big suck and ur golden lol

 

[FreshyFresh]

Totally agree. Your tank water or filters should smell like freshly turned soil. You've got issues if they stink. I know I catch a shot to the face or pie hole from time to time during maintenance or water changes. Uh oh.. LOOK OUT.. LOL..

 

[tlindsey]

I have my days when I don't move hose fast enough lol and get a taste. My tanks smell earthy most of the time, so it doesn't really bother me.

 

[duanes]

When I worked as a microbiologist, I tested my tank water a number of times for total coliform, E coli, and various other heterotrophic bacteria. All coliform counts on a 100ml sample were off the charts, and hetertrophs too numerous to count using the pour plate methods. This does not mean all the bacteria were pathogenic, it just means in 100 mls of sample, bacterial populations were so high, they were like a bacterial soup, and if too much was swallowed might illicit the bodies flush response to rid itself of those that might become problematic if left to reproduce.

 

[ehh]

I have a glass of tank water every morning. Brings me closer to my tanks.

 

[tlindsey]

When I worked as a microbiologist, I tested my tank water a number of times for total coliform, E coli, and various other heterotrophic bacteria. All coliform counts on a 100ml sample were off the charts, and hetertrophs too numerous to count using the pour plate methods. This does not mean all the bacteria were pathogenic, it just means in 100 mls of sample, bacterial populations were so high, they were like a bacterial soup, and if too much was swallowed might illicit the bodies flush response to rid itself of those that might become problematic if left to reproduce.

Just mentioning Ecoli is enough for me to go pickup a python, btw I never try to swallow any.

 

[Ihsnshaik]

I have a glass of tank water every morning. Brings me closer to my tanks.

LOL you should boil your bio balls as well

 

[tlindsey]

LOL you should boil your bio balls as well

Lol

 

[xraycer]

When I worked as a microbiologist, I tested my tank water a number of times for total coliform, E coli, and various other heterotrophic bacteria. All coliform counts on a 100ml sample were off the charts, and hetertrophs too numerous to count using the pour plate methods. This does not mean all the bacteria were pathogenic, it just means in 100 mls of sample, bacterial populations were so high, they were like a bacterial soup, and if too much was swallowed might illicit the bodies flush response to rid itself of those that might become problematic if left to reproduce.

^^^THIS^^^
You can't taste bacteria [typically], and there is definitely all sorts of bacteria in your tank water........just like all water in an open environment. Of course, as Duane stated it doesn't mean the bacterias are harmful if ingested by healthy individuals.

Once, when I was a young lad, got a mouthful of tank water, from a tank that got water changes like once every 2 months, and I just about threw up....it tasted that awful! Today, I would, once in awhile, get a little tank water from siphoning and the water taste fine. The difference is, nowadays, I do 50% w/c every 3-4 days

A couple of years ago, there was one young MFK member, who posted he would, from time to time, drank from his tank water out of thirst lol