Let this be a warning to you

[cerulean]

so sorry to hear this and thanks all for the great info about filters. i've never used pur but have used a brita faucet filter for all my fish for several years now without a problem from that one if that helps anyone. my water is from a well tho, not city. i use it strictly because we live on a mountain and have iron in the water which leaves a gummy film on things = actually the water goes through a big sand filter downstairs, then an aerator filter, then the brita lol

 

[SRC]

That article said several companies not all..so I think it woudl have somethign to do with each individual filter and what that particular filter's filtration media is composed of.

Although, that might be hard to determine if they don't just offer it up.

My thoughts, just use tap and dechlorinator. Better safe then sorry, as poor Bettamomma had to learn the hard way.

Don't feel to bad girlie, ignorance is bliss they say. Your normal everyday person wouldn't have thought about them containing copper or causing lead build up, and not many people would know that copper/lead would be bad for fish. I just happen to know it from reading other articles and it happened to be in some water and that you shouldn't use it in your fish tanks...and I knew about the filter media from my Uncle.

Just look at it this way..your one untimely deathmay have just stopped the deaths of numerous fish...because it seems numerous people were considering using this same filter. jack can now be considered a Martyr of Bettas.

 

[alabaster]

I think 3fish made a valid point: what could have happened is that the filter could have raised or lowered the natural pH of the tapwater, which would make the pH of the clean water BettaMomma refilled the tank with different than the pH of the water Jack was used to being in (the water that BettaMomma obtained from the tap w/ no filter). The sudden change in pH could have caused his demise.


Hope this helps!

 

[BettaMomma]

Just look at it this way..your one untimely deathmay have just stopped the deaths of numerous fish...because it seems numerous people were considering using this same filter. jack can now be considered a Martyr of Bettas.

That's very true.

It still sucks, but at least his death wasn't for nothing I suppose.

alabaster, and 3fsh - that's entirely possible, too. Maybe the whole combination of things was just way too much for him to handle. I just can not believe how quickly it killed him. It was disturbing to a point.

Aaaah well - anyway, thanks for all the comments, advice, suggestions and good information. I hope you all use it well to keep your fishes safe!

 

[Jen21]

((jack))

Thanks for the warning bettamomma-

I recently had a friend who told me all of my fish would die if I Didn't use a pur filter.... good thing I didnt listen to her- my fish do fine with the water I use!

 

[BettaMomma]

Just as a quick update on everyone else - I did a BIG (like 40%) water change on my girls last night, and by this morning already most of the rips, tears and pinholes had already disappeared.

Lucky is back to his nutzo flaring psychotic self, and Louis is back to being as active as a blind betta can be. heh

Poor Charlie sits off to the side of my bed on my nightstand so he has had a nice quiet resting spot to reocover these past weeks - and was in that water too. I hadn't thought until last night to check on him... I flipped on the light last night and he was curled up in a C and floating up at the top. My heart sank. I thought he was a goner, too. He moved when I grabbed the tank to run to the kitchen with it. His swim bladder issue was back in full force - not only could he not get down from the top of the tank, but he was tipped over fully on his side, and it had him trapped up at the top. But - I pulled him out, gave him a full water change, and the second he got back into the fresh water he was fine, swimming around again and had no swim bladder issues.

It's amazing I didn't lose anybody else.
UUGH.

 

[BettaMomma]

Well folks - I hear back from PUR today.
Here is what they had to say:

Hi Jennifer,

I am sorry to hear what had happened to your fish. We do not recommend that you use filtered water from our water filtration systems in your fish tank. Our filters can change the pH levels in the water and this may have a negative effect on some fish. I'm sorry we couldn't be more helpful. I am sharing your concern with the rest of the team.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Feel free to contact us anytime.

William
PUR Team
11217587

Turns out that those of you who suspected the ph problem were correct. I wouldn't doubt that the metals part of it had something to do with it too. How very lucky for me that i didn't wipe out my entire crew.

 

[eudielynn]

We do not recommend that you use filtered water from our water filtration systems in your fish tank. Our filters can change the pH levels in the water and this may have a negative effect on some fish.

It would have been nice if they had included that in their literature wouldn't it? Wonder how many other people have lost fish the same way and never even realized what had caused it.

 

[BettaMomma]

No kidding.
Hopefully when he shares the info with the team they'll at least consider including it somewhere.

I admittedly didn't read the monumentally sized handbook that came along with it, except how to set it up and how long to run it for before drinking water that came from it. BUT... apparently it says nowhere in there that you shouldn't use it for fish.

uugh