Best way to change water sources?

That's where I get my water. The tap in my complex is horrible, 15 or so GH plus lots of carcenogens. Depending on how fragile your fish are, you should just do a few water changes, maby 3 gal at a time with the new water. it comes out of the machine kinda cold around here so I like to let it sit for a while to reach room temperature.

The fish you have are sensitive species, so it's best to introduce the new water gradually. However, once the old tap water has been replaced almost completely (or rather, before it is - to avoid problems) you will want to use a product that will add the necessary minerals and such which the R.O. water lacks. There are different products that do just this, one of which is RO Right (I forget which manufacturer makes this). I don't use RO water, so I'm not sure if any particular product is considered better than the others. Another easier (and cheaper) option would be to add a certain amount of tap water into the RO change water. What ratio to use depends on your source water - I'll let someone more knowledgeable on the subject comment more on this aspect.

TJT said:

excellent, glad to hear im not the only one who uses this as a source!
The water wasnt really cold, but I did let it sit for a while. Only did a 1 gallon water change. I dont know if my fish are fragile or not, 3 cory cats, 2 ottos and 1 neon tetra (rest died, probably due to the crap-tastic water..)

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I wouldn't be so sure. Most fish (and this certainly includes the fwe species you listed) can be acclimated to living in the "ideal water parameters" I see on so many websites etc. In fact, Your craptastic water is likely close to mine. I have a pH of 7.8, KH of 120 and a GH of 420. That's all indicative of hard alkaline water. These are the readings in my tank, mind you, with a nice piece of dritwood. I have cories, some tetras (not neon, but I am soon to ahve cardinals and kept neons successfully years ago) and have had otos. Guess what? They all did fine. If the fish died from shock, it would have happened soon after you added them. When did these fish die? is this a newer tank? Also you don't have test kits and you said these are the last of your fish... Tell me, how many fish did you have in this ten gallon tank before you were left with the current 6 fish which would be considered stocked (and overstocked if those are not pygmy cory cats)?

I am betting that this tank was sort of new and if not, than the overcrowded conditions with lack of knowledge about testing water and changing it when it had high ammonia and or nitrites and or nitrates led to your fish's demise, and not the hard water. Fish can't read pH, as RTR always says. They can be acclimated to nearly any water conditions and I think my and so many others' keeping of the so called "soft, acidic" water amazon species in hard alakaline water is living proof of that.

I don't know what the issue was in your tank, but I do agree w/Harlock that it was unlikely to have been the water hardness. Possiblely it was cycling, possiblely it was just overcrowding.

Buy RO and compensating for the lack of minerals there is both hassle and expense that might better be spent on test kits to monitor what is really going on in the tank. I consider ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH, KH, and pH to be basic and required.

TJT said:

I had 5 neon tetras. The rest died within 5 days of adding them. The tank is a couple months old and is cycles with 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and 20 ppm nitrates. I dont see how 5 fish at about 1" each is overstocking and the tank looks incredibly bare. When I know a guy who is keeping 4 oscars, a pleco, and a slightly smaller chichlid in a 55 gallon tank with poor maintenance and they can live. I think people here tend to yell overstocked very quickly.

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So, you had 3 cory cats, 2 ottos and 6 neon tetras in a ten gallon? Sorry, despite what you think about people in this site saying about overstocking, you were overstocked if that was what your stocking levels were. Again, this was assuming those cories were a regular-sized variety and not dwarf or pygmy. Also, how often do you test your water? Generally, neon tetras are terrific indicator fish. They indicate poor water quality by keeling over. I know people don't like to hear they were overstocked, but even with the "inch per gallon" rule, which leads to overstocking in many cases, you were still over the limit, especially considering adult sizes.

TJT said:

When I said I had 5 neon tetras, I meant 5 total tetras.
I dont see where the tank is overcrowded, from where i sit it looks anything but. I know a 10 gallon isnt that large to many people here, but I would not have room for anything larger. The fish all seem to have enough room, the cats graze the bottom of the tank, one otto seems to like being upside down under my driftwood and the other likes to stick to the glass next to one of my plants. There should be plenty of filtration on the tank, I bought a tetra whisper 20-40 power filter in addition to the regent 5-15 filter that came with the aquarium. I do weekly water changes, and I do own a aquarium pharm master test kit and hardness tests.
The tank is cycled, ammonia 0, nitrites 0 nitrates 10 ppm
Regarding the expense and hassle comment, the grocery store is about a mile away, for $.25 a gallon on a 10 gallon it isnt very costly at all, and the water bottle fits in the bed of my truck just fine. Although with a larger tank it would be a different story. A bottle of electro-right ro/deionized water additive was only $3 and adding a few tsp of that to the water jug is no trouble at all.
Sorry if i come off as hard headed, and the comment about the oscars was not condoneing that feat, but simply stating that I have seen fish live in much worse conditions. 1 angelfish, 2 black tetra and 1 (small) pleco (about 4" from head to tail) in a bone stock 10g wal mart kit-the kit without the heater IIRC. Same owner as the 55g with oscars.
I acknowledge that I am new to the hobby, still have a lot to learn but in what ways is this overstocked if you could be more specific, and what ppm nitrates should I be shooting for? Ive always heard 40 ppm is the highest it should get. What would you like to see as the ideal ppm.

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It is overstocked in that you have too many fish for the size tank you have. I have said it as have others, but you are simply being hard-headed. I know a tank may not look overcrowded, but it still can be. For instance, three two-inch common goldfish in a ten doesn't look like much, but it is grossly overstocked. It has nothing to do with what your eye sees. It has everything to do with how much waste a fish produces, what size a fish grows to, what kinds of numbers a fish needs for schooling behavior etc.

What other people do has nothing with what you do. If I "saved" a dozen German Shepherds from the pound and euthanization by bringing them to my small backyard where they could never stetch their legs and have the freedom that breed needs, I'm not doing them a favor and I don;t deserve to be commended. As for nitrates, 10ppm is a good range for most folks. People with planted tanks will shoot for more. Again, water parameters have nothing to do with overstocking. Going back to the German Shepherd example, I can keep my tiny backyard really clean by scooping poop daily. Does that make it any less crowded or unhealthy in the long run for those 12 dogs living in about 450 square feet of yard? If I have that small a yard, it is irresponsible to bring a breed home that is active and needs to run and play. I can't buy a bigger yard, so I simply pass on those dogs. I might do well with a companion animal that doesn't get very large and can run in a 450 square foot back yard, like a Boston Terrier.

Do you see where I am going? You are not providing the appropriate home for your fish. Neons and ottos can do okay in a ten gallon, but the cories are pushing you way over the limit. You're trying to blame water for fish deaths where I likely have water as bad as yours and have fish thriving in it. Some of the same species as well, I might add. So I think it's time you take a good long hard look at what the problem may be. You mere resistance to the idea is a pretty good indication, in my mind, that you're going to blame anything but yourself.