Is DIY tap water filter sufficient because i dont have R/O

[Bpb]

As i have said before...
I think going to the level you mention and trying to control every single and parameter is overkill.
If you enjoy that level of control, go for it.
I dont want to control the details of nature and life, i want to copy it to the best of what i can do.
That is my enjoyment.
I have nothing against modern reefing...or modern tech...what i do is keep it effective, and as simple as is necessary for proper function.
Plenty of tanks are balanced with regards to organisms and plants doing the work with minimal tech.
I personally believe we try to control too much...and the discussion went that way because i was instantly pummeled with people trying to put me down.
I asked if it was sufficient or close to equal in my original question...being as you want to stick to details.
A successful reef tank is possible without controlling every element and wavelength of light.

I actually only test and apply control to two parameters deliberately (excluding the obvious like salinity and temperature)
I test and control phosphate and alkalinity. The rest I don’t test nor do I employ any measures to alter them. I put enough faith in large reputable salt mix manufacturers to get the rest of it correct, which so far they have

 

[Bpb]

And for the record...
My post was to start a discussion.
I dont start threads to "dupe" and trick people, i have no time for online games like that.
This is a discussion forum, its not just to display and compete.
So please dont assume you know my "motives"...anyone.

It wasn’t an assumption. It was literally a summary of what the thread began and ended up as, primarily based on your posts alone. You presented a question , then quickly abandoned the question. I didn’t do that. I’ve simply followed along and participated where the discussion has migrated

 

[Terry Mattson]

OGetting a good 5 stage ro/di is best. I tun 0 tbs. It really is not hard to hook up and you will have pure water for your pets.

 

[Bpb]

@Reesj - I’ll say It for him... Bpb runs a serious acropora dominated tank. There are a number of reefers with experience in acros that I follow, as I value their expertise, and he happens to be one of them.

Thank you for the kind words. While my manner of typing can come across as crass, I admit, it is not my intention. I try to avoid insults or judgement. But no matter what, someone who experiences disagreement usually feels attacked so that is kind of unavoidable. All I can do is argue specific facts and statements only with what I have experienced. So if anyone on here is getting their feelings hurt, don’t. I’m not attacking or insulting you, simply disagreeing based on personal experience and study

 

[Reesj]

For people asking what is going on in thread hve a look at posts from 1st page when asked question,

You would be the first one in the history of the hobby to make this work, and it’s more complicated. Xenia’s could probably live in urine so I would not be using that to measure anything. Consider what you would spend on corals to add to your setup, compare this with a RO system.. don’t write posts like this if you are already convinced that the successful majority is wrong. Hit us back in a month or so when your impending cyano and algae problem warrants a reset.

If you aren't willing to get a ro/di unit, don't get into the hobby and waste your $$. End of story.

For the amount of time I have seen People say,Don't get in to Salt water if
1. If you can't get RO/Di unit don't or spend for it don;'t (Seems no one in Sri Lanka will be able to this way)
2. If you can't do water tests don't
3. If you can't get proper lighting don't

So many selfaborbed people who can't see past their own tank, Everyone in the world does not have the same resources or the money. It is great that yout were born in a place where you manage to get all salt water equipments and earn enough cash to splash away! Don't dump on the people who try to get by with what they have.

 

[Idaho Mojo]

I think that what most people are missing the concept of is that some hobbies do require certain standards and resources.

-Living in certain areas that lack in some resources, be it money, equipment, or livestock, does not warrant cutting corners and allowing systems to fail and livestock to suffer.
-You alone are responsible for the well being of your aquarium, if you cannot provide proper parameters/equipment, then you are only making the livestock suffer, and morally this is not okay.
-Aquariums 20-30+ years ago did not have anywhere near the success rates of today's systems with advancements in technology.
-The idea behind stripping away all elements and then adding them back, is to DUPLICATE the reef environment. The water out of your tap is nowhere near the recommended, let alone required parameters in a reef tank.
-Aquariums, in retrospect, are extremely small models of the ocean. They do not have the ability to "balance" elements on their own. It is not the same as pouring tap water in the ocean.

I live in Idaho. My well water has a reading of 105PPM being iron, cadmium, nickel, copper, and hydrogen sulfide. Completely impossible to sustain any aquarium with that water. If I couldn't afford an RO/DI system, would that honestly warrant me to use that disgusting water in an aquarium and force fish and other livestock to live in it?

If you cant do something to at least the bare minimum of what could possibly be considered adequate for a saltwater aquarium, just dont do it.

 

[Paul B]

I don't like this thread any more.

The OP asked a question. This is part of it:

I never went out and got a reverse osmosis filtration setup. But I had old tanks lying around, so I built my own tap water filter, and would like to know from the experienced reefers if if they think it is sufficient. Is this equal to reverse osmosis or at least close enough that the tap water I'm getting out of my 10 gallon tank filter is good enough to go straight into my saltwater aquarium?

He did not ask if it was ethical, moral, communist or anything else. I feel that they re his fish and if he wants to keep them in saw dust dampened with nail polish remover and anthrax that is his choice.

Many of us answered by saying it depends on his tap water. Of course "most" of us feel he should get an RO/DI but maybe he doesn't want one, or can't afford one, or it's against his religion or he doesn't want to waste water or his girlfriend or wife said she would burn his socks if he got a RO/DI.

You asked for an experienced aquarist. I am one. The answer is: No, it is not the same as a RO/DI but it may work depending on your tap water. Try it.

 

[Key-tie]

Why ? All I'm up for is a healthy debate about possibilities. Don't make replies insulting or with no value please.
You really think people who can't afford a RODI unit liek me should quite this hobby ?

Dont let anyone make you quit what you enjoy...ever.

 

[chefjpaul]

We are maintaining water first, not animals.

If it works, go for it.

Remember, regarding that we are using RODI to strip FRESH water, impurities from additives, chemicals not in seawater, additions from treatment plants, etc.

We do add elements back into our purified water with synthetic salts, but want to maintain our RODI with pure untainted water.

Its control of maintaining water.

 

[Reesj]

Sorry If I also got carried away. LAst post from me also for this tread.
Tt feels like when ever some one goes against the conventional wisdom people looks down and shut them down. If everyone does the same thing this hobby will not get much further.
But I guess for many people in this forum Salt water fish keeping seems to be advanacements on gadgets and showing off their new toys. I don't like to beleive that new fancy gadetes is the only way forward in a fish keeping.

 

[Key-tie]

Sorry If I also got carried away. LAst post from me also for this tread.
Tt feels like when ever some one goes against the conventional wisdom people looks down and shut them down. If everyone does the same thing this hobby will not get much further.
But I guess for many people in this forum Salt water fish keeping seems to be advanacements on gadgets and showing off their new toys. I don't like to beleive that new fancy gadetes is the only way forward in a fish keeping.

Agreed !

 

[sfin52]

I do think we can add it back because some nice brand salts have 75 trace elements (but you pay a premium for it) and I use to just use tap water for months) when I switched to ro I noticed a jump in growth and a decline in algae

My experience as well

So everybody jumped at the guy and nobody asked what his TDS out of the tap is.

For lots of beginner setups with soft corals especially and low TDS top water that is conditioned is perfectly fine. No need for crazy elaborate unnecessary treatment with hang on back filters, just few drops of water conditioner will do.

You're kidding yourself if you think it's RO/DI or don't start at all.

That's like me saying its abyzz or you're not getting enough flow.

My softie corals did well on just tap. I did have loads of inverts die and large algae issues.

The comment about copper building up and killing inverts is a great observation. I had massive amount of inverts die before I installed an ro. The ro was for the tank and drinking water. Things started to turn around after that.

 

[Steve_Skullsplitter0]

I never went out and got a reverse osmosis filtration setup. But I had old tanks lying around, so I built my own tap water filter, and would like to know from the experienced reefers if if they think it is sufficient. I basically took an old 10 gallon tank, put two HOB filters on that are each rated for a 20 gallon tank. One has activated charcoal and ammonia remover, the other has bone Char carbon to help remove fluoride, and I added a small UV sterilizer to the tank. I let it run constantly filled with tap water, and when I need water for my saltwater reef tank, I just scoop out of gallon and basically dump it into the saltwater tank. I get constant filtration of the tap water multiple times a day in the entire 10 gallon "tap" tank, and the UV sterilization also. Is this equal to reverse osmosis or at least close enough that the tap water I'm getting out of my 10 gallon tank filter is good enough to go straight into my saltwater aquarium?

The money you spent on rigging this up you could have bought a nice 5 stage system. The heavy metals and copper in the pipes wont be removed by this set up. It will poison the corals and inverts. They will die a slow death. But they will die.

 

[Steve_Skullsplitter0]

I think that what most people are missing the concept of is that some hobbies do require certain standards and resources.

-Living in certain areas that lack in some resources, be it money, equipment, or livestock, does not warrant cutting corners and allowing systems to fail and livestock to suffer.
-You alone are responsible for the well being of your aquarium, if you cannot provide proper parameters/equipment, then you are only making the livestock suffer, and morally this is not okay.
-Aquariums 20-30+ years ago did not have anywhere near the success rates of today's systems with advancements in technology.
-The idea behind stripping away all elements and then adding them back, is to DUPLICATE the reef environment. The water out of your tap is nowhere near the recommended, let alone required parameters in a reef tank.
-Aquariums, in retrospect, are extremely small models of the ocean. They do not have the ability to "balance" elements on their own. It is not the same as pouring tap water in the ocean.

I live in Idaho. My well water has a reading of 105PPM being iron, cadmium, nickel, copper, and hydrogen sulfide. Completely impossible to sustain any aquarium with that water. If I couldn't afford an RO/DI system, would that honestly warrant me to use that disgusting water in an aquarium and force fish and other livestock to live in it?

If you cant do something to at least the bare minimum of what could possibly be considered adequate for a saltwater aquarium, just dont do it.

This forum needs a love button. Well said.

 

[LoveReefer]

OP, Check your municipality's record and see what is added and test TDS. If it is within reasonable levels there is no reason you can't be successful. There are concerning elements where it could be a disastrous idea though at the same time. Be mindful of treatment plants pushing larger quantities of elements occasionally to clean systems. If you can deal with that level of uncertainty, go for it. Just test and make appropriate decision from there. I remember when I couldn’t afford an RO filter. I would read many threads just like this one trying to rationalize or justify with myself why it wasn’t needed. Same type of responses. I still done just fine using tap. I have a great friend that uses tap and has been for 2 years now with no issue minus typical tap water symptoms(algae). His inhabitants aren't dropping dead.

Reefing is a passion of mine. One that I think most of us share. There is not a chance I would choose to not enjoy this hobby because I was limited to tap water. I read through these comments and a few people choose to think the best advice is buy a filter or don't own a tank. We're not here to belittle anyone or make that decision for anyone. We are here to provide information and help others out. Give the OP facts, ideas, and let him/her make the decision they think is best. To add, I see nothing wrong with discussion about how you wish to try and cut back on some stuff that goes into your tank with a little DIY. That's what it should be though. Not belittlement and humiliation.

In my experience once I switched to RODI I could noticed a substantial difference personally. I can only speak for myself though. I did have algae issues with tap and overall a more stable system using RODI, but I made it work because I loved what I was doing.

You have the information you need right here in this thread to go about it however you want to do it. If it doesn't work or can't work with your tap source, then make a decision based on that. Test your water. Check online or call around and get a chart of what's added to your water then get on with it. I found my cities water treatment page in less than a minute. I wish you the best of luck.

Mike

 

[Lasse]

Thanks for your response. Based on your findings, do you plan on going back to using tap water with your current no water change method?

For the moment - no. They are planning pipe works in our building and therefore RO is more safe for the moment. I do not say that RO is bad - I only saying if you know your tap water - you maybe do not need it.

It's a lot of writing about TDS reading - can anyone in here say if a 0 ppm reading of TDS means no chloramines in the water or that the water do not contain certain larger organic molecules?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[LoveReefer]

It's a lot of writing about TDS reading - can anyone in here say if a 0 ppm reading of TDS means no chloramines in the water or that the water do not contain certain larger organic molecules?

Chlorine and chloramines won’t show on TDS meter

Mike

 

[Lasse]

Exactly and not any of the non ionic toxins that exist. TDS = Conductivity expressed as ppm

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Bpb]

Chlorine and chloramines won’t show on TDS meter

Mike

Thank goodness for that second stage of the RODI filter, amirite?

 

[LoveReefer]

Thank goodness for that second stage of the RODI filter, amirite?

Lol can’t argue with you on that.