TAP TAP TAP: Come on be honest....TAP Water?

[Michael Curtis]

I think I'd rather drive 2 hours to a shop and buy some if I got desperate rather than use tap you never know whats in it

 

[Capitol Reef Corals]

When I first started 6 years ago I used tap water because I was on a well system in a remote area. However, it gave me bad diatoms and some algae. I switched to RODI a few months later and would never ever switch back. I'd rather buy distilled water from the store or fill up my 5 gallon buckets from Walmart RODI/filtered water fill up (I've actually did this a lot with great success).

 

[lapin]

I could use my tap water without rodi. Im on rain water collection for my house and the tds out of the tap is around 12. It does go thru some filters + charcoal and UV before we use it. My rodi resin is over 6 months old and not showing any signs of color changing.

 

[smacbride]

I buy RO water from a local grocery store that has a unit. During the pandemic when things were closed I used tap water that I let sit for a week before I used it. The tank did just fine. I tested my tap water/salt mix and it had 0 nitrates but a trace amount of phosphate. I'm back to using the RO water at this point just to be safe.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Let me start with a disclaimer that RO/DI water for your saltwater reef aquarium is FAR superior to TAP water and you're taking a big risk using water straight from your faucet!

Now that we got that out of the way let's talk about tap water today. What about it? Well are you using tap water for your tank right now and have you ever used it?

Ok so if we're going to be honest then I'll start. A long time ago before R2R ever existed was a saltwater noob who didn't really know any better and was using water straight from his faucet to make water changes and keep his aquarium topped off! Good thing he lived in an area that the water wasn't all that bad. Cool thing is he had a pretty nice reef tank at one time using tap water. I will name no names but he goes by the name rev something or another.

Let's talk about this today!

1. How many of you, at one time, used TAP water for top off and water change water?

2. How many of you are currently using TAP water?

I'll say this first the corals I deal with, supposedly they're supposed to be delicate, nitrates low, acclimate for hours, on and on and on . Not true
When I came back 2017 I used tap water of course condition it I also aerated for 3 days before using, and I did that for a year and a half maximum I believe. Now I got a no waste ultra filtration system very similar to ro. But once in awhile if I'm in a hurry I'll make some quick water with tap water and always condition it.

So yes I used to use it and today no longer except when in a hurry. Here's my proof

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

I have used tap water for top off in an emergency before, but I don't remember if it did anything. I currently use those jugs of distilled water, and will get ten or fifteen every once in a while. My tank is only 20gal and I don't do water changes often so I don't need to buy them so often.

 

[725196]

In my very first SW aquarium in 1993 I used tap water. I literally bought 11 5 gallon boxes on IO added the tap water, chlorine remover, the crush coral, coral skeletons then the salt. The fish were in 10 min later...as you may have guessed my first tank was an utter disaster.

Tank 2 and 3 I used filtered water from my kitchen RO unite or bottled water from the store. It worked better but not great.

As soon as I learned of RO/DI I used that mostly on tank 4 -7 and supplemented with RO when needed.

Tank 8 and now my latest, tank 9, I would never use anything but RO/DI. I have a 210 container ready ALL THE TIME mostly to all filled.

I am ready for most anything...I hope.

 

[bnord]

Have tested and acceptable well water BUT use RO unit for security
But feel I can use the well in a pinch for small amounts

 

[mfinn]

I used tapwater for more than 15 years and had some pretty nice looking softy tanks, and that's all I really cared about.
I did go sps back in the early to middle 90's. SPS corals did grow, but they were pretty bland by todays standard. I found them totally boring, so I went back to softies.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I use tap water with prime, no issues so far. I don't have an RODI system, would like one, but also don't like the idea of wasting water....it's not cheap.

 

[WV Reefer]

I currently use tap water for top offs and am slowly transitioning over time to all tap.

 

[scabbedwings616]

When I switched my tank over to a salt water tank, I just added salt to my freshwater tank. I was told that it would be fine and no issue at all. I didn’t have any issues at all but after I learned a little more, I bough a rodi unit and would never look back at it.

 

[KWT]

I am new to saltwater and over 40 years removed from fresh water. I have never used tap in my saltwater tanks. Only been at this about 2 months, getting my R/O DI system up and running this week, so no more buying water on a regular basis from the LFS’s .....

 

[Angelgirl]

I have been in the hobby since 1978. I remember lugging 5 gallon buckets to do water changes and used my share of Amquel over the years. Of course I was a fish-only hobbiest first, only getting into reefing in the last five years. Went to RO/DI water once I started adding corals. What a change in the hobby over the years. Now I have a Genesis/Storm automated water change system that makes my world a lot easier!

 

[tony'stank]

Since I started reefing in 1982 I used tap water for many years. Of course I didn’t keep corals then because they weren’t available. I kept anenomes, shrimp etc. When the dangers of tap water became known I used distilled water that I bought. Eventually ( I can’t remember when) I bought an RO/ Di unit

 

[Mgex]

I use rodi sometimes here recently but have used tap for the last 2 years no problems but i also live in the middle of nowhere and dont have high tds i use declorinator kept zoas acans leptos psmacoral dont know how to spell it and all are okay

 

[Mgex]

It can be done if you’re fortunate enough to live in an area with good tap water (Vancouver, Canada). My mixed reef tank (will be 5 yrs in Dec) uses tap with Prime.

This is facts if your water is good enough you can use it
I do the same thing

 

[Rockit]

I used to run tap..... I would let it sit for a couple days after mixing salt and using it. Went to RODI and have a bit less algae issues. Didn't have a ton of algae to begin with though.
My city tap TDS is anywhere between 6 and mid 20's. I don't know the # for any other contaminates.
I wouldn't hesitate to use it again in an emergency.

 

[WVNed]

I used tap water for years. I never will again unless I have an emergency.

 

[Indytraveler83]

I'm one of the current tap water users. For this reef, I'll likely never use RODI- but before I get flamed, let me explain:

1) For the most part, I know what's in my water and it's pretty clean. It's actually quite high in calcium and magnesium, and I don't fight to keep my alk, calcium and mag high like some do.

2) I run a softy/lps tank with less sensitive corals and a very high consumption rate on alk and fairly high calcium consumption.

3) I live in a small, crowded house (I plan to sell in the next few years) where plumbing for and making space for an rodi station is impractical. (And if you don't believe me, my roommate has to put her spare soda and bottled water under her bed because there's no room anywhere else.)

4) I'm on a tight budget. Yes, an RODI isn't very expensive. But plumbing it, making room for it, then buying the additives I'd need to make up for the elements I'm removing from the tap would be a significant investment in a system I can otherwise maintain at minimal expense.


I'll never say tap is good or tap is better. And I'm well aware that sps and many very sensitive animals are not good ideas in my current reef tank. But I know what I have, and I know the limits of my system.

All that said, in my next house I'll be building a fish room with an RODI and auto top off system, and in that setting I'll try my hand at some of the critters I know better than getting now.