Tap water

[Joel Jordan]

hey guys i know this topic has been touched before, but i wanted to clear some stuff up..i read in previous post that using tap water will come down to the quality or your water in your area, so i thought to myself, what if i tested my water? And this is what i got...im asking because im about to start a new tank and unfortunately i do not own an RODI system, so i have to pick up salt water from my LFS, they charge me $10.00 for 5 gallons so if my tank is about 40gal..do the math..so i was looking into saving some cash there..im leaving the pictures below to see what your thought are

Btw.. KH is at 107.4ppm based on the API test, and obviously i would also need to add something to take the chlorine out

 

[brandon429]

those tests cannot be used to assess your tap for usage, it will either support tank invasions or it wont.

some localities as you've read do have reefers and planted aquarists using tap, it ranges, and usually it works out poorly for algae...not necessarily you can't grow coral, but invasions are the issue.

If you had soft tap then the issue would be less pronounced, as its well known that RO DI prevents head end issues with invasion by not fueling them so badly

give it a try, you aren't going to kill anything by trying. use simple corals like mushroom corals and some zoanthids, no big investment, in case the algae is too bad then you'll have to decide if you want to invest in the right water gear or buy the premade.

its ok to try with tap. the first two weeks you wouldn't notice much of a difference anyway, just go easy on stocking until its been good for like 25 months well behaved using tap. I give you a 10% chance you'll be happy using tap after 3 mos due to having to manually clean out the tank, but it wont kill anything to try if its pre treated normally or aged a little before its mixed up to levels. tap isn't quite as heinous as the public sees it/ I have a fw system using neons that runs on HARD Lubbock tap and though they're softwater, a few are about to breed for sure cuz they're well fed. I chose tap so I can do aggressive water changes with ease in their system.

I also rinse out my reef sandbed with tap occasionally to blast it clean, then I rinse with saltwater to flush it out, then put the bed back as part of yearly maintenance. tap plays a reduced role in my reefing but its there.

 

[WVNed]

I have used tap water for decades for both fresh water and marine tanks. I had success with it. I have hauled water from the LFS and I have used distilled or purified drinking water as well.

Hauling water stinks except for maybe a nano cube which is what I had at first.

I got a 4 stage RODI from BRS 2 weeks ago and I can already tell the difference.

Testing your tap water means nothing because it will change day by day, season by season. The amount of rainfall will change what goes by the water plant intakes. In the spring, pollen and the fall, leaves will raise the organics. Bob changed the oil in his truck and dumped the old oil down the storm sewer yesterday.

Every tank I have had in the past eventually failed. Over 5 years the tiny levels of metals that are perfectly safe in tap water will concentrate in your tank and you will find you cant keep inverts alive and then the corals will go slowly. Fish seem to do fine no matter how old the tank is.

So if you want to just keep fish use tap water. I have for years and think it's fine. If you want inverts and corals go to plan b, hauling water or a RODI unit.

 

[Joel Jordan]

I have used tap water for decades for both fresh water and marine tanks. I had success with it. I have hauled water from the LFS and I have used distilled or purified drinking water as well.

Hauling water stinks except for maybe a nano cube which is what I had at first.

I got a 4 stage RODI from BRS 2 weeks ago and I can already tell the difference.

Testing your tap water means nothing because it will change day by day, season by season. The amount of rainfall will change what goes by the water plant intakes. In the spring, pollen and the fall, leaves will raise the organics. Bob changed the oil in his truck and dumped the old oil down the storm sewer yesterday.

Every tank I have had in the past eventually failed. Over 5 years the tiny levels of metals that are perfectly safe in tap water will concentrate in your tank and you will find you cant keep inverts alive and then the corals will go slowly. Fish seem to do fine no matter how old the tank is.

So if you want to just keep fish use tap water. I have for years and think it's fine. If you want inverts and corals go to plan b, hauling water or a RODI unit.

You are deff right bro! Thanks for the input, what do u think about using tap water to start the tank, wouldnt the filtering system do its job? While it cycles? Or do u think i should just go with the RODI just to avoid any headaches?

 

[Genomecop]

What if you initially used tap water for the first fill and then used RODI for your top off ect?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My biggest concern about tap water is copper from your own pipes. Secondary concern is nutrients such as phosphate and silicate.

 

[Joel Jordan]

What if you initially used tap water for the first fill and then used RODI for your top off ect?

You get me huh?!...that would be another option..i hope this can be done

 

[Joel Jordan]

But q

My biggest concern about tap water is copper from your own pipes. Secondary concern is nutrients such as phosphate and silicate.

But wouldnt the filtering take care of that? Specially since its a new tank, i wont be putting any life into it until the cycle is done

 

[kyleinpdx]

You are deff right bro! Thanks for the input, what do u think about using tap water to start the tank, wouldnt the filtering system do its job? While it cycles? Or do u think i should just go with the RODI just to avoid any headaches?

You can use tap water, but you shouldnt. The filtration you are referring to is designed to aid in the nitrogen cycle, which is to convert ammonia to nitrites than nitrates, not to remove dissolved inorganics. The cycle really doesnt have anything to do with it. If you cant get yourself an RODI unit, atleast purchase distilled water from your local grocery. Wont be as "good" as RODI but will produce significantly less problems down the line.

What if you initially used tap water for the first fill and then used RODI for your top off ect?

Eventually you'd probably get to a dilution point where it wouldn't matter but common tap water contaminants include -

• Aluminum
• Ammonia
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Cadmium
• Chloramine
• Chromium
• Copper
• Fluoride
• Bacteria & Viruses
• Lead
• Nitrates/Nitrites
• Mercury
• Perchlorate
• Radium
• Selenium
• Silver
• Uranium

For one, we cant test for many of these. Two, most all are known to be harmful to aquatic life (and honestly, most life). Third, without knowing whats going into the water, it can be incredibly hard to dial in your parameters, dosing, etc.

Someone smarter than I can do the math on how many gallons you'd need to replace with RODI to reach the point where the percentages are low enough to not cause issue, but spoiler alert, it'll be a TON.

Moral of the story, if you dont have access to RODI water, get distilled.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Remember. You must use distilled or RO/DI for top off.

The problem with most tap, despite the TDS, and besides Chlorine, is high Phosphate. My tap is around 35 TDS, but 2 ppm Phosphate which caused huge algae issues in my freshwater tanks. Phosphate is used in most water systems to prevent pipe corrosion.

 

[WVNed]

IF, BIG IF there you have good tap water you could use it for the first set up. I have lived here more than 25 years and now know mine is good because of experience. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in an emergency if I had to. I did set up my tank with it because it was supposed to be a fish only tank.

Many places have tap water I wont drink. I certainly wouldn't try to ever keep fish in it. We have to take water for the dogs because it even makes them ill.

You drink it but the stuff in your tank breathes it.

 

[Dennis McGrath]

Is there a fellow reefer in your area that has a RODI setup that can sell you RODI cheap and you mix your own salt water with it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

But q

But wouldnt the filtering take care of that? Specially since its a new tank, i wont be putting any life into it until the cycle is done

The nutrients, maybe. You might get a lot more diatoms and algae during the early stages. The copper, if it is high in your tap water, not so readily.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

hey guys i know this topic has been touched before, but i wanted to clear some stuff up..i read in previous post that using tap water will come down to the quality or your water in your area, so i thought to myself, what if i tested my water? And this is what i got...im asking because im about to start a new tank and unfortunately i do not own an RODI system, so i have to pick up salt water from my LFS, they charge me $10.00 for 5 gallons so if my tank is about 40gal..do the math..so i was looking into saving some cash there..im leaving the pictures below to see what your thought are

Buy an RODI unit before starting a marine aquarium, is my advice!

 

[Joel Jordan]

Is there a fellow reefer in your area that has a RODI setup that can sell you RODI cheap and you mix your own salt water with it?

No one, i live in panama and we have just ONE LFS in the WHOLE country, and they charge $10.00 for 5 gal of salted water, the most I could do is get Distilled water from the supermarket which cost like 2 bucks for 5 gal and the take it to the LFS so they can sell me some salt, (i know, i know, i gotta start getting my own equipment)

 

[Dennis McGrath]

No one, i live in panama and we have just ONE LFS in the WHOLE country, and they charge $10.00 for 5 gal of salted water, the most I could do is get Distilled water from the supermarket which cost like 2 bucks for 5 gal and the take it to the LFS so they can sell me some salt, (i know, i know, i gotta start getting my own equipment)

Wow!!! I guess I take things for granted when I have to travel 7 miles to my LFS to get RODI for $2.50 for 5 gallons.

 

[Joel Jordan]

Wow!!! I guess I take things for granted when I have to travel 7 miles to my LFS to get RODI for $2.50 for 5 gallons.

Oh pfff you got it made bro, i wish i could pay 2 bucks for water, and on top of that, i do weekly wanter changes so that means 10 bucks every weekend

 

[Dennis McGrath]

What about building a solar water distiller?

 

[Joel Jordan]

What about building a solar water distiller?

Hummm..tell me more????

 

[Dennis McGrath]

https://www.offthegridnews.com/grid...solar-powered-still-to-purify-drinking-water/