Been using tap H20 since Day 1: Click to see our tap water tests; is it safe to use??

[dutchswan]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3294375

I love macroalgae, and I love what it does for my tank…but I still would not use tap water in a saltwater tank. Sparty059 has a sump and hopefully a section for a refugium which will help keep the water pristine. It makes no sense to me to deliberately pollute a tank and depend on the macroalgae to clean it up.
How much water should I change out in this tank and how often? I see that ***** has 5gal of filtered ocean water for about $11. Do people on this forum typically like that product (or similar)? If I did 5 gal water change, that would be about 10% of my tank's actual water volume. Plus, I experience about 1/2 gallon evaporation daily. When I top off my tank, can I use tap water for that? Just topping off my tank yields a 30% - 40% water change per month. Yikes...I just did that math. Considering the amount of water changed just from topping off from evaporation; do I even need to do water changes outside of this?
Okay, maybe it is 1 Gallon of evaporation every 3 days. That is still 20% monthly that gets changed out just from topping off the tank.

 

[2quills]

Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3294534
How much water should I change out in this tank and how often? I see that ***** has 5gal of filtered ocean water for about $11. Do people on this forum typically like that product (or similar)? If I did 5 gal water change, that would be about 10% of my tank's actual water volume. Plus, I experience about 1/2 gallon evaporation daily. When I top off my tank, can I use tap water for that? Just topping off my tank yields a 30% - 40% water change per month. Yikes...I just did that math. Considering the amount of water changed just from topping off from evaporation; do I even need to do water changes outside of this?
Okay, maybe it is 1 Gallon of evaporation every 3 days. That is still 20% monthly that gets changed out just from topping off the tank.
Yep, you still have to do water changes. Even though the water evaporates...the polutants don't.

 

[dutchswan]

Originally Posted by 2Quills
http:///forum/post/3294535
Yep, you still have to do water changes. Even though the water evaporates...the polutants don't.
Point well taken.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3294109
Day 41 Notes: I noticed another poster's question about RO water and saw that it is not recommended to use tap water (dechlorinated or not) for your marine aquarium. I have been using tap water since Day 1, and have only been neutralizing the chlorine with AquaSafe for the second have of the last 41 days (an oversight of mine). I understand water quality varies greatly from region to region and so it is impossible to say on the surface if it is okay.
The EPA will have your copper, zinc, and tin levels. Ask them.

 

[btldreef]

Reasons why I wouldn't use tap water:
You do not know what is in the pipes in your house (especially copper, which will cause issues if you venture into corals).
The tap water has a high pH after being treated, has a nitrate reading and contains sulfate, all things that aren't great for the aquarium. Considering that RO water isn't really that expensive when put into perspective of everything else in this hobby, why take the risk?
At the very least, I'd use the API tap water purifier.

 

[beaslbob]

I think Bang_Guy raises a good point.
On another forum Paul_B has had a reef tank running for 40 years. Untill 1990 or so he used straight tap water. But then noticed stressed corals. Found out the water authority had just added a zinc compound to the water. So now uses ro/di.
Fwiw on water changes, I did this thread on the water change effectiveness:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...sis&highlight=
Bottom line is that it is much more effective to have the tank take care of itself the rely on water changes.
my .02

 

[cranberry]

There are water conditioners that "neutralize" heavy metals.
I would save up some money and buy a unit sometime in the future as is feasible. There is no mad rush, IMO. But get a better conditioner that covers more than just chlorine in the interim. Don't go nuts with the water changes.... that type of stuff I reserve for emergencies.

 

[navigator]

Originally Posted by 2Quills
http:///forum/post/3294523
To me, having an ro unit just makes good sense....
...Pluss you get to make clean, pure water for your family to drink and cook with.
What he said! ^^
My career is in water resources consulting. Due to what I have experienced, I use RO for all water I consume at home (coffee, iced tea, the glass on my nightstand, etc.). In my mind, it would be criminal to treat my tank with any less respect than I treat my own living tissue. EPA MCLs exist to protect you, but are far from perfect.

 

[navigator]

Just to add: I did a quick query of your (Des Moines) WQ treatment plant product water, and the peak nitrate (as N) in the last water-year was 8.29mg/L, which is equivalent to nitrate (as nitrate) of about 37 mg/L. Chloride peaked over 50 mg/L. Sulfates over 68 mg/L.
There are good days and bad days of water-quality. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[tkucifer]

DutchSwan-- You mentioned both water changes and top-offs in the same breath with your question about *****'s filtered ocean water. You're using plain water for top-offs though, right? The salt water just for water changes? Otherwise your salinity will get quite high; the evaporation is essentially distilling the water, leaving super-salinated water behind in your DT.
I'm sure that's what you meant, just wanted to clarify...

 

[dutchswan]

Originally Posted by TKucifer
http:///forum/post/3296198
DutchSwan-- You mentioned both water changes and top-offs in the same breath with your question about *****'s filtered ocean water. You're using plain water for top-offs though, right? The salt water just for water changes? Otherwise your salinity will get quite high; the evaporation is essentially distilling the water, leaving super-salinated water behind in your DT.
I'm sure that's what you meant, just wanted to clarify...
Yes this is what I meant. I sometimes use salt water to top off if my gravity is getting too low though.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3296582
Yes this is what I meant. I sometimes use salt water to top off if my gravity is getting too low though.

Something is very wrong. Your SG will rise as water evaporates. The only way SG goes down is if there is a leak and fresh water replaces the loss, like on an auto top off unit.
Only water evaporates not the salt, it remains behind. So to keep the SG the same, all you have to do is make sure the water level remains the same.
For example: if your water line is 1 inch from the rim, to keep the SG the same when the water evaporates, replace it with fresh RO water and always fill the tank 1 inch from the rim where it was originally.

 

[ernestpolska]

hmhhmmmmm this is very interesting............i still dnt understand if i add the algae u gies are tlkin about then i dnt have to change the water?

 

[ernestpolska]

maybe ur adding water without salt every time you change the water? thats how it can lower because every time u take out some water your also taking out salt and if you dont add the same amount back then the sg lowers......

 

[dutchswan]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3296627

Something is very wrong. Your SG will rise as water evaporates. The only way SG goes down is if there is a leak and fresh water replaces the loss, like on an auto top off unit.
Only water evaporates not the salt, it remains behind. So to keep the SG the same, all you have to do is make sure the water level remains the same.
For example: if your water line is 1 inch from the rim, to keep the SG the same when the water evaporates, replace it with fresh RO water and always fill the tank 1 inch from the rim where it was originally.
My gravity might change slightly after a 20% water change if I did not precisely put in exactly the same amount of salt per gallon that I am putting in as per gallon that I am taking out. If the new water from the water change has slightly lower gravity than the DT water, then overall gravity will decrease slowly overtime. If I happen to notice the gravity is actually registering less on the meter, then my approach is to use salt water to top off my tank to bring it slowly back to where it should be. This as opposed to increasing the amount of salt used in my 20% water change. I have only had to do it twice since my tank was started....about 6 weeks ago.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by ernestpolska
http:///forum/post/3296935
hmhhmmmmm this is very interesting............i still dnt understand if i add the algae u gies are tlkin about then i dnt have to change the water?

Beaslbobs set up is not the norm...you are just getting your tank up and going, you still have to do water changes and use a skimmer and use a filter. Using Macro algae is tricky and the wrong ones will go asexual and cloud up the tank. By setting up a refugium you have a place for good stuff to grow and stabilize your tank, but you still have to do what it takes to keep it healthy or it will crash and everything dies. Then you lose allot of money and get discouraged with the hobby.

 

[ernestpolska]

no i was saying that i will still do all those things exept i was wondering how he was doing it......... and even if they do go asexual then is there a way that wont let them come out of the refugium?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by ernestpolska
http:///forum/post/3296943
no i was saying that i will still do all those things exept i was wondering how he was doing it......... and even if they do go asexual then is there a way that wont let them come out of the refugium?

Beaslbob has things very stable so his macro algae is stable as well. The water flowing into the refugium and back to the tank clears up the nitrates and makes the tank water cleaner...but it is not overnight, it takes time to get the algae growing to the point it helps the tank water. without knowing what you are doing...that time is when your critters will die because you don't have the tank stable yet.
Beaslbob said set up the refugium and let it all mature before you add anything to the tank. Most folks hardly wait for a cycle.

 

[ernestpolska]

i always wait even in freshwater......... and how do i get the special algae to stay in the refugium instead of going into my tank? because i want it to stay in the refugium and not come out lols!

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by ernestpolska
http:///forum/post/3296971
i always wait even in freshwater......... and how do i get the special algae to stay in the refugium instead of going into my tank? because i want it to stay in the refugium and not come out lols!

Macro Algae are marine plants, it isn't the algae that grows on the glass type.