SW safe tapwater

kalamity

kalamity

Member
Ok. So, I know I really need an RO filter. That's not a possibility right now. Gotta save the pennies for that. So, are there any additives I can use to make tapwater safe to use? I need to pick up a phosphate test kit to see what the levels are in my tapwater. Do I need other tests also (besides the regular pH, Amm, Nitrite, Nitrate, Alk, Cal)? Copper?
I can get H2O from my LFS, but it's a pain in the booty. I'm not looking for the easy way out (well, I guess I am)......I will do what I have to do, but I am still wondering.
 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Why not buy the bottled RO water from Walmart? Over here(NY)its 64 cents a gallon. Ive been using that for over a year and i just got an RO unit. Far better than using tap water.
 
shiby1510

shiby1510

Member
If you want to use r/o but don't want to pay for a unit you can go to walmart or something comparable they sell 1gallon jugs of r/o.. if you have a super walmart they usually have a r/o unit that you can bring jugs and fill it yourself... One thing that can atleast help a bit is letting the tap water sit out for awhile.. so that the chlorine will dissipate... I'm not quite sure how long but I'd say atleast let it sit for a week or soo... perhaps someone else could verify exactly how long.

There are also water conditioners out there that you can add to your water but I think most of them just get rid of chlorine which can be ridden by letting the water sit.
 
calgar

calgar

Member
Originally Posted by kalamity
Ok. So, I know I really need an RO filter. That's not a possibility right now. Gotta save the pennies for that. So, are there any additives I can use to make tapwater safe to use? I need to pick up a phosphate test kit to see what the levels are in my tapwater. Do I need other tests also (besides the regular pH, Amm, Nitrite, Nitrate, Alk, Cal)? Copper?
I can get H2O from my LFS, but it's a pain in the booty. I'm not looking for the easy way out (well, I guess I am)......I will do what I have to do, but I am still wondering.
The answer is Yes you can.. just make sure to get a water dechlorinator before putting it in the tank. It's not recommended because you have to deal with other stuff like phosphates nitrates, heavy metals, etc that may create other problems in the aquarium.
So you can do it, if you accept the risk.
If you're lazy (like me :) ) at least try to get a faucet filter ( I use Brita) to filter and remove some of it. I use that to replace lost water and natural sea water for water changes
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by calgar
get a truck and get supply for a month :cheer:
Hmmm. Not a bad idea. A bit ticked that the hubby quit his water filtration job a little while back.......now he works rescuing animals and all I get from that is a house full of critters that need homes (my choice, of course
).
 
S

sinner's girl

Guest
just make sure to get a water dechlorinator before putting it in the tank.
why? just let it sit out over night (24 hours) and the clorine will be gone, that's what we do for fresh water.
.33 at walmart, fill up your own jugs, down the road they have a station that's only .30 a gallon. Not a big deal, I just fill up some gallons when I go to walmart.
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
why? just let it sit out over night (24 hours) and the clorine will be gone, that's what we do for fresh water.

But what about the other stuff that could be in it...phosphates, heavy metals, etc. Those don't disappear, do they? How do you treat those if you are using tapwater (even if you use a dechlorinator?)
 
bluelove

bluelove

Member
i wouldnt use tap wate, well not if you live by a nuclear waste site. i tried it with adding all the chemicals and lost a few of my favs
learned an expensive lesson. i buy my water frome safe way or walmart and thats it.
 
calgar

calgar

Member
Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
why? just let it sit out over night (24 hours) and the clorine will be gone, that's what we do for fresh water.
.33 at walmart, fill up your own jugs, down the road they have a station that's only .30 a gallon. Not a big deal, I just fill up some gallons when I go to walmart.

Yep.. that works also.. as I said I'm lazy and don't want to wait that much :jumping:
 
calgar

calgar

Member
Originally Posted by kalamity
But what about the other stuff that could be in it...phosphates, heavy metals, etc. Those don't disappear, do they? How do you treat those if you are using tapwater (even if you use a dechlorinator?)
You can't take care of those wihtout proper filtration.. that's exactly the risk you have by using tap water.. As I said before you can get a faucet filter to try to reduce them, but won't be as effective as a RO/DI Filter
 
S

sinner's girl

Guest
But what about the other stuff that could be in it...phosphates, heavy metals, etc. Those don't disappear, do they? How do you treat those if you are using tapwater (even if you use a dechlorinator?)
That's what I do for freshwater, I've never used tap water for saltwater, causes too many problems.
And if you're lazy, or can't plan ahead, this might not be the right hobby for you.
 
calgar

calgar

Member
Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
And if you're lazy, or can't plan ahead, this might not be the right hobby for you.
I think this decision belongs to each individual don't you think?
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
And if you're lazy, or can't plan ahead, this might not be the right hobby for you.
Ouch. That's a bit rough. I was only asking.....
 
mbrennan

mbrennan

Member
I use a Glacier coin operated water dispenser in front of Winn Dixie - .30 a gallon (one in front of Albertson's too), open 24/7. It's double carbon filtered, double UVed and R/Oed. It's meant for a regular 5 gallon drinking water bottle but I've made an adapter out of a funnel and a hose. I bought (4) 7 gallon water jugs from the camping section in Wal Mart. It takes about 15 minutes to fill up and $8.40 a trip, the water lasts me a month.
 
S

sinner's girl

Guest
sorry, I really wasn't trying to be mean.

as I said I'm lazy and don't want to wait that much
Sorry it was calgar who said he/she was lazy, not you, I was only using the same word. which I thought it was kalamity who said that, not calgar...

name mix up.
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by mbrennan
I use a Glacier coin operated water dispenser in front of Winn Dixie - .30 a gallon (one in front of Albertson's too), open 24/7. It's double carbon filtered, double UVed and R/Oed. It's meant for a regular 5 gallon drinking water bottle but I've made an adapter out of a funnel and a hose. I bought (4) 7 gallon water jugs from the camping section in Wal Mart. It takes about 15 minutes to fill up and $8.40 a trip, the water lasts me a month.
That's a good idea. I'm sure the Winn-Dixie near me has one. Funny how you never notice those darn things until you need one....
Does the water go bad if it is stagnate? It's not like it's a factory sealed bottle. Do you keep an aerator in the jugs?
 
S

sinner's girl

Guest
what won't go bad. I keep lots sitting around, never know when you need it.
When you mix your fresh salt water, just airate the water over night and you'll be good to go. Or you can keep whatever amount mixed and airating for how ever long till you need it, without a problem. I've kept the salt and water mixed without a problem for a while, then I just airate it before I use it.
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
sorry, I really wasn't trying to be mean.
Sorry it was calgar who said he/she was lazy, not you, I was only using the same word. which I thought it was kalamity who said that, not calgar...

name mix up.
No harm. But, I agree with Calgar...ultimately it is everyone's own choice. And I know everyone has their own experience and way of doing things. My father-in-law used tap water in his 150 gallon for years and never had a problem, an outbreak, or anything. I guess his water was better. Personally, I don't even want to bathe my children in our local water. I guess I was just hoping that someone would tell me about a miracle product that would make tapwater into RO water. No such luck.

I think part of the fun of this hobby is getting it right. It really wouldn't be much fun if it wasn't work, right? No sense of personal satisfaction.
Thanks for your advice!
 
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