Tap water!
- Thread starter reeferdc
- Start date
lion_crazz
Active Member
Originally Posted by reeferDC
I just sturr the sand up a tad each week...
It will not be fine if you keep doing that. You should be doing water changes every week or two weeks, not just stirring up the sand a tad. Also, stirring up the sand has nothing to do with using tap water on your tank.
I just sturr the sand up a tad each week...
It will not be fine if you keep doing that. You should be doing water changes every week or two weeks, not just stirring up the sand a tad. Also, stirring up the sand has nothing to do with using tap water on your tank.
lion_crazz
Active Member
Originally Posted by reeferDC
I do a 15% water change every week. The sand sturr up is natural. if I where to have crabs the same thing would be done.
Okay, I misunderstood. I apologize. I thought you were saying you did this in place of doing water changes, and somehow, I thought the fact that you using tap water was somehow related to you stirring up the sand.
I do a 15% water change every week. The sand sturr up is natural. if I where to have crabs the same thing would be done.
Okay, I misunderstood. I apologize. I thought you were saying you did this in place of doing water changes, and somehow, I thought the fact that you using tap water was somehow related to you stirring up the sand.
jdboy
Member
I've been useing tap water since setting my tank up 9 or so months ago. I'm now trying to get everything sorted to the point where I can get RO water on a regular basis. My poor tank looks like the Amazon. Thick short dark green algae almost everywhere. Also get alot of diatoms on the glass using tap water. Reducing my photo period helped but also halted the growth of my polyps. So the photo period has been lengthened and I'm converting to RO. Make the change as soon as it's convenient for you is all I can add.
carshark
Active Member
Originally Posted by FishCity
I only use it in an emergency, distilled water I hear is the safest/best water for you aquarium.
RO water is actually the safest water.... Distilled water leaves many elements which can/will cause green hair algae as well as other algaes including brown diatoms. Id recommend only using RO water, for during the process of "reverse osmosis" it removes these elements
I only use it in an emergency, distilled water I hear is the safest/best water for you aquarium.
RO water is actually the safest water.... Distilled water leaves many elements which can/will cause green hair algae as well as other algaes including brown diatoms. Id recommend only using RO water, for during the process of "reverse osmosis" it removes these elements
carshark
Active Member
Originally Posted by FishCity
I only use it in an emergency, distilled water I hear is the safest/best water for you aquarium.
Distilled water leaves many elements which can/will cause hair algae, brown diatoms, etc. where as RO water removes these during the process of reverse osmosis....
I only use it in an emergency, distilled water I hear is the safest/best water for you aquarium.
Distilled water leaves many elements which can/will cause hair algae, brown diatoms, etc. where as RO water removes these during the process of reverse osmosis....
S
sinner's girl
Guest
I never have in my 55gl or 75gl. I think sinner did in the 10 or 20 when he frist started.
mudplayerx
Active Member
Tap water contains silicates, phosphates, copper, and other possible chemicals which are detrimental to your tank water quality, and the health of your invertebrates (and fish).
Silicates can lead to explosive growth of diatoms (an ugly brown crud). Phosphates can lead to the growth of all types of bad microalgae like hair algae and cyanobacteria. Copper equates to death to most all invertebrates.
Tap water: do not use it unless you have a reverse osmosis device in your house.
Stirring the sand is a bad idea in general. First of all, if you have the reccomended flow rate for a fish only tank (10x) or a reef tank (20-25x), then stirring the sand is not necessary. Secondly, stirring the sand too vigorously can lead to accidental exposure of the lower layers of the sand. This can lead to dieoff of your anaerobic bacteria, which play a most vital role in the denitification process.
Please take the advice of all the people here. All we really want to do is prevent you from making common mistakes.
Silicates can lead to explosive growth of diatoms (an ugly brown crud). Phosphates can lead to the growth of all types of bad microalgae like hair algae and cyanobacteria. Copper equates to death to most all invertebrates.
Tap water: do not use it unless you have a reverse osmosis device in your house.
Stirring the sand is a bad idea in general. First of all, if you have the reccomended flow rate for a fish only tank (10x) or a reef tank (20-25x), then stirring the sand is not necessary. Secondly, stirring the sand too vigorously can lead to accidental exposure of the lower layers of the sand. This can lead to dieoff of your anaerobic bacteria, which play a most vital role in the denitification process.
Please take the advice of all the people here. All we really want to do is prevent you from making common mistakes.
airforceb2
Active Member
Originally Posted by popo559
I have been using tap water since my set up. Before adding the water to my tank I use Prime water conditioner to remove most of the bad stuff that is in the water.
Adding chemicals to water will not remove anything. You are merely detoxifying the effect of these elements. The chlorine, phosphorus and silica are still in the water, just undetectable by test kits...like they are behind a mask. The damage they can do is still present.
I have been using tap water since my set up. Before adding the water to my tank I use Prime water conditioner to remove most of the bad stuff that is in the water.
Adding chemicals to water will not remove anything. You are merely detoxifying the effect of these elements. The chlorine, phosphorus and silica are still in the water, just undetectable by test kits...like they are behind a mask. The damage they can do is still present.
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by reeferDC
Does anyone hear use Tap water?? How is it working out for you???
I use tap water and my tank is fine.. I just sturr the sand up a tad each week...
Tap water contains a lot of things that your tank cannot expel or break down. Over time you will slowly poison your tank from the buildup of these toxins
Does anyone hear use Tap water?? How is it working out for you???
I use tap water and my tank is fine.. I just sturr the sand up a tad each week...
Tap water contains a lot of things that your tank cannot expel or break down. Over time you will slowly poison your tank from the buildup of these toxins
pbienkiewi
Member
Originally Posted by carshark
Distilled water leaves many elements which can/will cause hair algae, brown diatoms, etc. where as RO water removes these during the process of reverse osmosis....
Wait.... Distilled water is more pure than RO water.. The RO unit cleans the water 99% of any contaminates. Then the Distilled unit takes care of .9 percent, more making it 99.9% pure.....
Distilled water leaves many elements which can/will cause hair algae, brown diatoms, etc. where as RO water removes these during the process of reverse osmosis....
Wait.... Distilled water is more pure than RO water.. The RO unit cleans the water 99% of any contaminates. Then the Distilled unit takes care of .9 percent, more making it 99.9% pure.....
airforceb2
Active Member
Originally Posted by pbienkiewi
Wait.... Distilled water is more pure than RO water.. The RO unit cleans the water 99% of any contaminates. Then the Distilled unit takes care of .9 percent, more making it 99.9% pure.....
You are correct in a sense. My RO unit purifies 99.8% of my water. It is all in the eye of the beholder.
Either way, it is a helluva lot better than tap water.
Wait.... Distilled water is more pure than RO water.. The RO unit cleans the water 99% of any contaminates. Then the Distilled unit takes care of .9 percent, more making it 99.9% pure.....
You are correct in a sense. My RO unit purifies 99.8% of my water. It is all in the eye of the beholder.
Either way, it is a helluva lot better than tap water.