Tap Water??

[grey]

Hi guys and gals, I currently have a 75 gallon freshwater aquarium I'm wanting to convert to a FOWLR tank. In the past I only have used RO/DI water to mix the saltwater with. Why can't I use my tap water to mix for a tank I do not plan to have inverts in. I also plan to keep it as a bare bottom tank so I if red algae or something pops up in there it will be a breeze to vacuum out. I also have good tap water no ammonia's, nitrites, and low nitrates are in it. It seems almost unneccesary to go out and buy a RO/DI filter since I don't plan to do a reef tank. Any input would ve appreciated.

 

[sean48183]

Tapwater is fine. Just use some type of water treatment like amquel+ or novaqua to take out clorines and such.

 

[grey]

Yeah I use top fin's chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metal remover. Its good stuff and my freshwater fish are absolutely stunning in health and color. I plan to do 5 gallon water changes every other day like I do with my fresh tank so I'm thinking the tapwater ought to be fine. I mean after all the RO/DI units haven't been around forever and they used to keep salt tanks fine back in the day.

BTW, I'd like a dog-face puffer any tankmate suggestions for a 75 gallon tank?

 

[usirchchris]

Originally Posted by sean48183
http:///forum/post/2841292
Tapwater is fine. Just use some type of water treatment like amquel+ or novaqua to take out clorines and such.
+1 I have always used tap water and seachem's Prime. If if was doing reef I probably would not, but for fish only it's fine.

 

[grey]

Thanks for the replies guys I always had my suspicions about it but was always told buy the LFS that tap is a big no-no. I'll probably start switching over this week!

 

[snakeblitz33]

AHH!!!
When I look at you alls post counts, I cringe about the advice.
Depending on your source water, if it is city tap water or well water,... you should test to see how many nitrates and phosphates your tap water may contain. Take a TDS reading even. You will find that the nitrates and phosphates in dechlorinated tap water has too much nitrate and phosphate and will contribute to problems with cyanobacteria and hair algae. RO Units are relatively cheap to buy and to maintain and is perhaps one of the best investments you could ever obtain.

 

[small triggers]

and even if nitrates and phos is in check, silicate is in almost every municipal water system, (that for me has been a large problem in my FOWLR) when i set up my 150 and used 100g of tap,, my silicates have been out of control since the start, ive been doing 10g ro/di water changes every week for the last 2 months and im ALMOST there.

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2841345
AHH!!!
When I look at you alls post counts, I cringe about the advice.
Depending on your source water, if it is city tap water or well water,... you should test to see how many nitrates and phosphates your tap water may contain. Take a TDS reading even. You will find that the nitrates and phosphates in dechlorinated tap water has too much nitrate and phosphate and will contribute to problems with cyanobacteria and hair algae. RO Units are relatively cheap to buy and to maintain and is perhaps one of the best investments you could ever obtain.
i agree with this post//
however i have used tap water for several yrs treated with prime and have always had good results with it for reef also.. however i had very good city water at that time.. i however have also used ro /di water .. didnt see any difference other than having to add more supplements due to the ro/di process removing it all. such as ph was a real issue..now back to reg tap water.. I now use well water and still treat with prime.. but it will also vary on your water source.. some areas are better than others.. if you want to know how yours rates i suggest doing a nitrate and phosphate test before adding the salt..

 

[johnwfranklin]

i filled up my 135 gal with tap water from Bellflower Ca. -- Phosphates were above 10 PPM--
sure am glad we filter our drinking water!!!!

 

[grey]

Wow thanks for the good replies,
I plan to implement an inline UV sterilizer off my Marineland C360 canister filter. I also use activated carbon in that filter and my emperor 400 wouldn't that pretty much take away any chance for algae blooms or bacteria blooms?

 

[geridoc]

"Good" tap water is ok for making saltwater, but don't use it as top off water-the impurities in tap water will remain behind as the water evaporates, gradually accumulating to problems levels.

 

[kjr_trig]

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2841345
AHH!!!
When I look at you alls post counts, I cringe about the advice.
Depending on your source water, if it is city tap water or well water,... you should test to see how many nitrates and phosphates your tap water may contain. Take a TDS reading even. You will find that the nitrates and phosphates in dechlorinated tap water has too much nitrate and phosphate and will contribute to problems with cyanobacteria and hair algae. RO Units are relatively cheap to buy and to maintain and is perhaps one of the best investments you could ever obtain.
Didn't realize "post counts" were a measure for ability to give quality advice.
I used tap water for about 5 years in my FOWLR tanks, the only reason I use RO/DI now is that the TDS here in Phoenix is so high (around 600).
SrFisher (his post count is pretty high

) has always used tap in his FO tanks, he has kept saltwater tanks for over 30 years from several different water sources. The man kept a Moorish Idol alive for ten years.
I do agree there are a lot of benefits to using RO/DI (keeping cyano down being a big one), but it is not the "end all" only way to keep a FO tank.

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 View Post
AHH!!!
When I look at you alls post counts, I cringe about the advice.
well you have to remember we are started off with smaller numbers of post .. those that may be newer to the forum may not be so new to the hobby.. I think its fair to say no matter how long anyone has been a member on this forum we are all entitled to the same respect ... whether you agree with the advice given or not... I will say again I do believe your advice was sound Imo .. but we should not be judged or be judging by how many post have been recorded .

 

[hammerhed7]

I know many people that use tap water with no issues, I use RO because I am on well water so the tds is higher than I would like, around 450 but still not bad for a well. I always look at it as our water source is the most important aspect of our tanks, if yours is good then you are set. If using city water you can contact them for info about what is in the water.

 

[usirchchris]

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2841345
AHH!!!
When I look at you alls post counts, I cringe about the advice.

You're funny

.
Post count=experience....I'll look that up in Fenner's book...gotta be in there

.

 

[grey]

Wow, again thanks for the replies.
As far as the post count goes this will be my fifth post but I've been keeping fish for the better part of 20+ years. The question came from up until 5 years ago I had never done a saltwater tank. I took my LFS's advice and did RO only on 3 different reef tanks. The last one I eventually broke done because I got cynobacteria bloom and could not get rid of it to save my life even though I was using RO only and using a protein skimmer. I took a year off from the hobby and then got into freshwater chiclids. Now I've graduated to a point that I keep a bare bottom tank which I like for the asthetics and change 5 gallons of water out every other day. Seeing the beauty of my current fish and the over all health of the tank it got me wondering if my tap water is good enough to get results like this from these fish then surely it will be good enough for saltwater fish.
Now, I don't want some to take this the wrong way but I am really getting aggrevated with some of these people who cruise these hobby forums and the LFS's who push some of this equipment and make it sound like your doomed to mess your aquarium up unless you do it a certain way. I think it has turned alot of people off from the hobby. Like when I had those reef aquariums I lived in an apartment and didn't have room for a RO/DI unit with a holding tank so I had to go buy my water when all along I could have been using tap, using equipment in the tank such as a UV sterilizer, more protein skimming, and focusing my energy on doing more frequent water changes. From what I've learned so far is that small very frequent water changes is what makes some hobbyist much more successful than the rest, period. If you guys are interested I'll take some pics of my tank now and document the switch here if you would like to now how it works out.

 

[mboswell1982]

that'd be awesome man, id love to see some pics of all of your set-ups, fresh and salt water

 

[usirchchris]

Originally Posted by Grey
http:///forum/post/2845566
Now, I don't want some to take this the wrong way but I am really getting aggrevated with some of these people who cruise these hobby forums and the LFS's who push some of this equipment and make it sound like your doomed to mess your aquarium up unless you do it a certain way.
I have been doing this a long time, but with the advent of the internet have learned 1000 times in a very short window. This hobby has changed dramatically in the past 15 years. The biggest thing I have learned...there is no gospel in this hobby. There are alot of things on these forums that I read, and can contradict from direct experience. You have to take it all with a grain of salt. Don't take any one word for anything, as a collective you will get a general idea of where to go. I think alot of people read something, and then pass it on without seeing for themselves, so how would they really know? I find myself doing this at times, but try to tag that it is something that I have researched, but have no direct experience in. Many will tout that a Mercedes is the only way to get to work, when in fact a Pinto will get the same job done. The Mercedes is comfy and makes the ride smoother, but it is not necessary. For the record I have had fish in 3 different states and 7 different cities, and have always used tap water. Try the tap before you drop a couple hundred on an RO unit. That money is much better spent on a better skimmer (which is also not completely necessary either, I have had many tanks without)....This is JMHO... this will become more credible when I hit 500 posts....gonna tag a few more

onto some posts to boost that credibility.