[blue]

Well just what it says can i use tap water to start my tank. Then use ro/di for top off and water changes just trying to save some money to start out.
[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]Blue[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]

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Think befor you speak or dont speak at all!!!

[FishKid]

you still have traces of elements in the tank that ro/di gets rid of, the best way to do it, is to buy ro/di water from a local LFS, i payed $0.30 a gal not bad....

[fishguy_8]

i agree just go straight w/ the ro you'll be much happier because your tap may have chlorine in it and thats just another thing you'd have to mess w/. just do the ro it'll save you a lot of headaches.
Jon

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[MEC]

I have used tap water since day 1 in my 55. If you use tapwater expect to have a bit more algae, and get a bigger clean up crew. I think I can get away with tap water only because I have an oversized skimmer, I know the water here isnt that good. I also do less frequent water changes, so this might have something to do with it....Mike

[Ironreef]

use a conditioner and aeriate it for a few days. Should be okay. IME di or tap you still are gonna have alga blooms due to dieoff. Never made a differance for me. I use to use tap only when I had a fowl. never had alga but had an awesome yellow tank. then went reef still used tap the coral would open for a day or so. With ro water they stay opens. Point being tap should be okay for cycle. Depending if your water isn't to bad.IME

[DukeDog]

I wouldnt if I were doing it. With as much money as you will have invested in LR, corals, fish ect... why risk having poor quality water. Unless you have very good tap water of course but if you are going to use ro/di for top off and water changes im guessing your water quality isnt that good. Just sharing some past experiences.
Jeff

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whats up???

[Elmo18]

What I did was I went to like 3 different QFC's and bought their 5 gallon water containers......I literally got about 21 of those things, of bottled water and put them in a garbage can. Now i just have one, and will use if for evaporation purposes. I don't trust tapwater anymore.

Regards,
Ilham

[blue]

Our tap water isnt bad. I was going to buy premixed water from the LFS untill i found out it was a dolloar a gallon and the jugs were 5 a just so it would come out to 160 dollars. I guess its better to start the right way though.
Thanks for the help.
[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]Blue[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]

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Think befor you speak or dont speak at all!!!

[Ironreef]

fwiw alot of bottled water is no better than tap. I've done it both ways and saw no benifit from ro water during cycle. theres alot of die off and w/c.

[Big Ed]

Just make sure there is no copper in the water. I could have used tap water, but I have copper pipes.
Ed

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See my work in progress at http://bigedsreef.homestead.com/bigedsreef.html

[blue]

So if there is no copper in the water then i can use it? i was thinkging since there will be alot of water changes i could i just wasnt sure. If so do i just use amquel like i do in my freshwater tanks and then add salt/
[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]BLue[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]

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Think befor you speak or dont speak at all!!!

[naser]

just fill it with tap water and wait a few days before you add anything. well except for salt. let all the chemicals dissolve first. ive done it like that everytime ive filled a tank.

[SPasse]

Hi All,

This is actually a fairly complex issue. I have been dealing with it for years with both fresh and saltwater tanks. I first started using RO/DI and tap water mixes when I was breeding Discus.

The are lots of variables, in tap water, even for a given locality, some of which have been mentioned above. These include:

1 Fresh copper pipes.
2 Time of year. If your local water comes from a reservoir the water is often at it’s worst in the fall, and at it’s best in the spring after the fresh runoff. Also, water departments use different amounts of chemicals during the year, as required to keep the water up to there quality standards.

Water quality varies tremendously in different locations, often locations that are geographically close. For example, I live in Denver, next to the Denver/Englewood city line. My water is some of the best municipal water in the country. Two blocks away in Englewood, the water is of a significantly lower quality. Even my water has significant amounts of Silica and Iron.

The bottom line is that the water that evaporates from your tank is “pure” water. If you replace it with tap water, you are skewing it towards higher concentrations of whatever is in your tap water.

The effect of this skewing, depends on how much of what is in you tap water, and if these additions are utilized by the biological/chemical processes in your system. Also of course, water changes.

This is why one person will say that they have had good luck with tap water, and another will swear that their new RO/DI unit cured their red slime, brown diatom, etc., etc., and... They are both correct.

Me, I use a RO/DI unit because I have first hand experience with purified water working better, for me. So to say that filtered water is “all hype” is IMHO not a correct statment.

If your tap water works for you (long term) more power to you, as you can save some money and just do chlorine neutralization.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[blue]

SPasse, I was understanding everything everyone was saying then when you posted wow now im lost.[img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img][img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] CAn help me out on what your trying to say[img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]Blue[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]

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Think befor you speak or dont speak at all!!!

[SPasse]

Blue,

Yes, I have that effect on people [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Tap water (treated) works for some people and not for others.

I was just exploring some of the reasons why this is so.

Most of the salt mixes however, assume that you are using purified water. So you may get precipitation with certain tap water. (Usually, hard tap water)

All in all purified water is probably a “safer” bet.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[blue]

Thanks for the help everyone. I am going to buy premixed water from my LFs and when i can i will buy my own RO unit.
[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]BLue[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]

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Think befor you speak or dont speak at all!!!

[This message has been edited by blue (edited 05-14-2001).]

[Ironreef]

fwiw most houses have copper pipes. fw doesn't affect copper when. salt water will. as top off the copper shouldn't affect the water. But i use ro water but had good luck with tap for years. But like I said before I notice the difference and have better luck with ro. Corals don't close for a day. I would always use ro but for cycle i really wouldn't worry unless your water is horrible.

[calypso]

If you're going to have to pay $160 for purified water from the lfs, why not just put that towards an RO unit? The water, the water, the water. It's the most important part of your tank. That's why we buy so much fancy equipment, to make and keep healthy water for our expensive corals and fish. When it comes right down to it, the water is all that matters for healthy fish and corals.

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"The first rule of
intelligent tinkering is
to save all the pieces."

[blue]

Im not putting that 160 dollars toward the ro unit because the water bill would be highe becuase of the amount of water wasted with a ro unit.
[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]Blue[img]/ubb/flames.gif[/img]

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Think befor you speak or dont speak at all!!!