tap water

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xxwolfpackof1xx

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Joined
Feb 14, 2011
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Rhode Island
i want to get into a saltwater reef tank just lr n corals but is tap water ok? ii live in a new appartment so im nt sure if the mannagment will like me attaching a rodi filter or iif i can even afford one so my main question here is is tap water ok for a reef tank as long as its treated? its ok for fw so why not sw?

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SW tanks seem to have more algae problems from what I have noticed. There is a local forum in my area the users compared phosphates coming out of the tap it went from 01 to 1 within the state depending on the area. Walmart has an ro unit before I got my own that is what I used. If you decide to get premixed water from a LFS make sure you check the SG before using it sometimes they are high or low.
 
the only lfs near me is petsmart and they dont even have any sw tanks if i do get into sw should i buy rodi water from Walmart and mix it my self in advanced??

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You can use it, but it definitely will cause a problem some where down the road, even if treated. I know they make counter top RO/DI filters because I was looking into getting one because I'm moving into an apartment soon. If all else fails you can buy RO water from a place like Walmart or Winn Dixie in the little Culligan type machines for only cents per gallon. That might end up being what I do


And yes, mix it yourself in advance
 
i really love the look of reefs i dont want anny fish at all my only problem as a 14 yr old is come nov December i get all my money then (200-300$) and everything else id need id prob get for bday or Christmass i may be getting a summer job wich il be puttin money away for a sw tank but after the initial set up us it still expensive??

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After the initial set up it gets much cheaper unless your doing things wrong or buying expensive corals :)

My fiancee jenatron here on AA just set up a frameless tank (more expensive) 7.5G with plenty of nice extras and luxuries for under $200

Actually I'm filling it up with SW today!

What size tank are you looking into getting?
 
Tap water can be used but even treated is just going to lead to problems that will end up costing more down the road. Water from stores will cost money and eventually lead to frustration and PWC's becoming more of a chore than they are because of the trip to the store, buying, carrying, mixing, etc. You can get a small ro/di unit that will give you the ideal situation from the start and get you started in the right direction. In fact one of the members here did a comparison and it pays for itself in short order. Ultimately it is up to you. But the first option will have you frustrated for sure.

Steve
 
id need a cheap one that you can just attach tio the sinkk head like the brita filters you see on sinks

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I'm not sure about ones that are that low-profile, but like I said there are counter top ones that hook up to the faucet.

And a 10G you could easily set up for under $200 and have nice things like moonlights and quality filters etc.
 
I used tap water for the first 3 weeks or so of having my tank and let me tell you it's been an uphill battle trying to reverse what it did. I have high phosphate tap water and my tank was at 5ppm when I was using tap. Since corals are my big thing I have to get the phosphates down. I'm still stuck at 1ppm which is still too high. I've been pwc'ing my little heart out trying to get them down. And the resulting hair algae was no treat either. lol

Anyways, until I get an ro/di unit I get my water from the supermarket water machine for 30 cents a gallon. Cheaper than the LFS and I've tested it to be sure its good.

I also have NO space under my sink or anywhere else in my house so I also have that issue. lol

good luck, I'll be watching out for your new setup :)
 
mmy mom gave me the ok on a 10g nano reef with inverts ( i won her over sayin starfish are a possiabilty) now i need to get savein -_- joy this will take awhile

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i will i may start a build thread later today i need a parts list im a sw newb i kno bare minimal so this is gonna be a challenge

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