Tap Water for First Tank Fillup

[njphin]

I am upgrading my 20 gallon tank to a 80 gallon tank plus a 20 gallon sump. I am looking into getting an RO/DI water filter, but have read that you lose up to 4 gallons of water for every 1 gallon of RO/DI water. So when I first fillup my tank if I use an RO/DI I would get 100 gallons of filtered water but lose 400 gallons of water down the drain. Im nervous as to how big of a water bill that would be at the end of the month. So is it possible to start with the tap water for the first 100 gallons? Then PWC would be RO/Di.

 

[austinsdad]

Just for the heck of it, get a phosphate test kit and test the tap. Will you be cycling again? If so, I would use the tap water since the water will go thru heck anyway and you'd do a large water change afterwards.

Are you ultimately going reef?

 

[Bige]

I agree with both out you. It stinks that so much waste is made. And a 4 to 1 ratio is pretty good. Some do as much as 6 to 1. Water where I live is pricey, from the city. We get charged by use and it goes up for every 1000 gallons used. So it can cost as much as 8 bucks a gallon!!! So I am looking for an effecient ro/di.

But like austinsdad said, it will go through heck at first. Cycling, water changes. So you should test tap to make sure your not doing more harm than good. Also there are many places that sell either ro or highly filtered water that would work. Like from Wal-mart or local grocer. And I think Austinsdad is asking if you are going reef because tap water contains heavy metals and other yucky stuff that would not be removed easily with water changes. Could effect reef.

 

[njphin]

Thanks for the replies. My plan is to go Reef. I have a phosphate test so I will do that and report back.

 

[njphin]

So I checked the phosphate on my tap water and the reading was 0.5. I do plan to cycle the tank with uncured live rock. I could get RO/DI premixed salt water at my lfs store for $1 a gallon plus what they charge for 5 gallon jugs(I would need quite a few of those) I think I can rent them for $1 each. Or I can buy an RO/DI filter but would have to go through upto 600 gallons of water, Not sure what that would do to my water bill though. Any other suggestions on how to get the initial 100 gallons?

 

[austinsdad]

If it were me, I'd prolly fill with the tap water, cycle, then remove phosphates later if needed after the intital water change with good water.

 

[njphin]

If it were me, I'd prolly fill with the tap water, cycle, then remove phosphates later if needed after the intital water change with good water.

Austinsdad is that how you started your 155 gallon tank?

 

[austinsdad]

Kinda. Started with water from the tap to an empty tank about 1/3 of the way up. Added salt and a couple of powerheads to mix. Then added flat base rock and cured rock from my 72g breakdown, rock from the 36g that was set up with my critters. Can't remember exactly the combinations I used for the enntire tank, but I do remember running a hose from my basement sink to the tank.

May have added some phosphate remover somewhere in there.

 

[njphin]

Well I called my water company and they said that I get charged $3.65 per 1000 gallons of water used. So that makes my decision very easy getting an RO/DI and setting up the tank right, with RO/DI water. I will save so much money over going to the LFS for water. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[rx330]

I take a 5 gallon plastic water bottle (keep a cap from a previous or current bottle), and go to my local supermarket, where they charge $1.50 to fill up a 5 gallon bottle with pure Glacier filtered water.

This way, you are using the best water without having to worry about treating it for chlorine and harmful contaminants, not to mention you save money on not having to buy certain products. I do 5 gallon water changes once a week, as I have a 52g saltwater tank.

I use a 5g orange home depot homer bucket, fill it up with water, put in a 16oz cup of marine salt which gets my salinity content to approximately 1.20/1.21, and throw a powerhead in to mix for 60 minutes. Try to let the water get to room temperature, as the heater will kick on in your tank and get you up to desired temp rather quickly, in my case 78 degrees.