What type of water to use?

[zacdl]

When I get my tank (today) I was wondering what type of water to use. We have a well outside, and I could bring a hose inside to fill it up. Its pretty hard water I already know, but it doesnt have all the addidives that city water does.

Can I use this water? And then mix the salt in right after I fill it up? Then wait for it to cycle? By then the bad stuff will be dead right?

 

[JPloman]

Dont use the tap water. Go to the store and buy either Reverse Osmosis water or Distilled water.

Here is the deal, tap water has nasty bacteria that will cause problems in the long run. If you want to avoid fighting things like Cyanobacteria and hair algae I would go with RO or Distilled water.

 

[zacdl]

What about the well water? The natural well water?

 

[seaham358]

You should do some reading up on SW setup before you do anything. FIltered water is the best ro/di.
Salt water is different the fresh water tanks and require some education before you jump in.
What type of filtration are you going to use, what size tank, lighting. What do you plan on keeping in the tank?
So IMO before you do anything read up in SW tanks...
Bad stuff being dead?? Bad stuff does not go away it only gets worse causing algae to grow... Please slow down and read up on this...

 

[JPloman]

Well water can contain harmful things as well. I really strongly recommend the same thing seaham said, read up on it.

Its not just the water some times, it can be the piping it goes through even the chemicals that are used in yards to fertilize or kill weeds that could cause you problems.

 

[BillyZ]

one of the biggest issues with unfiltered water is phosphates, particularly in well water. Phosphates are the main nutrient for many algaes. Your tank will get plenty of phosphates (PO4) all on its own for you to deal with, you do not want to start off with a high amount.

I strongly suggest RO water, either purchasing a filter or purching pre-filtered water from your LFS/grocery store if you can verify it is RO water.

 

[AR15 guy]

I have kept a couple salt tanks with tap water fine.

No bad algea problems.

Probably depends on your area and what type of fish you are wanting to keep. If you just want damsels. clowns and such I'm sure tap will be ok. But I am sure some corals and harder to keep fish will have more problems in less than perfect water.

 

[seaham358]

This is an excetion to the rule.... Tap water in general is not good to use in a SW tank.
some will get away with it others will be battling algae for months, years.
This hobby is not cheap and cutting corners on good quality water when your going to spend hundreds maybe thousands on the tank why go cheap and cut out the most important part of a saltWATER tank.
Like I always say its your tak so do what you want. If you get away with no problems then thats great. Good luck..

 

[No_Floaters]

That's what I was thinking. It's hard enough starting a tank without adding so many unknowns. If you have a problem later with algae or livestock dying, what would be the solution? Most problems can be traced to water quality.

 

[steve-s]

one of the biggest issues with unfiltered water is phosphates, particularly in well water. Phosphates are the main nutrient for many algaes.

Agreed completely. My tap water only has a TDS of 11 but I still won't use it in my tank due to the organic PO4 in the water.

Cheers
Steve

 

[morphviper]

Well water

I tell you what, I have been doing aquariums for over 35 years and also do a tank service and using RO water is not a good idea. it is harder to buffer and can drawl your PH too low. Tap water might have phosphates in it, but algea though unsitely is very good for your tank and cycle. If you do the research you will find that ro water needs extra supplement added. If it is so good then why do you need to add supplements? Since this is a new setup I would use regular tap water, add salt to it after it is full, put your heater in and power heads and wait a day or two to add any fish. I would stick to damsels until you have cycled. You could use some sea buffer. I have been doing this for some time and I have a building that I run these experiments for setting up tanks and maintaining them,(this is my business).

 

[steve-s]

Re: Well water

If you do the research you will find that ro water needs extra supplement added.

No it doesn't.

If it is so good then why do you need to add supplements?

You don't.

Since this is a new setup I would use regular tap water, add salt to it after it is full, put your heater in and power heads

The exact same method can be used with RO.

and wait a day or two to add any fish. I would stick to damsels until you have cycled.

Fortunately many have evolved beyond this archaic practice and look to more humane means to cycle with.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ASpec]

I agree with Steve-S on everything he said. Using fish to cycle a tank is poor advice (Especially coming from someone who says they have beeing keeping aqquariums for 35 years!) and using tap water is like taking a 50/50 chance it will work.

 

[JPloman]

Re: Well water

I have been doing this for some time and I have a building that I run these experiments for setting up tanks and maintaining them,(this is my business).

I bet you have fought a lot of cyano and hair algae in your business. If this is your business, you must not have been in it for very long. Everyone I know who does fish tank set up and maintance will tell you that RO water is by far the best to use and will NOT make your PH too low.

Tap water might have phosphates in it, but algea though unsitely is very good for your tank and cycle

Cyanobacteria is good for your tank!?!?! I dont think so! It will kill everything if given the opportunity.

If you do the research you will find that ro water needs extra supplement added.

I could not find anything to support this statement. Please provide citations for us.

Since this is a new setup I would use regular tap water, add salt to it after it is full, put your heater in and power heads and wait a day or two to add any fish

Just a day or two? Are you sure about that? I always thought that you should let your tank cycle before adding fish. Please provide me with citations where you have obtained this information. I am interested to see that everything I have ever been taught about fish tanks is wrong.

 

[seaham358]

Morphviper you are giving some OLD SCHOOL advice out. RO and RO/DI is the best water we can get for our tanks. No need to add anything to the water the salt has everything needed.
Your advice will only discourage people when they get massive algae from using tap water and spend all their time fighting this PROBLEM. Algae is needed in small amounts I will say that.
You may be luck and have good tap water where you are, but that is not the same everywhere.
I know many people who started with tap water and spent lots of time and money fighting the algae it grew.

" I have a building that I run these experiments for setting up tanks "
We do not want to do experiments we want to have a nice clean algae free tank.

So come out of the stoneage of reef keeping and join us.

 

[lando]

I tell you what, I have been doing aquariums for over 35 years

A lot has changed in that time. I would not recommend anyone use tap water in their tank. All of the new books out there also warn of the problems with tap water. Why set yourself up for problems down the road?

If you do the research you will find that ro water needs extra supplement added.

Where did you do your research? All commercial salts available for the aquarium trade have "suppliments" added, this would include Ph buufering agents.

Since this is a new setup I would use regular tap water

I do not completely disagree with this, although RO/DI water is much better. When starting a new tank (especially a big one) Ro/DI water is an added exspense and filling a ank with 200gals of RO/DI water at once can be a pain. Tap may work for a first fill, but RO/DI should be used for all water changes and top-offs.

I would stick to damsels until you have cycled

Wow, this is really outdated. No need to use live fis for cycling any more. LR or a plain old cockatail shrimp from the grocery store will do the trick. Be honest, cycling with damsels is hard on the fish and more people do not even wantthem in the tank after the cycling process. Catching them is a huge problem (especially with any amount of LR) and bringing them back to the LFS isa just a hassel.

I have been doing this for some time and I have a building that I run these experiments for setting up tanks and maintaining them,(this is my business).

And I wish you continued luck with it. You must be doing something right if you have been it for this long. Keep in mind, though, that, though, that ideas and techniques change. What you described may have worked 30 years ago and may very well work now. But please do not discount other options that are more "modern".

 

[aquanaut]

What abouts premixed saltwater like at Petco or Petsmart... Great for waterchanges just get it up to temp.

 

[lando]

What abouts premixed saltwater like at Petco or Petsmart

I am not a fan. buying pre-mixed does not allow you adjust the SG to meet your needs. they do make things easy though.

 

[electrikat]

Plus you may not get the same kind of salt every time. Just whatever they decided to use today or had a torn bag or whatever.

 

[morphviper]

I agree to some pionts

I agree with using ro or distilled water for refilling the tank, but I have never had a problem using city or tap water for starting a tank. I usually set up 150 to 300 gallon tanks and using ro water or bottled water is timely and very expensive. I do not us fish to cycle water anymore because I have over 1000 gallons of water to use in my setups that has been cycled.

So tell everyone out there the cheap easy way to cycle a tank not using fish and still assure them that thier fish will not die. Using live rock and my cycled water still doesn't promise anything. Maybe I came across as hating ro but that is not the case. Most people who start up tanks don't have a lot of money and time to us ro. so all I was trying to say is that tap is just as good. get some rock blennies and or mexican turbo snails and your aglea problems are gone. and they are cool fish.