Is tap water all that bad??

[gollum777]

Ive used tap water for all my tanks,dont have the funds for distilled water.My fish and parameters seem to be fine.My anemones and hermit grabs are thriving. I just worry sometimes that the tap water is bad for them.

 

[melosu58]

Tap water is not good for a reef but only after an extended period of time. There are many things in tap water that make it good for us humans but not for our reefs. I have seen many a tank that used tap water crash after yrs of using it. I believe it to be the accumulation of heavy metals that are in tap water and ammonia and other compounds. Water conditioners do not get rid of these heavy metals and only bind the ammonia. They are still in the tank and after yrs have nothing to do but crash. I have seen it happen many a time. I also work for a water municipality so I know the process. Just my experience.

 

[baron1282]

If your doing only 10 to 20 gallon water changes on your 125 every two weeks, than I don't see how funds are an issue. I buy my water from Kroger and it's R/O and even ran though a UV stabilizer.

I went to Home Depot and bought four five gallon buckets and I fill them up and they cost me 6 dollars to fill up. I also have 8 one gallon jugs that cost me 3 dollars to fill up. I use the one gallons as my top off water. I have a 55 and I do 20 gallon water changes every three weeks. So I spend 10 dollars every three weeks for 28 gallons worth of water.

The buckets are really the only expensive part.

 

[gollum777]

Thanx....Ill start using water from the grocery Store...didnt know tap water would cause my tank to eventually crash.I thought all the chemicals would be disolved by using the tap water conditioner.I already have The buckets,going to start stocking up on distilled water.

 

[VinnyLLU]

I go to a water store near my home...$1 for 5 gal of RO water. I live in Orange County, Ca and the tap water here sucks...400 tds. All that dissolved junk in the water can lead to all sorts of unwanted growth. If I were you I would invest in a simple RO system. Check out Bulk reef supply or buckeye field supply...

 

[gollum777]

Great idea.....we have water stations here in texas,never thought about using those.Thanx again

 

[Dav3]

If you plan on getting water from grocery stores and/or water dispensers then I highly recommend purchasing a water TDS(total dissolved solids) meter and testing the water source before dumping in your tank or mixing with salt. You don't know how often they change their filters nor if it is filtered enough for saltwater use. You want 0 TDS water. You can find TDS meters on eBay for as little as $10.

 

[VinnyLLU]

Yep!! Got that taken care of. My tap water is at 400 tds, whereas the water store is anywhere from 8-10tds!! )

 

[gollum777]

Awesome!!! Will do.....danke shoen ! !

 

[TheTodd]

It will vary from machine to machine and from time to time depending on when filters are changed. Most machines just do RO, but that gets TDS down to around 10 or lower. I have never got a zero reading on a machine.

I have used treated tap in past tanks and had no major issues. A little more algae, maybe, but never health issues. Had several fish live for several years. I personally would not use it for reef.

 

[gollum777]

I did use tapwater in my 30 gallon for a year and didnt have any algea issues or any casualties. It was just a FWLR tank

 

[huma-huma]

why spend a pretty hefty amount of money for the setup, fish, corals, salt mix, fish food, etc...only to skimp out on a $150-$200 rodi unit? to me, the price i pay to operate and upkeep my rodi unit is nothing compared to the money in fish im supporting.

 

[gollum777]

What the hecs a rodi unit?? Wouldnt know which one to buy.

 

[melosu58]

Reverse Osmosis De-Ionization Units for Aquarium Use: AquaFX Barracuda RO/DI Units

 

[huma-huma]

reverse-osmosis, de-ionized water. simple terms: its 99-100% pure water. the unit pulls out anything thats not supposed to be in there.

 

[alco1]

you can still survive with treated tap for a FOWLR but also depends on your tap water quality as well.

if your doing reef though... like what todd said..... better with RODI or may end up with a few problems in the long run

 

[gollum777]

Thanx for the link and awesome tips.......definitely will try to buy one

 

[Gregcoyote]

This hobby is plagued by variables. I try to reduce as many as possible to eliminate risk. Using RO/DI instead of city water is one variable I can eliminate for good. The quality of your tap water is not in your control.

 

[Callen]

I just bought my RODI unit about 2 months ago. It was very easy to install and it is so nice not to have to haul those buckets around. I wish I had done it when I first got started. It has been worth the cost in time and effort saved.

BTW I'm in Texas too. College Station. Where are you?

 

[gollum777]

corpus christi