Water change. Distilled, RO, tapwater.

[boardsurfer]

Water changes...

Please check my specs below. I have a somewhat hardy tank crew. I have a FOWLR and I know the BEST thing to do is buy RO water. But if it's not a reef tank, can't I just use tapwater?

 

[reefrunner69]

The reason it is recommended to use RO water is to hinder unwanted algae growth, if you don't mind the algae...it won't matter. Some peoples tap water is good enough that they don't need to use RO water, I'm not so lucky and I use it in all my tanks, even the ones I don't light.

 

[loganj]

Have you checked your tap water for nitrate and phosphate? If not, I would do that before using it. If it doesn't have any of these, you might be OK with it. I would proceed with caution though.

 

[boardsurfer]

Ok, thanks for the help. I can get RO from my LFS for 60 cents a gallon, so I think I'll be safe and do that.

 

[Biggen]

For .60¢ a gallon, you may just be better off buying your own RO unit. I got my 75 GPD for $100 off ebay...

BTW, good luck to us this Saturday. The east division will be decided with this game...

GO DAWGS!!

 

[fishfreek]

Ya, Think of an RO unit as an investment vs a purchase. At .60 per gal lets say ou do a very conserviitve water change every month of 20%. Thats almost $65/year spent in buying water.

That does not sound to bad but should you upgrade your tank at some pont your water usage will go up and so will the cost per month of the water. Plus you have the time and effort of lugging 9 or 10 gal of RO water home each month and mixing it with saltwater.

I have not even talked about dailly/bi-daily topoffs from evaporation. Les say you get 1 gal a week in evaporation (again very consevitive) thats an additional $28/year in replacing evaproation.

So in a years time you would have spent over $90 on water. And when your done using that water it goes down the drain so its like just giving the money away where as with the RO unit you can produce your own water on demand.

 

[boardsurfer]

True about buying my own RO unit. I just started my tank in August, so it will definitely be worth it in the long run.

And to Biggen- If we can just play the TN game like we did in the second quarter of the Alabama game, we'll be in great shape.