What water do i use to do a water change?

[Luna112]

For the past 4 months I have been using r/o water ph 7.0 that is sold at my lfs. It's $.35 a gallon but it adds up. They tell me that I have to use their water. I think it's a lie personally but what do you guys think? Can't I just use tap water, use prime before I put it in the tank, and add neutral regulator? They said that if I use tap water my phosphates would be through the roof in a month. I know everything has phosphates but is all of the stuff they told me true? How do you guys do your water changes when using tap water?

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[zach_1_6]

when i use tap water i either let it sit for 48 hours or use prime and make sure it is the same temp as the tank, then add it.

 

[neilanh]

The short answer is it kinda depends.

Almost all FW tank owners use tap water, treated with a good dechlorinator like Prime. For 99% of tanks this is just fine.

However, there is a risk of being in an area where tap water isn't any good for tanks due to excessively high phosphates, nitrates, etc. But it's pretty few and far between where these conditions exist so bad that it matters.

Of course the LFS wants you to use their water, because they get to sell it to you.

My opinion is to give your tap water a try. Worst case scenario is you get some algae, have to clean it up and go back to what you're doing now.

I don't generally recommend the neutral regulator, only a dechlorinator, so I'd start there.

I assume you have somewhat of a regular PWC cycle going with your tank. Don't change that, and just start using tap water with your water changes. There's no need to go do a 100% change of the water to get rid of the RO water or anything.

 

[jsoong]

Why don't ou check with your water co & see what your tap water is like? <Many post the water quality report online.> You can then make a better informed decision.

 

[Luna112]

I live in coral springs florida. I'm gonna check the tap water today. But I know that my tap water has a high ph.

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[Luna112]

The short answer is it kinda depends.

Almost all FW tank owners use tap water, treated with a good dechlorinator like Prime. For 99% of tanks this is just fine.

However, there is a risk of being in an area where tap water isn't any good for tanks due to excessively high phosphates, nitrates, etc. But it's pretty few and far between where these conditions exist so bad that it matters.

Of course the LFS wants you to use their water, because they get to sell it to you.

My opinion is to give your tap water a try. Worst case scenario is you get some algae, have to clean it up and go back to what you're doing now.

I don't generally recommend the neutral regulator, only a dechlorinator, so I'd start there.

I assume you have somewhat of a regular PWC cycle going with your tank. Don't change that, and just start using tap water with your water changes. There's no need to go do a 100% change of the water to get rid of the RO water or anything.

Why wouldn't you recommend neutral regulator?

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[meegosh]

I live in coral springs florida. I'm gonna check the tap water today. But I know that my tap water has a high ph.

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http://www.coralsprings.org/Publications/WaterQualityBrochure2009.pdf

Looks like Coral Springs is broken up into four utility districts. The above is for Coral Springs Water Department. It is a 2009 brochure but it should give you a ball park. You could probably get an updated report by calling them.

 

[Luna112]

http://www.coralsprings.org/Publications/WaterQualityBrochure2009.pdf

Looks like Coral Springs is broken up into four utility districts. The above is for Coral Springs Water Department. It is a 2009 brochure but it should give you a ball park. You could probably get an updated report by calling them.

i checked out the link, to be honest im as lost as i was before i live in the lite green district, can you help me out please? im sorry ):
i also didnt know that there is copper in tap water, i have inverts..

 

[jsoong]

That report actually did not say too much about the important parameters for fish keeping. The TDS of 260 would suggest that the water is not terribly hard & should be reasonable for fish. <However, you do want to know what makes up the TDS - Normally, it is the total of Ca, Mg, HCO3 + various other ions. It is the amount of the "various other ions" that is important .... you don't want half the TDS to consist of phosphates or nitrates or other undesirables.>

Try to find a table like this one (from my city water dept.)
http://www.epcor.ca/en-ca/Customers/water-customers/water-quality-reports/Documents/122010_211.pdf

Incidentally, my water's TDS is about the same as yours ... mine consists of almost all Ca & HCO3, with little else.

As for the copper, your level is minuscule (at 0.0099 ppm). I wouldn't worry about it. This trace level is added to planted tanks all the time (as fertilizer). Plus, any dechlor worth its salt can look after that amount of copper (or lead & other heavy metals.) <And copper is also a required trace element for life .. inverts just can't tolerate too much of it .... I can't find too many number on this, but some had quoted ~0.04 ppm as lethal for shrimp as reference. lethal level for fish is ~0.2 ppm>

 

[redruckus]

i live in northern ontario and they put alot of chlorine in the water and they are fairly old pipes, the water has higher then average ph. i use a python(bucketless system) to change my water i only change about 10% every 2 weeks but i do put in a 1/4 cap of prime right into my filter out flow as im filling the tank back up. i have a few snails in my tank they seem to be doing ok but i know prime works wonders for eliminating chlorine and chloromine

 

[Luna112]

Should I put the water in buckets and wait 24 hours?

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[redruckus]

if your realy concerend about the water you can let it sit in buckets over night would be fine but if you add a little bit of prime to the bucket an hour is long enough for it to work

 

[Luna112]

So let's see, fill two 5 gallon buckets with tap water, do a double dose of prime(just in case) and then add neutral regulator and wait an hour and then it's safe to go ahead and do the water change.
Does that sound about right?

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[Katorin]

The letting the water sit for 24 hrs only works with chlorine, chloramine does not dissolve out like chlorine does, so i would still use a product like prime to condition the water.

 

[redruckus]

regular dose of prime is good if you let it sit then if you use a stabilizer do so i use a little extra prime in my tank becasue i have a bucketless system and I need it to work fast.. as for your question yes an hour to an hour and a half and its good to go in the tank give it a little stir as you ad the prime so it distibutes but ya you wont have any problems

 

[jsoong]

Depends on your pH & KH, the neutral regulator may be unnecessary. You need some thing like that when using R/O as R/O has no buffering capacity, and you need to add a buffer (ie the neutral regulator) to prevent pH swings. Most tap water has enough buffer (esp. if you said the pH is "high", and if the TDS of 260 is mostly carbonates) to not need any added buffers.

<Incidentally, adding the neutral regulator will not bring your pH down to neutral if that is what you are hoping to do. Mixing buffers is tricky, and I cannot predict what will happen without knowing much more about your tap water. At a minimum post your pH (& KH & GH if possible) and we can have a better idea if you need to doctor the water in any way (apart from adding Prime). As a general rule, if you don't have to doctor the water, don't do it. There is simply too much risk of errors introducing instabilities.>

 

[nategi]

My tap water has high nitrates 40ppm, and high ph 8.4, normally I just add prime wait 5 minutes then pore it in, would waiting help my algae problems or lower the nitrates or ph?

 

[redruckus]

i would just add the prime give it the few mins and if your worried about high ph use black water extract or add some wood to your tank to help lower it ther are better ways then chemicals

 

[jsoong]

My tap water has high nitrates 40ppm, and high ph 8.4, normally I just add prime wait 5 minutes then pore it in, would waiting help my algae problems or lower the nitrates or ph?

No, waiting won't remove nitrates. Ways to remove nitrates:
1. A Reverse osmosis filtration unit. (or distilled water, etc)
2. Use plants or algae to remove the nitrates.
3. Have a de-nitrogenator setup (usu. only seen in SW.)

pH may change if there are volatile buffers ... eg CO2/ other gasses, or water had been limed (CaO, Ca(OH)2) .... The only way to find out is to let a sample sit out for 24 hrs to see what happens. <Or go get a detailed water analysis from your water co.>

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I have good water. The only issue in mine is the chlorine.

When topping up or doing small water changes I add directly to the tank, no water conditioner even. When doing large changes I still add directly to the tank, I treat the tank with pond dechlorinator (heavily concentrated). The only thing I do is match temperature from the tap to what is in the tank and then use the pond dechlorinator.