Choosing Water For A Saltwater Tank?

[Diamonte]

Hi, I want to get into the Saltwater tanks. I have been in freshwater for some years now and what to up the stage. But the main thing I am worried about is the water for the tank. I have been researching about saltwater tanks and I see everyone is saying that you will absolutely need one of those RO/DI filters. But I cant afford to get one of those. Some say they you cant use tap water for saltwater tanks but I have been using it in my FW tanks with no problem. I live in NW Indiana and in my neighborhood our water is fantastic imo,but if I use some very good dechlorinator will it fantastic enough for the SW tank? Or can I use store bought water? I know people use store bought water for their SW tanks, so which is good? Just to wrap it up can some one please help me!!!

[Sniperhank]

This isn't about the chlorine, it is about everything else.
Parameters are important in our saltwater systems. This is why we strip everything out of the water column to ensure that the water is pristine going in.
When I got married, my RO/DI was screwed to the wall above my sink in the kitchen. This wasn't something that my wife was OK with. So I have been ro/di-less for over 2 years. I have been using distilled water from walmart. It is the closest thing I have been able to find to pristine in my area. The result is that I'm currently in a 3 day blackout of my tank. Algae has overgrown and is overrunning things. Many fish and coral that I have had for years are dead and it is intensive to keep the remaining alive. I've lost a ton of money in livestock and invested even more in trying to manage the issue at hand.
With that said, ro/di is an investment worth while. They are not all that expensive. Have you looked at bulkreefsupply? They make them pretty cheap and are quality. I have seen other members get them off ebay with much success as well.
My advice on top of getting the ro/di is to get one with an inline TDS meter and a pressure release button. This way you will know when it is time to change out your filters and resin and it won't be a hassle changing them out. My system built up so much pressure once it took me hours to take it apart.