Nanu Nanu Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Well I've been useing my tap water all the time for water changes and top off's. I was wondering that if my tap water took me this far in aquarium keeping, my tap water is good and I dont need to purchase water from a LFS. My tank has been up for a month and a half now, with a Anemone, polyp,and a mushroom. I'm in Spokane Wa. I want some feedback if it's allright if I keep on useing my tap water for my aquarium, for water changes and top off's? Thanks yall:D Link to comment
Physh1 Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Tap usually doesn't create issues in the short term. It's the long term buildup of tap water junk that will hurt ya. I'd really suggest switching but it's your choice. There is no tap water source in the US that doesn't have some form of bad nutrients for tanks....phosphate, trates, chlorine, etc, etc, etc. Like I said, it's not a short term thing but a long term thing. Cameron Link to comment
Nanu Nanu Posted August 25, 2003 Author Share Posted August 25, 2003 So the thing that I wanna know is that for all the long timer aquariums or long timer aquariuim hobbiest dont use tap water??What about the chemicle solution's that LFS sell's to clean tap water? Are these solution not good? How does it work? Or is it just a waste of money? Thanks:D Link to comment
Graywolf57 Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 I think most of the common ones they sell just take care of the obvious things like chlorine and chloramine. As Physh1 one says it may take a while but you will likely start to see a decline that will be in part at least to the water quality. Link to comment
Physh1 Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Those additives like Graywold mentioned are for the chroramines, and the ammonia and chlorine that come from it. It's not a waste of money....I've used tap water on sw fish tanks and fw fish tanks before and it's fine. It's mainly reefs where the excess of impurities in tap are exploited by the nuisances that reefs contain. You'll see a progressive amount of problems (like hair algae, slime algae, etc) the longer you use tap. Cameron Link to comment
ross76053 Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Ask for a Water Report from your local authority, then decide how smart using tap water for your reef tank is. Link to comment
zizmans Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 I live in Seattle, not too far from you. I would not use Spokane water in a SW. that is just me. Also, If you are going to de-chlorinate water it is best to leave it airating for 24 hrs so that all of the chlorine dissapates. You can't just get it chem. it and drop it in. Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 ross76053 Speeks the TRUTH Ask for a Water Report from your local authority, then decide how smart using tap water for your reef tank is. Those " Tap water Purifier" filters are crap. at 15.00 a pop for refill cartrages, you could get a PUR PLUSS Tip Tap filter and do 3 x as much water that will be usefull. FWIW, Invest in a RODI unit. A GOOD ONE. there is a lot of junk on the maket.... reefsearch them all well before buying and read the fine print as to what they include I used Tap in One place I lived as it was fine. Another place it sucked ass. Link to comment
ross76053 Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 ESPI? Good to see ya man. Way cool. Link to comment
enrico Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 My tank has been up for a month and a half now, with a Anemone, polyp,and a mushroom My personal opinion is that a month and a half is an extramely short period to judge if something is good or bad for a tank. This is expecially true is that period is the first period of life for your tank. You'll be probably able to judge in a few years (Still my personal opinion). Link to comment
kickyourbrainintheface Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 OMG!!! you guys let this guy post in advanced topics???????? with a simple tap water question??????? espi????? you said nothing??????? WTF???? Link to comment
Physh1 Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Originally posted by kickyourbrainintheface OMG!!! you guys let this guy post in advanced topics???????? with a simple tap water question??????? espi????? you said nothing??????? WTF???? Wow...somebody is a bit bitter. One reason he didn't get ribbed because when he did ask a question he asked one that was direct and would get him the info he needed off the bat:D Hehehehehehehehehehe Link to comment
kickyourbrainintheface Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 good grief! Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Kick, you are headed to TIME OUT ZONE shortly... I suggest you knock off the Trolling. THIS THREAD QUESTION... (while not exactly advanced) Made sense and was properly punctuated, lacked DROOL, and was consise. I suggest you take notes. Link to comment
kickyourbrainintheface Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 chugin' tall doods in da fridge..........reminds me of jeffrey dahmer. Link to comment
Physh1 Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Why are you trolling? Give it up.... Cameron Link to comment
Jandree22 Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 ESPI! man, I saw some posts but I wasn't sure if you were really back or not... sweet! You verbally ripped me a new a$$hole right after I joined, but seriously, what nOOb don't ya hit once or twice?!: haha, good to see ya back!! Link to comment
RobD Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Originally posted by Nanu Nanu Well I've been useing my tap water all the time for water changes and top off's. I was wondering that if my tap water took me this far in aquarium keeping, my tap water is good and I dont need to purchase water from a LFS. My tank has been up for a month and a half now, with a Anemone, polyp,and a mushroom. I'm in Spokane Wa. I want some feedback if it's allright if I keep on useing my tap water for my aquarium, for water changes and top off's? Thanks yall:D I just requoted your original post since your thread got hijacked. One problem will be that sometimes the water quality will change. If the water company is killing off a bunch of algae, then you'll get a big load of phosphates along with your water. When you dump those phosphates into your tank, you'll wreck the water quality of your tank. As far as purchasing water from a LFS, you could also find R/O water in the grocery store. If you have a large tank, or if you don't like the hassle of hauling water from the store, you could buy an R/O unit. Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Originally posted by Jandree22 ESPI! man, I saw some posts but I wasn't sure if you were really back or not... sweet! You verbally ripped me a new a$$hole right after I joined, but seriously, what nOOb don't ya hit once or twice?!: haha, good to see ya back!! Thanks.... Now SHUT UP asshatt. Link to comment
chvynva916 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 RO water from a supermarket is way suspect. The stuff at my local Giant had 70 ppm TDS. As far as tap water, it also depends what you want to keep. I think you'll have some probs trying to keep hard corals. Link to comment
Jahkaya Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 You'll eventually run into Algae problems, but the Tap in Spokane may be rather clean. I can't stand the taste of tap down here, but when I go to oregon, it tastes fine. Even if you test it and it has no nitrates, phosphates or silicates, Chlorine, ammonia there may still be trace metals (copper) that you won't see. Just go RO/DI and say no to tap. It is safer that way. Don't skimp on the impotant stuff. Link to comment
reefan Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 Don't skimp on the impotant stuff. I think that is a huge point. Later it'll just bite you in the a$$. Your gona invest in various corals and fish and why not just spend the money on a decent RO/DI. Another thing you may run into is constant diatom blooms if your water has high silicates. I suggest you knock off the Trolling I concur JJ Link to comment
samstersam Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 Originally posted by RobD One problem will be that sometimes the water quality will change. If the water company is killing off a bunch of algae, then you'll get a big load of phosphates along with your water. When you dump those phosphates into your tank, you'll wreck the water quality of your tank. EXACTLY...happened to me in NYC (and NYC tap water is GOOD TDS of 150 or so...one of the lowest i've seen from the faucet..) It happened to me a few years ago in my freshwater tank...apparently there was a bacterial bloom in the NYC resorviors and killed all my freshwater fish... Now we all know that reef tanks are much more sensitive to this than FW...so now i have an Oceanus 4 stage RO/DI unit.... TDS reading of 0 regardless of bacterial bloom, seasonal temperature change or anything else that changes in the tap water system.... Link to comment
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