water changes

[viejito55]

I use a stabilizer and then mix salt to the right level then I keep the water in a gallon jug. Do you all know if water will go bad after a few days????

 

I have a 5 gallon

[Physh1]

If it's just one or two days you'll be fine but any longer can cause troubles since a) it's not being aerated or circlulated. It tends to go stale. I'd mix the water the day of or the day before the actual change for optimal results and minimal problems.

 

Cameron

[viejito55]

Thanks. someone suggested using distilled water, I normally used tap water and a few drops of that stabilizer. Have you try using distilled water before?

[viejito55]

Let me get this straight so using tap water with stabilizers is safe for the aquariums right? someone said that it will affect it in the long term???

[Physh1]

Using tap water IS NOT safe everywhere. In some places tap is fine but in a majority it's much safer in the long term to use DI or RO or distiled water. From phosphates, to silicates, to trates....tap water can have a ton of crap that can build up in reefs and cause long term problems. I would highly suggest using a better water if possible.

 

Cameron

[viejito55]

so are you saying that I can't use tap water and drops of stabilizer?

[drdrew]

what is being said is that if you do not know what is in your tap water, than you should not use it. if you test it for phosphates, nitrates, etc...and it's clean (doubtful), then go ahead.

otherwise you should find an alternate source to avoid problems

[Physh1]

Originally posted by drdrew

what is being said is that if you do not know what is in your tap water, than you should not use it.  if you test it for phosphates, nitrates, etc...and it's clean (doubtful), then go ahead.

otherwise you should find an alternate source to avoid problems

Word!

so are you saying that I can't use tap water and drops of stabilizer?

Stabilzer, usually just a dechlorinator, only remove/nuetralizes chloramines, chlorine, and ammonia. It does nothing for the other possibilities like copper, nitrite, nitrates, iron, silicates, phosphates, and even lead that COULD be in tap water.

 

You can contact your local water authorities to get a water chemisty analysis chart, we can here in the states anyhow, and see what is in it. Just remember though that the the water can pick up leachates (sp?) from any pipe that it is transferred through so minute levels of copper, iron, etc could be found.

 

In all honesty bottled, DI, and RO waters are relatively inexpensive nowadays and would be benificial to use. You may even consider a quality home RO or DO system to give you and your tank a cleaner water.

 

Cameron