Tap Water??? Should I???

[Darkside_clowns]

Well my tank planning hit another snag.My plan was for a softie tank.We are turning a detached garage into an apartment,but we will not be hooking up water to the garage.So my choices for water is either from the hose or from the tap water from the kitchen.My fiance's parents do not want an ro/di unit hooked up.I have read many bad things from using tap water,but now it is my only choice,as I do not want to haul water around.Is there any way to get around the tap water issue or should I just stick to fresh water tanks.

[nctommy]

It is not recommended because you will battle algae all the time. However, some people have been saying that it depends on the location. Some water supplies are supposedly better than others. I guess you could test the water for nitrate and phosphate. I personally would check around for a portable rodi that you can maybe attach to the hose.

[demonsp]

Never .For the fishes sake.

[gbtrain]

You could use one of these, it hooks ups to any faucet. I used one when I first set up my tank 3 years ago and it's very easy to use. It could get kind of exspensive if you have a large tank, I was getting a avg. of 100g per filter cartridge.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4484&N=2004+113775

[aquarius77]

A RO/Di unit does not have to be a permant fixture, you can hook it up to a faucet and break it back down when you are done producing water. You can use the waste water for laundry or watering pets/ plants, so its not like you are tossing out water. I use every drop of water that goes thro my unit. Tap water in most cases is a bad deal.
If they absolutly dont want a unit for whatever reason, could buy some water from a lfs? Most times that is a joke too... I would use distilled water from walmart before i used tap regardless of what you plan to keep because you arent gonna enjoy lookin at hair alge and red slime.

Good luck with the new tank!

[Coffman34]

What about using tap water but adding some chemicals that readuce the Chlorine and Chloramine(sp?)? I was just wondering. As this is the method I was going to use. As well as a long cycle. I'm new to this, so this is outta curiosity for myself.

[IPowderBlueTang]

I guess it all depends where you live and how the quality of water that comes out of the water plant. I have been using tap water for many years and my tanks are doing great. Best bet is test your water for contaminates and see if it is good or not to use your tap water!

[spence0416]

I've been using tap since 2004. I've only experienced algae problems during the initial setup. I guess it depends on your area's water supply but I'd give it a shot. Maybe start with a fish only and see how things progress. Don't invest too heavily into equipment until you are certain your water supply is up to par.

[AZDesertRat]

Don't use tap water. You will regret it in almost all cases. As said previously an RO/DI unit can be portable and put away after each use. Tap water is treated for human consumption not reef use and they are two different standards.
AS for the tap water filter someone suggested, they normally last about 15 to 20 gallons before being exhausted, thats a very expensive way to go. Make sure you get a TDS meter no matter what you buy especially if its the tap water filter, people use them way past their safe level and thats a very bad thing since DI resin releases everything it has captured once it is exhausted and in large spurts so you can be doing more harm than good.

[Darkside_clowns]

Is there a ro/di unit that would connect to a garden hose so that I could fill a big garbage can for water changes and top offs? The one problem with the kitchen sink is it is 70+ feet away.The hose is right by where we'll be at.

[ralphie16]

my rodi is hooked up to a hose bib no problem. most of the units come with an adaptor.

[Puffdragon]

Many of the planted marine tanks benefit from using tap water. I have 2 tanks. One is a reef with no macro algae in the display and I use RO water in it with a large plant filled fuge. The other is aconverted former seahorse tank with a lot of macros growing in it. I use tap water in this tank and until recently had fewer algae problems with it than the tank I used RO water in.

[luke33]

I've been using tap for over a year now. I use a clorine remover and let it sit in a 25g rubbermaid container with a powerhead and heater in it for a couple days. If you use tap, you must make sure there in zero copper in your water. My tap comes out of the faucet with 0 ammonia, trates and trites, 0 copper. I had initial blooms with the tank in the very beginning, but after a few months, i have never had one since. It all depends on how your tap water is. And i do check it before i add it to my tank because you never know when it will change. If i had alot of sps i would not use it, but with fowlr and a few softies, it works for me.

[BiggySmalls]

i live in chicago and the great lakes have good quality, i used tap water and for the 3 months the tank has been setup,i only had one algea outbreak, hair algea which is normal and it wasnt even bad, it was on one rock.

i used some water treatment in bottles so i reccomend if u do use tap water, to get the treatment products

[virginiadiver69]

Check out thefilterguys.net They have a very good inexpensive model that you could use. You will have the option to have a hose bib adapter installed. Assuming you do this, I would buy a new hose and dedicate this for "aquarium use only".

[REMF]

Darkside_clowns,

What size tank are you setting up? You could always buy and transport RO/DI water if your system is not 2 big. Store it in a brute food safe trash can until you need it.

Alaska Pure Water Products on Intl airport rd. sells DI water. I know it would be a PITA but it would be worth it. They also sell RO/DI unit's and all the filters, you might want to go and talk to them, they might have some sort of setup that will work for you.

We do have low TDS from the tap up here, I think its 65 - 75 on post.

And if you have a sump and need some cheato let me know, I have lots, and it pains me to throw it away.

[Darkside_clowns]

I was looking at doing either a 90 gal or 120 gal,so hauling water would be way too much work.It is encouraging that there is a possibility of hooking a unit up to a hose.

[AZDesertRat]

Any RO/DI can be hooked to a garden hose. Mine came with the hose adapter in the package.

[luke33]

Yea, you can always get the hose hookup, no worries, there's always an answer in this hobby....sometimes small............sometimes REALLY LARGE. Good luck and welcome!

[REMF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9222306#post9222306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Darkside_clowns
I was looking at doing either a 90 gal or 120 gal,

Are you going to use a sump/fuge? If you do the offer still stands on the free cheato, it is full of pods and I hate to throw it away, I can never get all the critters out of it before it hits the trash.

[DirkG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9222306#post9222306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Darkside_clowns
I was looking at doing either a 90 gal or 120 gal,so hauling water would be way too much work.It is encouraging that there is a possibility of hooking a unit up to a hose.

you can use this
http://www.airwaterice.com/product/AH14

Dirk

[DirkG]

looks like this

Dirkhttp://img164.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=th_33654_garden_hose_adaptor_122_128lo.jpg

[reefshadow]

You could get a water quality report from your local utility co. The numbers should only be considered an average, as increased runoff, agricultural activities, ect.. can effect the levels in the water. Whatever you decide; buy, borrow or steal a TDS meter. You can at least get a accurate idea of how many solids are in the water, though you won't know what they are. It's like a suprise! You'll need one anyhow if you get the RO.

Some folks seem to be able to use tap with no problems, but my major worry would be the presence of copper. A test won't really help you much, they are notoriously inaccurate, especially with very low levels. It could build up in the tank as more and more tap is used. Phosphates and nitrates can be exported by various means, but copper and heavy metals are the number 1 bad thing about tap.

If your home has copper pipes you will really need to use RO to do corals and inverts. As above, an RO unit is very easy to plumb into the system and turn off and on at will. Mine is hooked up to the washer feed and I simply have to flip a valve to turn it on. It's very low profile, doesn't take up hardly any space. Maybe you can offer to pay the water bill.

Some locals in Alaska do have very clean water, see what others in your area are doing, and how their tanks look, as long as you have no copper pipes you -may- be fine, but it is always a crapshoot to one degree or another when using tap.

[REMF]

Darkside_clowns,

Where do you live? Hit me up with a PM, I have a hand held TDS monitor and would be glad to check your water for you.

[AZDesertRat]

Copper pipes have nothing to do with copper in tanks, I don't know why this rumor persists. The EPA established guidelines for lead and copper in drinking water years ago. If your tap water has a low pH or has a tendency to leach copper from plumbing fixtures it must be treated to bring the pH up. Thats the law and has been for years.
The key to using RO/DI water is consistency, if you use your own properly maintained RO/DI unit you can rest assured you will get the same product each and every time you fill your tank. It does not change like tap water does.

[DaveAngie79]

i bought my ro unit its a kent marine, it came with the attachment for a garden hose or faucet in the line in/.]
'
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=KENT-HI-SRO60&Category_Code=kentro

[Darkside_clowns]

Hey REMF,
Sorry about the confusion,I just moved to Long Island.I didn't realize that I forgot to update my profile.I would have been glad to help you with your chaeto problem,but my fiance wanted to move back to NY.

[Darkside_clowns]

So I could hook up a ro/di unit to the hose,fill up a garbage can and everything would be ok? That is great!!! I always thought that you had to hook it up to a sink faucet or plumb it in.Thanks everyone!!!

[REMF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9228747#post9228747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Darkside_clowns
Hey REMF,
Sorry about the confusion,I just moved to Long Island.I didn't realize that I forgot to update my profile.I would have been glad to help you with your chaeto problem,but my fiance wanted to move back to NY.

AK to LI NY, EEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW sorry for your loss, and I take back my offer to come and test your water LOL.