ro water

[sma11s101]

hi

im planning on setting up my first attempt at a reef tank. Ive had hall fish tanks and just used plain old dechlorinated tap water but ive been reading that many people use RO water. Is this really necessary? I do have access to water thats been membrane treated but i dont think that takes out metals/salts as well as RO. Its basically tap water without the chlorine/lime added yet. If you do need RO water what exactly is it thats so harmful that its taking out. I know all the metal concentrations in the water seeing as it comes directly from a water treatment plant and maybe it doesn't have any of the bad stuff in it.

thanks

[bertoni]

Some people are successful with tapwater, but many people aren't. Tapwater can vary in quality depending on the season and other factors, and have various contaminants that are harmful, like the metals you mentioned. In the end, I bought a RO-DI unit and am happier not taking my chances with tapwater.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I know all the metal concentrations in the water seeing as it comes directly from a water treatment plant

Copper and other metals are a substantial concern. Copper most often comes from your own pipes, not the plant, and can only be accurately assessed by testing within your home (and copper kits likely do not go low enough).

These articles explain my concerns with tap water, and the way that RO/DI removes it:


Tap Water in Reef Aquaria
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm

Reverse Osmosis/Deionization Systems to Purify Tap Water for Reef Aquaria
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rhf/index.htm