Anemones and Tap Water??????

[ctlegacy]

Okay, so I've been doing a ton of reading about breeding clownfish.

2 of the books that I've read, including "Clownfishes by Joyce Wilderson" (which most people seem to consider the "bible" of fish breeding), both state that people who use tap water in their aquarium had anemones that lived longer than those that didn't.

This goes against everything I've ever been taught or heard. Is there anyone using tap water in their reef tank that can give their insight on it?

 

[Amphiprion]

There was a discussion of this a while back, I believe. I think we concluded that that information was a bit of hogwash with little to back it up. I see no reason to suggest or even think that anemones would do better in tap water, especially considering how variable tap water really is. It may be okay in a few places, but you really don't know what you are getting--that's not even counting phosphate or nitrate. I had my anemone for close to 15 years and I used RO/DI from the very beginning.

 

[ctlegacy]

Well, that's pretty much what I believe to be true also. It just kind of suprised me when I read it. Thanks.

 

[jefathome]

Maybe the phosphates actually HELP the nem... kinda like how clams will remove nitrates from the water.


Just guessing though.

 

[bues0022]

The book has some good beginner information, but breeding and ideas about the hobby have progressed alot in the past 16 years. Good idea to question some of these outdated thoughts.

 

[Pinkskunk]

well if i were to decide one way or another, i would definately do what other(s) been doing successfully for 15 years.

There was a discussion of this a while back, I believe. I think we concluded that that information was a bit of hogwash with little to back it up. I see no reason to suggest or even think that anemones would do better in tap water, especially considering how variable tap water really is. It may be okay in a few places, but you really don't know what you are getting--that's not even counting phosphate or nitrate. I had my anemone for close to 15 years and I used RO/DI from the very beginning.

 

[elegance coral]

I don't know of any successful anemone keeper that uses tap water. I'm sure it's possible under the right conditions, but I'd never risk it. The chemistry of municipal water supplies is subject to change without notice. They do maintenance on the systems, pipes brake, chemicals are added........ My LFS has a huge RO/DI that runs 24/7. Over night, it went from producing 0 TDS to about 10, and the DI was shot. The system was checked and nothing was found out of place. They called the city water supply and found that they were working on the pipes right down the street that night. They still don't know what could have cause the RO/DI to crash so quickly, but it seems to have something to do with the work down the street. If you use RO/DI water and test the TDS, at least you know the quality of the water you're using. With tap water, you're just rolling the dice.