Anyone using tap water for top off??

[ReefCupid]

Hi everyone, I'm currently using RO water for top off and water changes. I was wondering if anyone has success using tap water for top off and water changes in your acropora tank?? If you do, how does your acropora react to using tap water. Any notice affect good or bad on acro colors, polyps extension, growth rate etc. etc.. Please share your experience, thank you!!

 

[James404]

Tap water will be different based on your location, it may contain things such as copper, chlorine,chloramine and other nasties. It can also lead to problems such as algae blooms. I would advise against the use of any tap water in a marine tank.

 

[anthonyp]

Not a good idea, you r just looking for problems if you start

 

[chrishayes]

Yeah, when I lived in Colorado Springs Colorado I used tap water as it is one of the cleanest sources available, however, I had it sent to a testing facility cause they were offering it for free trying to get you to buy a filtration system, and it still contained a significant amount of potentially harmful elements to a reef...how much I trust that obviously motivated test is of course worth mentioning. I wouldnt do it, especially since you say you are already using RO.

Im guessing youre having to buy it?

 

[ReefCupid]

Yeah, when I lived in Colorado Springs Colorado I used tap water as it is one of the cleanest sources available, however, I had it sent to a testing facility cause they were offering it for free trying to get you to buy a filtration system, and it still contained a significant amount of potentially harmful elements to a reef...how much I trust that obviously motivated test is of course worth mentioning. I wouldnt do it, especially since you say you are already using RO.

Im guessing youre having to buy it?

No I have my own RO/DI system, its just I need a massive amount of water to top off for my tanks everyday. I just thought I could save some money by switching to tap but since theres no recomendation or noone has experience this before. I'll just stick to my RO routine. I guess its better to be safe then sorry. Thank you for the input everyone!!

 

[TucanSam007]

I live on long island which is known to have really clean tap water and I still test around 50tds (considering quiet good). RO/DI is really the only way to go.

 

[reefereef]

I us e tap water for top off water and have been fighting algae problems since day one. Need to get a rodi unit but work schedule makes ot hard to get a unit and plumb everything in. My tap water reads 140 tds. Nitrates and phosphates both read zero but I know the algae must be from the tap water. So can it be done, yes, is it a good idea NO

 

[dvanacker]

R U CRAZY....lol

 

[Dog boy Dave]

20 years ago you could get away with tap water in a lot of locations but recently, within the last 5 years or so there have been so many new additives and treatments put in tap water at many locations that you will experience siginificant problems if you do not use a quality well maintained ro/deionization system. Even if the water was clean when they pumped it, by the time it gets to you they have added many toxic compounds to make sure nothing can live in it while its in transit. Of course it kills corals.

 

[NatureNerd]

For a year or so, with new babies in the house, I used tap water for top-off. I did add kalk, which helped some, but, it still resulted in a fair amount of algae issues. Once life got closer to normal, I went back to using at least RO water and the algae problems were greatly reduced.

 

[ganjero]

For a year or so, with new babies in the house, I used tap water for top-off. I did add kalk, which helped some, but, it still resulted in a fair amount of algae issues. Once life got closer to normal, I went back to using at least RO water and the algae problems were greatly reduced.

Some places in the bay area have really clean water. I used to live in San Rafael and the TDS were only 8 in tap water.

 

[njreefermadness]

Tap water + SPS = Not a good idea.

 

[Finland]

Years ago I used tap water. I have well water and it is tested by the state 2 times/yr. They say it meets "safe drinking water standards". I had a mixed reef tank at the time and the corals all grew ok, but I had the occasion unexplained death. The colors were all drab looking. All my tested parameters were good(alk, ca, trates,etc.) I finally switched to RO/DI and what a difference. I will never use tap water again.

 

[SAZAMA]

I have but with bad results(algae bloom). I wouldn't recommend it. I have however seen a frag setup with no fish that was ran on well water showing about 50tds with great results, so? you I can't really say