Tapwater and SPS

[121]

Does anyone top off their SPS tank with tapwater?

 

[mwladdicted]

Very doubtfull, just bad practice... If your gonna spend 100's of dollars on sensitive corals why can't you just spend 150 bucks, buy an R/O unit and give them the water they deserve. Why risk a potential catastrphe. My 2cents

 

[eskymick]

I have in the past (with no ill effects). But it must be said that we have very low TDS in our city tap water (~15 ppm). I've been been using RO/DI for a few years now.

 

[Allmost]

I have in the past (with no ill effects). But it must be said that we have very low TDS in our city tap water (~15 ppm). I've been been using RO/DI for a few years now.

wow 15 PPM is basically RO water that's great !

in normal cities, its about 300. which means some copper in it, now add dechlorinator, and the copper becomes toxic ... u can guess the rest of the story ...

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Yep. I did for the last 2 years. My tapwater is pretty good, and high ALK.

Your results may vary.

 

[dan-in-gr]

Hi, my TDS is 115 to mx of 135 in my area, in my past 180 mixed reef, I would once in a while use tap water and had no ill effects, this was only done when RODI water ran out until next batch.

In my current 120 SPS only tank, I have never used anything but RODI water and i feel bad, my TDS meter now shows 17ppm, got to change filters real quick this month. I would not do it with tap water, too much stuff can be in your water plus it most likely has fluorine or chlorides and silicates in it.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

no.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

no.

Are you speaking for all reef keepers? Clearly others have mentioned they do.

 

[-TS-Vash]

Are you speaking for all reef keepers? Clearly others have mentioned they do.

He was speaking for me and my 180 tds tap water with phosphate off the test kits chart. Im happy you got his meaning though.

 

[chris88]

To be hounest i think i got lucky for a while. i did it for years and i didnt see any negative side effects. for the past 2.5 years i have used RO water and it hasnt made a difference. my water quality has never been an issue. if i have any issue at all it is that my nutients are and have always been to low.

I would not suggest it using tap water in a reef but i think there are many ways to run a system.

 

[Yedgy]

very doubtfull, just bad practice... If your gonna spend 100's of dollars on sensitive corals why can't you just spend 150 bucks, buy an r/o unit and give them the water they deserve. Why risk a potential catastrphe. My 2cents

+1

 

[Puffdragon]

It can be done long term with a large macro algae refugium . Meaning 50% or better of the display tank. I had a sea horse / sps tank that I did this with for almost three years. I had a big fuge and macro algae growing in the display. I pulled macro algae out every week. So it can be done.