Using tapwater for emegergency

[didz04]

Hi at the moment its too late I wouldn't be able to get any RO water and I have recently setup my tank and the salinity is showing above 1.030, its a small tank and open top, the room its in gets really warm so a lot of water has evaporated over the days. I have a clownfish in there and its not as active as it was at the start. Its only half full I was supposed to pickup my RO water today but car wouldn't start, so now I am wondering could I add some tap water today and tomorrow I will buy some RO and saltwater and do a big water change?

If I boiled the water, left it to cool and add it to the tank, would that get rid of any bad that may not be good for marine life?

Thanks. Advise needed please.

 

[didz04]

I have just boiled some water and left it to cool.

 

[jbannick18]

Go buy some distilled from a grocery store, why you let a tank evaporate half empty is beyond me

 

[fjpod]

Well, the only thing you can really do To tap water is to let it sit overnight or stir (aerate it) so that the chlorine will evaporate. You can also put in a chemical additive which will dissipate the chlorine in seconds. But what you cannot remove by boiling, or sny other method except a rodi unit, are things like phosphates, heavy metals, nitrates... Boiling doesn't really accomplish any of this except maybe getting rid of the chlorine a little faster.

 

[didz04]

Go buy some distilled from a grocery store, why you let a tank evaporate half empty is beyond me

No I only filled it half way, its been 5 days since I moved everything over from my old tank. So will distilled water work, any bad stuff in there?

Well, the only thing you can really do To tap water is to let it sit overnight or stir (aerate it) so that the chlorine will evaporate. You can also put in a chemical additive which will dissipate the chlorine in seconds. But what you cannot remove by boiling, or sny other method except a rodi unit, are things like phosphates, heavy metals, nitrates... Boiling doesn't really accomplish any of this except maybe getting rid of the chlorine a little faster.

The clownfish is swimming around fine now, I think he was just hosting my heater at the back but looked like he wasn't well. I just fed him a little again and he is eating with no problems. Its just the salinity that I'm concerned about, but the lfs is opening at 8 am so in another 7 hours. I think its better off that I wait till morning rather than risking tap water.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[skunkmere]

it depend on your tap water. i used chicago tap water for a couple years. chlorinating it first. never had a problem. coral needs ro and even then it depends on your tap water. some people have super clean well or city tap water.

 

[didz04]

it depend on your tap water. i used chicago tap water for a couple years. chlorinating it first. never had a problem. coral needs ro and even then it depends on your tap water. some people have super clean well or city tap water.

I know nothing about chlorinating water lol and I think where we live its not the best of water, but I have a lfs close by who uses just tap water for his marine tanks and he has a had a crash in the past with his 5ft but to be honest it was very overstocked. He just started selling marines 6 months ago but after the crash his fish seems to be doing fine. I never bought fish from him for that reason but the cuc I bought are doing well.

 

[bertoni]

I'd use distilled water. Boiling might drive off chlorine, but if the city uses chloramine, neither aerating nor boiling will work, as far as I know. You can use a tap water conditioner to neutralize chlorine and similar tap water treatments, too.

 

[ebacon]

If you can get it tomorrow I would wait. At this point 24 hours snt going to make a difference

 

[didz04]

I'd use distilled water. Boiling might drive off chlorine, but if the city uses chloramine, neither aerating nor boiling will work, as far as I know. You can use a tap water conditioner to neutralize chlorine and similar tap water treatments, too.

Thanks I will keep that in mind.

If you can get it tomorrow I would wait. At this point 24 hours snt going to make a difference

I have done that already, went and picked some up yesterday so all good to go. I think its time to invest in a RO unit, but need to do a little reading on it.

Thanks for all your responses. Very helpful and it will make me think about having some water ready before, so won't make that mistake again.