Water Sources
- Thread starter Myka
- Start date
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
I wouldn't. If nothing else buy distilled water or RO water from the store until you get your unit.
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
Lots of things in tap water are cumulative. Things like copper and lead do not go away and once it is in your sand bed or rockwork it is not removed by water changes. There are others also so it is best to never introduce them into your system from the very beginning. My present systems have never had anything but DI water in them since day one and I can tell you from personal experience they are much easier to maintain than previous tanks which either were strictly tap water or started out as a tap water and were later changed to RO and finally RO/DI.
BurntOutReefer
New member
make sure that you get your tap water tested first....might be heavy on copper/lead/Nitrates, etc etc .
If ok, then you could use it if needed.
Found a report as below...(dont know how current)....
http://www.watertiger.net/resources/guidelines.htm
If ok, then you could use it if needed.
Found a report as below...(dont know how current)....
http://www.watertiger.net/resources/guidelines.htm
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
only from the added nutrients that the dying corals and fish will add to the water after putting tap in there.
just to give you an idea. I moved 6 months ago, moved a freshwater tank full of guppies to the new house. Refilled the tank with chlorine treated/nutral regulator treated water from the tap, added to the tank. All fish were dead in a matter of a couple hours. And that was only a freshwater tank, and really really bad tap water.
Myka
Reefing since '93
Hmmm I was actually going to use RO water from the grocery store in the tank, but forgot to when I set it up, so it's been running for two months ("sterile"...no living things) with dechlorinated tap water. I never thought of copper. I know there is something in the tap water here that makes my hair turn green without a little filter on the showerhead. I've been told that it's likely from copper. Shoot! Now I'm worried!
not sure about america/canada but here copper is only present in the hot water. the cold water that comes from the mains is copper free. robert fenner says in his book, the consciencious marine aquarist that its not a big deal in the big scheme of things to use aged dechlorinated municipal water. just my 2 euros!
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
Again, copper or lead water lines DO NOT mean you have lead or copper in your tap water. Water must be agressive as in a very low pH, very high disolved oxygen, negative langlier index, etc. for it to leach the copper out of the pipes or solder. Water has been treated in the US for exactly this problem for about 10 years now so if you are on a municipal water system don't worry about it.
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
Canadian and US drinking water regulations are very similar I would think they almost mirror each other.
A basic water test starts at about $135 around here so it can add up pretty quick.
A basic water test starts at about $135 around here so it can add up pretty quick.
Paul B
Premium Member
Drip the tap water through a 2" PVC pipe about 2' long filled with carbon. It will take care of any copper and chlorimines. I ran my reef that way for many years. It will not remove nitrates or phosphates so you may have to deal with those in your tank with either live rock or algae harvesting
Paul
Paul
supertech3
New member
i buy all my water from a ro/di machine at $.20 a gal and at this price its hard to beat with the expense of filters etc.. for your own machine (convenience!)
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