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723 views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  Reefyone 
#1 ·
Ok, so I'm at a LFS talking to the owner about trace minerals and such...he asks what water I'm using for makeup...I say RO/DI...he states he uses tap water. Say's no way could I maintain all these tanks on RO/DI, it would be cost prohibitive....peripheral tanks around the store, must be about 30, 30gal tanks filled with fish; middle of the store had reef tanks filled with corals, multiple 150-250 gal tanks....I thought he was pulling my leg and said I didn't believe it, he picked up a hose (garden) and placed into a fully stocked reef tank and had me follow him to the spigit to where he turned it on....
How is he able to have a fully thriving reef tank using tap water?
 
#2 ·
Partly it depends on the quality of the tap water. I don't know how he could put chlorinated city water straight in the tank. Perhaps he is on a well. Or he has a big RO tank in the back room plumbed to that spigot. I did fine with city water on a fresh water tank until the city started dosing phosphates of some type. Supposedly it binds to the lead in solder to help keep it sealed. If you happen to do a water change when it is freshly dosed, your tank looks like a green milkshake within a week. That is the risk you take by trusting the city. The EPA rules for drinking water allow alot more leeway than what most of us will accept for tank water. HTH
 
#4 ·
I think your LFS was pulling your leg. Most larger stores have a large RO/DI tank plumbed to a garden hose. This beats toting buckets all around the store to top off the tanks. There is no way he was using a public water supply. It is very rare to find well water that is clean enough for a reef tank.
 
#6 ·
You're probably all right! I really was stunned to see a hose going into a stocked reef tank.....I know I wouldn't put chlorinated water into a tank...I've gone back since and the corals still look equally as good....maybe like what was suggested there was some kind of system hooked up behind the spiget....there was algae on the rocks and the tank was LPS with two Acros (blue in color) growing...everthing looked healthy...just a little stunning......
 
#8 ·
id like to add my 2 cents on this
im a native new yorker (brooklyn) and yep nyc tap water is pretty darn good.
about a decade ago i started my first saltwater tank, i used nothing but dechlorinated nyc water.
the tank was small only 10 gallons, live rock, the typical cleanup crew, four damsels, and a chocolate chip starfish. granted i didnt have corals, but the fanworms on the live rock did great, i had a healthy supply of pods etc.
the worst part isnt even the tap water, it was filtered by a dirty penguin bio-wheel, no skimmer, and an old school bubble wand.
i did do water changes every month or so, with tap water.
this tank had NO algae problems at all, infact i never even knew what cyano was until i set up my reef three years ago with RO/DI water...go figure

anyhoo, my nyc tap water tank lasted about 18 months, nothing died (well yeah i think a hermit and one murdered damsel) i tore the tank down because the salt creep was destroying my wood floors...yeah i didnt know i wasnt supposed to use an airstone lol
so yeah i believe the guy, ive lived in four states and all the water was gross to drink except nyc water.
im in pennsylvania now and the water is like sewer, and its city water, loaded with nitrates, ammonia and god knows what else, i dont even want my dog to drink it

nyc should bottle that stuff...isnt that what poland springs did? lol
 
#9 ·
Tap water in all my tanks too, RO/DI is cost prohibitive for me, unless I'll switch to a one pico tank. Toronto's tap water, also was used for the plants, that require DI water for watering: orchids and carnivorous plants. While the water analysis looked not so good, and the taste leaves desire the better, the tanks inhabitants are alive and the corals, algae and pods are reproducing.
Have the tanks for a little more than 1.5 years.

How it works for me:
- use the faucet, closest to the water distribution line (basement) and water heater, with aerator on the faucet, let the water run for may be 3 min, if you compare water taste before and after - you will feel the difference;
- then fill the bucket (I think, that the hose may be used as well, I don't want to risk, if the other end of the hose moves out of trashcan), carry it to the trashcan in the heated area with window, closed in the winter.
- run maxi-jet 1200 powerhead for some time, to allow chlorine to dissipate,
- add Prime conditioner, mix water again,
- then as always - mix sea salt, aerate, keep temperature and salinity in check, adjust Ca and Mg levels, if IO salt.

I had the small flood in 90g tank at the Christmas night (why the troubles always happens in the most inconvenient time?), 20g, not more - turbo snail in overlow. Had no ready salt water, so made the all at once, without ANY waiting, and all on the run, - all fish, softies and LPS survived without problems or declining in health.

Some of the fish are sensitive: mombassa lion, dragonets, cleaner wrasse. Invertebrates in other tanks include baby tridacnas (zero mortality, 2 of 2 ;) , sps, condy anemone).

I'm not advocating for the using tap water: just bitted more, than can afford to chew :D
 
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