New Saltwater Owner

[GiannisK]

Hello everyone, I'm a new saltwater fish keeper. I've had freshwater tanks for years and I'm trying to now set up my very first 20 gallon saltwater tank. The biggest difference it seems to me is the water treatment - can I use tap water (with a dechlorinator), like in freshwater tanks? Will the pH be appropriate from tap, or will that have to be treated in someway? Or will the live sand/rock take care of it?

Thank you!

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Welcome to Boston Reefers Society, Inc.

 

[jazzsam]

Everyone will have different opinions but I thinks its safe to say that most people use RO/DI water. If you want you can also buy pre-made salt water just to start since its only 20 gallons.

 

[Lizbeli]

Welcome!

I would expect most people will suggest using RODI water especially if you plan to keep corals. A big concern for tap/well water are metals which can kill or negatively affect these sensitive animals. You may also have a hard time keeping algae at bay if your tap water contains a lot of silicates or nutrients. If thats the case you would be cleaning your tank with dirty water lol.

You can buy premade water at a local fish store if you don’t mind lugging containers. But the best investment you can make is an rodi filter.

 

[Duds]

Welcome!

 

[FishieBusiness]

It will really depend on the type of tank you wish to have. A fish only system my be ok with tap and dechlorinated. However if you want reef tank then definitely get water from your LRS for the time being. An ro/di system is an investment on its own.

Good Luck with your tank!

 

[GiannisK]

Welcome!

I would expect most people will suggest using RODI water especially if you plan to keep corals. A big concern for tap/well water are metals which can kill or negatively affect these sensitive animals. You may also have a hard time keeping algae at bay if your tap water contains a lot of silicates or nutrients. If thats the case you would be cleaning your tank with dirty water lol.

You can buy premade water at a local fish store if you don’t mind lugging containers. But the best investment you can make is an rodi filter.

It will really depend on the type of tank you wish to have. A fish only system my be ok with tap and dechlorinated. However if you want reef tank then definitely get water from your LRS for the time being. An ro/di system is an investment on its own.

Good Luck with your tank!

Everyone will have different opinions but I thinks its safe to say that most people use RO/DI water. If you want you can also buy pre-made salt water just to start since its only 20 gallons.

Thank you for your responses. Would a UV sterilizer help keep this algae under control? Or is it a unique type of algae?

I do also plan to use my home water filter to remove the heavy metals.

How exactly does the RO/DI system work? I live in an apartment so I don't have a garden hose. Can it be connected to a sink? If so, how does that work? Will it be in the way of other people trying to use the sink? How long will it take to produce, say, 5 gallons of water? I see so much info on RO/DI systems but it's all about which one to pick and not the details of how it works. Thank you for bearing with me.

 

[Seapets]

Welcome to the club of BRS

 

[Reefer508]

Welcome to the club. What are your plans for the tank? Fish only tanks are a lot more forgiving than reef tanks packed with coral.

 

[GiannisK]

Welcome to the club. What are your plans for the tank? Fish only tanks are a lot more forgiving than reef tanks packed with coral.

20 gallon with only hardy fish

 

[Lizbeli]

20 gallon with only hardy fish

If this is the case you will likely be okay with conditioned tap water. However there are many types of algae in the saltwater hobby. Depending on how “dirty” the water is you might run into on going algae problems. But I wouldn’t stress about that too much now. For lighting go with something that isn’t too strong as bright light and lots of nutrients will surely give you a headache lol.

As far as rodi systems there are many options. If you have your own washing machine you can simply connect it to the water hookup using a “Y” connector. Or you can look into small systems that can be plumbed under your sink, or even to the faucet. You would have to research what each unit could make per hour. I am not well versed with sink units as I have only used my bulk reef supply unit. I had to also hook up a booster pump as my water pressure wasn’t high enough.

 

[GiannisK]

Thanks I appreciate it!

 

[Chlorinated]

Unpopular opinion here, but tap is just fine corals or fish only. I have used nothing but tap for years and had great success. I've had some upps and downs like any other tank, but nothing directly related to my use of tap water.

If you go on one line and search, you will find it's not as unpopular as it used to be. Though still greatly in the minority.

If you go this route, dechlorinator is an obvious. You could also try using a partial rodo system with just the sediment and carbon blocks for some added protection.

 

[GiannisK]

Unpopular opinion here, but tap is just fine corals or fish only. I have used nothing but tap for years and had great success. I've had some upps and downs like any other tank, but nothing directly related to my use of tap water.

If you go on one line and search, you will find it's not as unpopular as it used to be. Though still greatly in the minority.

If you go this route, dechlorinator is an obvious. You could also try using a partial rodo system with just the sediment and carbon blocks for some added protection.

I appreciate your help!

Question for you all: I have a drinking water filter (Brita) that is supposed to remove copper, mercury, zinc, and cadmium. Would it be better to use this filtered water in my tank, or could it lead to other problems?

Also, clarification on the order of operations when I'm adding water to the tank:
First I add dechlorinator, then the salt and heat it to aquarium temp, then measure salinity and add? Is that right?

 

[Chlorinated]

Brita won't hurt anything but not 100% needed either. Most declorinators will bind heavy metals negating the need for that 1st step. Personally I don't filter.

Add declorinator to the bucket. Fill from the tap. Add powerhead and mix for a min. Add salt. Check salinity bwfore adding to the tank. Done.

 

[Cpage101]

 

[GiannisK]

Brita won't hurt anything but not 100% needed either. Most declorinators will bind heavy metals negating the need for that 1st step. Personally I don't filter.

Add declorinator to the bucket. Fill from the tap. Add powerhead and mix for a min. Add salt. Check salinity bwfore adding to the tank. Done.

Thanks. I don't have a powerhead, since I have a filter that creates lots of agitation. Is there another way to mix?

Also, how long do you wait to check salt? Does it depend on brand? I'm looking at instant ocean right now.

 

[danielm5]

Welcome!
I used tap-water a few years when having only fish in a 10 gallon tank. I was more or less successful. I've experienced seasonal fluctuations when it came to algae blooms and those things. I use RO/DI now to avoid those issues.
In summary, RO/DI is most recommended but tap-water can be used if you understand the problems you may encounter.

 

[this is me]

Water is the foundation of this hobby. Don’t cheap out on it. It can bring you many headaches if you’re not using proper water.
RODI or at least RO/distilled is the way to go.