tap water discussion

[gurumasta]

does anybody oppose to using tap water in a fowlr?

 

[Moe_K]

My thoughts would be the same for a reef tank or for FOWLR: I'd only use RO (or RO/DI) water, or natural sea water.
Nutrient problems in tap water have taught me to never use tap water again.

 

[clamm]

I agree with moe. In Nashua, the TDS (total disolved solids) in tap water was in the high 100's. Before I knew better and didn't know about the BRS, I didn't filter it...I just used some chlorine remover and added the salt. I was getting all sorts of algae...cyano, red slime, green and red hair algae...this was on a 46 gallon that was light by 2x96 pcs and it was a new fixture so the bulb age wasn't the issue... I went to inland reef and they hooked me up...miss that store.

 

[nitrofish]

I guess if your tap water is really clean then yes, but that is rare.

 

[Pat]

I would highly recommend not using tap water. I learned my lesson with my old freshwater setup when it became plagued with algae. Its not that much money to just go to walmart and buy some water. I think its under a dollar a gallon. You won't regret it.

-Pat

 

[newfish]

its all where you live and your city water I've been using tap water for top off or i use spring water

 

[SteveDola]

Poland Spring? I wouldnt advise that at all. IMHO use RO/RODI water. Trust us-

 

[nunofs]

Its not that much money to just go to walmart and buy some water. I think its under a dollar a gallon.

That's what I was doing for my nano-tank before I bought the RODI filter... I bought gallon jugs of distilled water at Walmart, it tested around 3-5 ppm TDS. Just make sure you get distilled water, not bottled drinking water. This is not practical for a larger-than-nano tank, though.

Nuno

 

[gurumasta]

%*&%^*$(!!!!!!!!!

i use distilled in my 30 reef. i filled my 72 FOWLR with tap water about 2-1/2 weeks ago. i wish i posted this thread earlier!!!!! as of today, when i got home from work, already started to see small signs of nuisance algae. its not bad at all right now but it looks like it could be on that road. i hope it turns for the better. got to get an ro unit. thanks for all the advice. appreciate it. ---derek


---learning the hard way-----

 

[NateHanson]

Some larger walmarts also have RO water machines ("culligan") at the back, and you can fill your 5 gallon buckets for something like 30 cents a gallon. Or go to your LFS. Many of them sell RODI for even less than that.

Nate