questions about water qaulity

[xsputnikx]

hey guys I live out in the sticks... so no city chlorinated water for me.. I am on a well system.....

I usually with my poison dart frogs just add ro solution before I add the water into the false bottom of the tank..

and for my freshwater I just do 10 gallon changes and use like a cap full of safe start...

but what should I do to prepare my water for my saltwater tank before hand..

i have never had my water quality tested..... I know im going to be adding salt... and with the live rock its going to be biologically filtered and I have to cycle it and do test and all that good stuff.. but do I need to do anything such as a ro treatment or anything like that for my saltwater tank.. I know chemical balance is very important

 

[cr500_af]

Do yourself a favor and buy an RO unit. I also have a well. No "harmful" stuff in my water (I had it tested; yours may well be different)... however, you can bet your well water is very high in phosphates. This will be awesome fuel for algae. If you want an eye opener, pick up a phosphate test kit and test the tap water.

You ideally want to see zero TDS (total dissolved solids) on your water. My well water is 200 TDS out of the tap. The municipal water supply out here is about 25 TDS.

RO units are pretty cheap, but I'd also advise you to skip the very cheapest ones (Pure Water Club) unless you enjoy fixing leaks etc on new products. Do a search for RO units, and for every person you see who loves their PWC unit (due to the price) there will be another who wishes they hadn't bought it (like me). I'd recommed Air, Water and Ice if you want a quality unit for a fair price.

While we're on the subject of "doing yourself favors", go ahead and buy quality test kits from the beginning. You will need them, and the cheap ones will come back and bite you. Kits are a good way to start an argument, but you will be fine with Seachem, Salifert, or Elos. API is like going to Vegas (a gamble at best), and the test strips are a waste of money. You should have ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and pH to start with. Once your tank is cycled you'll want to add others (particularly calcium, magnesium and alkalinity if you will be keeping corals).

 

[smoothie]

He's right get an ro.
Post up you need one and I am sure by the next meeting you will have one in your hand at a great price

 

[ralph atl]

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

Amberjack;470009 wrote: Excellent advice, Barry.</em>