I've been in the hobby for about 6 years and have always used tap water (no RO/DI units or purified water from any other sources). The first few years I kept fish only systems with great success and never had any fish perish. I've since switched over to reef aquariums for the past two years and haven't had any trouble keeping all sorts of LPS corals, SPS corals and softies happy and healthy. Is it a myth that everyone need to use RO/DI water? I've had no problems using Roswell city tap water in my tanks ( Obviously I do treat the water with seachem prime to take out the chlorine). I really wanted to gauge if any other successful reef keepers have had the same experience with tap water. The only problems I've had have been with anemone's in my tanks...I've lost one GBTA and one Hawaian Red anmeone (or Mann's anemone). I currently have all sorts of frogspawn, torches, favites, acropora, chalices, acans that are doing well and growing.
Reef success using Roswell City tap water
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Shhhhh...the RO/DI makers will have a hit placed on you in moments!
Ha! I don't know, I started with tap water before I had corals, then I fell in-line with everyone else and started using RODI. If it works for you, I would just keep on truckin'!
Ha! I don't know, I started with tap water before I had corals, then I fell in-line with everyone else and started using RODI. If it works for you, I would just keep on truckin'!
I would think it's less about keeping things, as much as attracting algae growth. You have to export as much as or more than what you're putting in, and in some cases, but adding straight tap water, you're adding more nutrients that algae can feed off of = bad. But if you're able to keep everything looking good, than that is ok. I had crazy algae growth that RO/DI cured. It works for some and not others. (also depending on your tap water)
I Ran a reef for years using tap. Its important to first know whats in the water paying close attention to copper and phosphates. Your annual report can tell you that info, or just go have it tested.
If the copper is low, then you're good, as we all know how to approach phosphate issues in this hobby.
I'd still be using tap, but the house I moved to in Hapeville provides <span style="color: olive">nasty </span><span style="color: black">looking water that appears down right PURERLENT , right Barb? (inside joke)</span>
If the copper is low, then you're good, as we all know how to approach phosphate issues in this hobby.
I'd still be using tap, but the house I moved to in Hapeville provides <span style="color: olive">nasty </span><span style="color: black">looking water that appears down right PURERLENT , right Barb? (inside joke)</span>
Yeah, I should probably get my water tested from the faucet, it may be what caused the demise of the GBTA and red anem. I'm not going to try any more anmeones until I get it figured out.
It helps that my system is lightly stocked with fish. I'm running an Elos 120 XL system that is around 125 gallons. I'm using a 6 bulb Nova Extreme Pro T5 (with 1 6500K, 2 10000K, and 3 actinic bulbs), so I'm getting plenty of light for anems. The skimmer on the Elos system is amazing and that probably helps take out a lot of the gunk that goes along with tap water. Right now I just have a baby maroon and 3 anthias in the tank. Interestingly enough, the creature that has done the best in my tank so far is my maxima clam....he loves roswell tap water!:wow2:
Lawson, your original post indicated that you have problems with anemones. How's your invert population doing? I kept a FOWLR tank for years with no fish issues, but never had any success with the CUC (snails in particular). Pretty sure it was because of the trace amounts of copper from the household plumbing. With your successes with other creatures, I would bet you are running carbon 24/7?
Ares mentioned it too, but I'll have to comment on the quality of the city water. When I used to live in Texas and washed my car, I think it was cleaner before the rinse than after. Here in ATL, we are in good shape.
Ares mentioned it too, but I'll have to comment on the quality of the city water. When I used to live in Texas and washed my car, I think it was cleaner before the rinse than after. Here in ATL, we are in good shape.
Inverts are holding up well in the tank so far. I'm currently stocked with a peppermint shrimp, 10 red legged hermit crabs, 1 blue legged hermit crab, 10 astrea snales and 4 mexican turbo snails and have had no problems. The shrimp is molting and growing every month. My house is around 20 years old, but I'm not sure if all the plumbing is copper( I would assume so). I guess I could check, that never really even crossed my mind about copper from the plumbing getting into the tap water.
I guess my main issue with the RO/DI equipment is that most of the filters run 100-150 gpd. I like to knock out my weekly 10-20% water changes in about 20 minutes. If I was using a 100gpd RO/DI filter and didn't keep any water on hand for changes (like most people do) it would take me about 6 hours to fill up enough RO/DI water for a 20% change. I do most of my changes on the weekends, and don't have enough time to baby sit a RO/DI filter for that amount of time. We've all heard the horror stories of people leaving their RO/DI units running unattended.
Cost is not really the issue....not yet anyway.Copper does not leach like that. In fact, heavy metals in general do not leach like that. When trace amounts of copper are found in water its usually from copper ore, Malachite or maybe even Azurite (although I think at that stage in the process, theres no copper left).
The city of Rome was plumbed with pipes of (almost) pure lead, but it was the lead cookware and make-up (both sexes wore) that caused the lead poisioning, not the plumbing.
Perfect world, I agree. Realistic, it's there. "Agressive water", low Ph, dissolved O2, poor lining build-up on the interior pipe walls, and other factors may cause one to find trace amounts in the water coming out of residential taps. Enough to cause concern, probably not, but that's up to individual confort levels and what type of system they are running.
I ran my tank on tap and Prime for about 5 months, no problem. I probably wouldn't have switched to r/o but a member here was getting out of the hobby was selling one brand new in the box for about 1/2 price. I think it really does depend on the quality of water coming out of the tap.
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