Can I use rain water as Top Off water???

Hello all, I currently set up a 55 gallon that is going to be FOWLR. And the water is evaporating. This isnot my tank but my stepfathers, he wants to use rainwater to top off the tank instead of what i do and go to the pet store and get soem RO water. Should he do this. ( I have a 20 gallon tank which i only use RO water to top off). More over thefish that will be i nteh 55 gallon will all be from the wild, since we can catch some pretty angelfish down here in miami.

 

Holy crap NO. You don't know what containment's are in it (which there almost always is.). You shouldn't even use tap water in a SW tank.

 

I would stick with the RO. Rainwater will collect whatever contaminents there are in the air ( general smog, car exhaust, pollens, factory waste), possibly even worse, as storms move and you'd have no idea what it was just over. Even the treatments the stores sell for tap wouldnt be effective, as they are not designed to remove such contaminents.
RO is good water to use, I would stick with that.

 

Where is the collection from ? from the roof into a grey water, quoting above " holy crap NO" think of all the dirt.

 

Rain is very acidic. You will drop the pH into no-mans-land.
If it was an "Amazon" type tank, then yes, you want the softest water you can get, and add stuff to make it even more acidic, but for saltwater, it's a no-no.

 

OH GOSH NO! Rain Water is so dirty anymore! Haven't you heard of Acid rain? So many pollutants in the atmosphere of Earth that when it rains now its actually starting to erode things like statues and buildings faster than is even naturally possible. For what the rain can do now would normally take a hundred years or more for what it does in only 10 or 20! NO RAIN WATER!

 

Hello my fellow Floridian reefer, you might as well use straight tap water if your considering rain water. I highly recommend NOT to use rain water, thats if you care about your tank mates. Luna

 

OK, thanks to all and KARMA for everyone, NO RAIN WATER it is!!!!!

Luna I am going to go to the Miami Dade Police Department and ask how I can join their elite squad of Official 3Reef Picture Police. I am not too far from you either, I live in Miami Lakes, close to Hialeah Gardens/Hialeah. I attended FIU, Class of 07.

 

As far is rain water is not even safe to drink

 

SHHHHHHHHH...........I have connections in MDPD. I know low people in high places. Yeah, I know where Miami Lakes is, a good friend of mine lives there. My wife works at F.I.U., so if you dont post any pics soon, I could make sure you dont graduate. Luna