can i use tap water?

We buy Culligan RO/DI drinking water from walmart in 3 gallon bottle things for $0.33 per gallon. A water change costs around 2 dollars plus salt. Easy as pie...but will definately invest in an RO/DI home unit later on. This works for now, though.

Never, ever will I put tap water in a fish tank. Except for the Freshwater tetra tank...just some dechlorinator, water, and feed the fish every now and then. Maybe clean the tank when it looks gross on the gravel. And those fish still won't die.

 

I use tap water no other choice I run it thru a Typhoon5 from air,water,ice.....no problem TDS always 0

 

As long as you run it through that unit your cool

 

I know this is counterproductive by the first I don't know, 4 years I kept fish I used tap, let me clarify that, the first year I bought water, then when I moved I got tired of lugging 25 gallons of water from the store so I changed to tap. Do I recommend RO water? oh yeah, but a tank is not DOOMED without it. I can show pics of my tanks that used tap and they all were healthy, algae free and ripe with life. I am not trying to promote tap use, it is filled with all sorts of things we DON'T want to add to our system!! Chlorine, chloramines, Fluoride, dissolved solids of all types and so on. What I did when I decided to use tap was test everything that I could, NH4,N03,NO2,PO4, GH, kH and so on. I came to the conclusion that the kH was the only major issue I could TEST for.
Tap can and will be used by hobbyists around the world, BUT it is one less thing to worry about(well actually many things...) if you use RO water.
Do what thou wilt, but either way make sure you are doing ample water changes!!

Happy reefing! Tap or not!!

 

well then you are using ro/di water.

 

Doc Frag

Always, the voice of reason.

 

i use tap water and have never had problems. i know a lot of people who get nasty green algea from it though. ive been lucky thus far, but non tap is prob best.

 

My tap water is horrible. I use RO water from Publix, $1.75 for 5 gallons.

 

I started my tank with conditioned tap water and it caused my skimmer to go nuts (overflowing). I've since installed a filter to remove chlorine and most other stuff and after a few 10g water changes the skimmer has settled down. I would not use unfilter tap water again..

 

I would half to agree with this. Ideally I would like to switch to RO/DI eventually, but for now, my town has exceptionally good quality tap water that I use. I have a bit of an algae problem, but nothing deadly, and my corals, fish, and everything else in the tank are happy. If I ever upgrade my lighting I will get RO/DI. I would never keep an SPS colony or a clam in anything less than RO/DI. But right now with PCs, I don't see SPS or clams in the near future.