RO/DI units vs TAP water.

Conscientious Marine Aquarist

Isn't it funny how people think thier way is the only way to do things and then call names when others disagree, that's so mature. Sounds like a bunch of politicians. Get off your high horse because there is always another way to do something. In the book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist", page 94, the writer talks about source water. He states that using tap water usually isn't a problem if it is allowed to age for a week before putting it into a tank. Most of our problems are related to other issues, not strictly our source water. The writer, Bob Fenner, is well known for his knowledge about this hobby and is considered by many to be an expert. But then again, he's just a "clown" who can't possibly know what he is talking about. I've noticed a trend in this hobby in which people will overload thier tanks with way to many species causing them to add more food than should be going into thier tanks. Next they add high powered lights and a laundry list of additives. They then start wondering why they have algae problems, hmmmm. I by no means claim to be an expert in this hobby and yes, I have alot to learn, like everyone else. But if you think about the volume of water in the ocean to the known number of species in that water, doesn't it seem we tend to push our tanks to hard with the bioloads we have compared to the volume of water? How many species do you see in an "average" volume of ocean water compared to the number of species we tend to keep in our small by comparison tanks? Just my humble opinion but I think commmon sense is lacking at times in this hobby.

 

Could not agree more. Find out what water quality you are starting with and go from there. Here in south Louisiana the water is bad and RODI is the only way to go in my opinion, they even use chloramines here. Do your homework you won't regret it.

 

You're misunderstanding what Bob was saying. He regularly recommends RO/DI or Kold Steril filtration prior to use. Bob doesn't like the el-cheapo de-chlorinators that people use to supposedly make tap-water safe because most don't work the way that people think they do. (Many are actually harmful to fish...they force the fish to slime which reduces the quantity of chloramine from entering the fish). For people who use de-chlorinators, he recommends that they use real dechlorinators (i.e. hyposulfite) or for those that use cheap dechlorinators do small and more frequent water changes so that less of these chemicals are introduced at once. For people who do larger waterchanges with tapwater, he feels it's best (and I agree) to aerate the water very well for at least a week until the Chlorine and Ammonia bond is broken in the chloramines and is off-gassed.

 

Tap water is a no no. I am a serious reefer and also a water professional with 35 years experience in commercial, industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatemnt and i would never think about putting tap water in any of my systems.
Tap water is too inconsistent, it changes day to day or hour to hour in some cases. As the source water changes the treatment changes, as shifts change in the plant operators use their best judgement and thats not always the same as the last guy. The water main breaks down the street and Joe Neighbor had his garden hose stuck in a treewell, you just experienced a backsiphonage.

Regarding some of the earlier posts, New York may have low TDS but it also has one of the highest particulate or sediment loads in the country and is constantly being fined by the EPA because of it. Ask companies like Spectrapure how many RO and RO/DI units they sell in NY alone! Not a good idea to use tap water.


Keep in mind Bob's book is 12 years old, times and methods have changed significantly bring the cost of RO/DI systems down to an affordable level.

 

I agree that tap water in most cases are not for reefs, but i dis agree with u az when saying im wrong in useing it. I have used it for ten years with out a single problem and i dont have any algea problem either, my reef tank is just as clean looking as anyone who uses ro/di. For 95% of people out there tap water is a big NO, but for me and others inthe 5% its actually pretty fine IMO

 

Call Spectrapure and ask them how many requests they get for RO/DI units in New York state alone. I think you will be horrified. It's so bad in NY they use it as one of their major Beta testing areas and have done so for years. Normal prefilters die a quick death in NY waters, that should tell you something.

 

All it tells me is nothing thou lol, my tank is the main thing telling me if i need one or not, with over 500 gallons and no problems i consider my self one of the lucky 5%

 

So ivebeen using premixed saltwater because I don't have the money to invest in an RO/DI unit right now. If I put a bucket of tap some salt and an airstone for a week can I use that for my waterchange without having high readings on the normal tap negatives?

 

If your water contains Nitrates, Iron, Silicates, or other similar algae-growing nasties, they will still be in the water. However, the most dangerous thing, Ammonia, will be gone.

 

In 10 years you've never had things die that you couldn't figure out why it died?
I use RO/DI water and I've had problems.