R\O Water. Can I get away with it for now?

[Jay]

This may sound like a stupid lame, cheap question.

But I was wondering. Can I get away without using R\O water for my upcoming "this weekend" saltwater tank.

I simply don't have the money at the moment to spend on a unit and I was wondering. If I buy a big garbage can "not shiny" and stick an aquaclear filter on it loaded with carbon and a heater and have it runing will this filter out the water and make it OK for my tank?

Thanks for any input

Jay

[ajx22]

Hello and Welcome to AquariumPros.ca Jay!!

This is a common question, so don't feel to out of place asking it! :D

To be completely honest with you, I would not suggest using regular tap water in the tank. Doing so can pose a few potential problems.

You don't know what is actually in the water to start with. If your local water is treated with Chlorine, then time (usually 24-hours) and aeration will help remove it. Unfortunately, most treatment plans now use Chloramine now as it stays in the water longer (thus keeping water safer to drink). Ever since the Walkerton Water problem, nearly ALL water treatment plants are being extra careful. So, if there is indeed Chloramine in the water - then you will be adding that to your tank!:eek2:

Another potential problem is phosphates! We try sooo hard not to do things that will help cause cyano-bacteria out breaks, but adding phosphates to your tank is a sure-fire way to get to deal with the wonderful "Red Slime Algae"! The biggest problem is that whatever may be in the water can and will leach into your substrate and rocks - thus you will never be able to remove it from your tank even with a 100% water change. I made the mistake of not using RO/DI water in my first salt water tank - and I spent so much time fighting every kind of algae, including cyano-bacteria, that I finally tore down the tank, trashed the Aragonite and rock - and started it all over from scratch!! (Note that this was a 100Gal tank and I wasn't impressed with throwing out all that $$ I had spent on substrate and rock)!! :angry:

This is not even taking into consideration that most of our water lines are made from COPPER!!! :eek2: This will also stay in the tank and can pose life threatening problems for your inverts! There are also a TON of other chemicals/minerals that can be in your local water supply that I haven't gone into - each of which can also be a problem on its own. The ONLY true way to ensure that you're working with PURE H20 is to use a good (proper and NOT exhausted filters) RO/DI water.

See if you can purchase the RO/DI water from a local friend or LFS - and if this is not possible, then buy jugs of water from the grocery store (although this can sometimes be bottled tap water too). :( If you do purchase your water - then have it tested for TDS and also Copper and Phosphates prior to using it in your tank!! If the filter that made the water is using exhausted cartridges, then the water is just more expensive tap water and a waste of money!!

***:wink-grin Sales pitch mode ON :wink-grin***

Being a business man as well as a fellow reefer...I have to also pat myself on the back and point out that we have a GREAT promo on RO/DI filters on now too. To my knowledge, you can not find a better unit or price ANYWHERE! This way you can always have GREAT water available (evaporation top-off's and water changes), and KNOW that the water is truly PURE! Using my RO/DI unit, I have nearly 300ppm of TDS (Total Disolved Solids) at the tap, and consistant 0.00ppm TDS out (as measured with an in-line TDS meter)!!

Check out our PROMO by clicking here!! (http://www.aquariumpros.ca/rp-promo.html)

This will allow you to have:
*a great unit at a great price
*piece of mind KNOWING what you're putting into your tank
*much greater savings over purchasing your water
*and much more![/b] ;)

***:wink-grin Sales pitch mode off :wink-grin***

Either way...look into getting some good RO/DI water for your tank...in the end, you'll be MUCH happier that you did!

Please don't hesitate to contact me directly should you have any questions. You can alternately also post any water filtration related questions you may have have to Marianne - our Aquatic Engineer in the RO/DI - Reverse Osmosis Water Questions and Assistance Forum (http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=49) as well. She can tell you the EXACT problems with any of the additives tap water can contain, and what is/would be needed to remove them.

Best regards always - and again...
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/images/welcome.gif

[Jay]

Hey AJ,

Thanks alot for that great post =)

I kind of thought that would be the answer :sad: but oh well.

I can get RO water here but it's 2 bucks for 5 gallons "if you have your own jug" DOH! this is going to cost me a fortune!

I "for sure" need to get a RO unit!


I've been checking out all the threads for the past 4 hours LOL! Excellent Excellent place! and I am glad to be a part of it.

I have been into freshwater for 14 years and just sold the last of my fish today to make way for my new ocean :D

So if I sound like an idiot, I am only wanting to learn everything I can for this amazingly beautiful hobby!

Thanks Again

P.S. We share the same birthday AJ
:band:

[ajx22]

Glad to have you on-board!!

You are taking the right process of starting a salt water tank...read, ask, learn - and go S-L-O-W-L-Y!!!

We have a bunch of REALLY great people on here, so your questions are only a few key-strokes away from being answered! :D

The biggest negative of this hobby is in the fact that it cost so much time and money...but the outcome of having a thriving REEF in your own house will out-weigh the negatives when it's done right from the get go. Just keep doing it the right way - save-up if you need to - and you will be broke but happy. As you can see...the cost of setting up your tank with purchased RO/DI water will nearly pay for the cost of the RO/DI unit...so plan your costs out. If you talk to experienced reefers, you will hear that the biggest gripe will be money spent on stupid things that were not well researched in advance. One of our newer customers spent tons of $$ setting up his tank the WRONG way - and is now spending it all over again doing it right. He spent a bunch of $$ on buying RO water, and has now figured out that he could have purchased 2 RO/DI units for the same money he spent on only the water!

Invest in some books:
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist - Robert Fenner
The Reef Aquarium, Volume One & Two - J. Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung
...to list a few.
Subscribe to FAMA - Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine (some very good articles from great authors)

They will help you a LOT for years to come.

I post new articles in the Reference Links section of the site as I find them.

Just take it slow and ask whatever you don't know. Don't be ashamed to ask what you think is a silly question...KNOWING the answer only helps you in the long run! We are ALL still learning from our own and others every day.

I hope to see you around the forums often. Don't hesitate to contact me directly should you need anything (not just products).

Best regards always (and "we" share a GREAT day to be born)!! :thumbsup:

Cheers,

[Jay]

Hey AJ,

Thanks again!

The RO water isn't going to cost me TONS of money really.. It's only 2 bucks for a 5gal bottle "if I have my own bottle" I think I have 2 or 3 of them kicking down here some where.

Yes, I neeeds ta get me an RO unit for sure! it's the only way to go!

A guy lent me a couple amazing books #1 Marine Aquarium By Nick Dakin #2 The Tropical Marine Fish by Gordon Kay.

See.... before I bought all the live rock and all the other things, I never knew that I was supposed to have added "RO water" to the tank.

I am currently unemployed :help: So it's gonna be hard to swing it until I get another job going.

AJ, is there ANY possible way I can just fill it with RO water from the get-go and then, like I suggested, filter out my tap water in a garbage can using Wardleys Chlor Out, it says that it neutralizes Chlorine and Chloramines in the tap water.

If I were to use this and filter the water in a heated garbage can with plenty of activated carbon in the filter, would this be OK until I save up for an RO unit? "trying to make it the least expensive I can for the time being"

That is a smokin deal on your RO unit for sure AJ!

Thanks Again!

Jay

[ajx22]

Hello again Jay!!

Check out your other post - In the General Reef Keeping forum for my answer to this and other pertinant info.