Skimmer and tap water

[lexdiamond20]

Ok, I was plagued with hair algae from my tap water until I finally switched to an RO-DI unit. All was good and then I finally added a skimmer. If anyone knows; if I were to switch back to regular tap water, would my skimmer pull all nitrates from the tap water?

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

Ok, I was plagued with hair algae from my tap water until I finally switched to an RO-DI unit. All was good and then I finally added a skimmer. If anyone knows; if I were to switch back to regular tap water, would my skimmer pull all nitrates from the tap water?

Yes you will introduce nitrates and phosphan back to the tank once you start using tap water. Btw why which back to tap water if you have a ro unit cleaning out your water?

 

[lexdiamond20]

Yes you will introduce nitrates and phosphan back to the tank once you start using tap water. Btw why which back to tap water if you have a ro unit cleaning out your water?

Yes, I kinow they will be introduced with tap water. But will the skimmer get rid of these when they are reintroduced.

The reason I ask is the tank went a bit high in temperature today based on the weather change. I quickly threw a bunch of ice cubes in as well as tap water as I didn't have any RO water ready. Though it was only a 1/2 gallon and I know this wont impact the tank with new nitrates, was just wondering what would happen if all my top off was done with straight tap water.

 

[Coralreefer1]

First of all, I would never add straight tap water without first conditioning it with a water conditioner like Prime.
Nitrates will be removed via protein skimmer, though not totally. A deep sand bed, macro algae, filter feeders such as Tridacna Clams and certain coral species and anaerobic bacteria will provide better results in reducing elevated nitrates, in my opinion.

 

[strgazr27]

A protein skimmer will not remove Nitrates directly. A skimmer removes dissolved organic compounds which if left to accumulate can turn into Nitrates.

Although clams are filter feeders to an extant the number needed to keep Nitrates in check would lead to the need for large calcium doses. They are primarily photosynthetic. Not an effective means of control unless you have a rather small tank.

Regular water changes using RO water is the best means of controlling nuisance Alg. problems. The phosphates and dissolved solids in tap water is what causes the issue. Not the nitrates in the tap water.

 

[HealthyTanks]

When you have a problem to fix, you gotta do what you gotta do. But I would not go back to regularly using tap water. Too many impurities and unknowns. Some people have no problems with tap water, but they are exceptions.
When you look at your TDS meter and it reads ?0?, you have a lot more confidence in the long term success of your aquarium.

Don

 

[jmaquatic]

What if you add a fuge will that help with tap water or will it kill the fuge i use ro just wanted to know?

 

[thirty5]

Tap water is probably the worst thing that you can do if you want to truly try to "control" your phosphates and such.

There is so much crap in tap water. RO is really the only way to go. Like said above a skimmer does not really take nitrates out of the water.

 

[guarda]

Why wouldn't you stick the ice cubes in a ziploc before throwing them in?

 

[thirty5]

Why wouldn't you stick the ice cubes in a ziploc before throwing them in?

Wrong thread???

 

[guarda]

no

I quickly threw a bunch of ice cubes in as well as tap water as I didn't have any RO water ready. Though it was only a 1/2 gallon and I know this wont impact the tank with new nitrates, was just wondering what would happen if all my top off was done with straight tap water.

Wrong thread???

 

[thirty5]

no

Ahhh I missed that part, the main topic was going to top off with tap.

 

[guarda]

I should have quoted, sorry. But yeah, back to the OT, beats me why anyone, if given the option, would choose tap over ro. Maybe it's because every couple of months somebody posts that they've been using tap water for the past 5 years and have not a strand of algae in their tank. And the newbie lemmings follow, along with their dead fish and corals. So either it's the same guy up in the Appalachians with pristine tap or it's pet store owners who need new business lol.