Tap water startup?

[FlyTekk]

I have a 120g that id like to fill this weekend to start the dry pukani rock cooking/curing process. Can i fill with good ol nyc tap water then when my ro/di is situated i can convert water changes and top off to rodi later?

 

[jdnumis]

You may run into problems with algae booms and phosphate issues

 

[duke62]

I wouldnt. I know its hard to be patient but thats what this hobby is patience. Wait till you get your RO/DI situated

 

[FlyTekk]

I should have been more informative, i will be curing dead dry pukani rock for week-months. With no lights to speak of and skimmer. Thats what the tap water is for. During the process i will be doing 25% water changes weekly with rodi salt water. And when the process is done i will do a 50% water change with rodi and another shortly after..... Then come the fish. This is a barebottom fowlr 120g.

 

[duke62]

The rocks will absorb the po4 from your tap and will leach out in your rocks.

 

[FlyTekk]

The rocks are filled with po4 now which is why im cooking them for 2 months in the first place.

 

[duke62]

And you wont get rid of the po4 by adding water with po4 in it

 

[beerfish]

Here's the problem with that mentality.

120g Tap Water:

25% WC = 90g Tap Water Remaining
25% WC = 67g Tap Water Remaining
25% WC = 50g Tap Water Remaining
25% WC = 38g Tap Water Remaining
50% WC = 19g Tap Water Remaining

You will NEVER be able to eliminate the tap water in the system without 100% water changes, as each change will get rid of less of the original water.

So ask yourself... Would you dump 19 gallons of tap water into your reef once it's up and running?

Better to wait.

 

[strgazr27]

You may be OK as you will be removing the phosphates with the RO water changes but IMO it would be just as easy to let it fill with RO/DI water to start with. This would allow for only the PO4 in the rocks to leech out over the time you do this instead of adding more phosphates to them by using tap water. Even though it will be a FOWLR you actually run a greater risk of algae blooms do to the heavy nutrient level the tank will likely see. It's your tank. Just some advice.

 

[bizzarro]

What's NYC tap water like under 50 TDS? That's pretty much RO water compared to NJ tap!

 

[STHILL]

I checked my tds right out of the faucet the otherday it was 44 im in staten island

 

[reefer4eva]

Use ro/Di water and carbon dose the tank

 

[Jzhou]

Would you be able to cure the rocks in a large Brute trash can? The rocks will most likely release a lot of dead matter that is currently trapped inside it.

 

[KathyC]

With tap water, PO4 isn't the only thing you will be adding to the rock. IMO opinion, wait until you get a rodi and then do a muriatic acid bath/baking soda, rinse bath and you'll have rock inside of a couple of weeks with no phosphate or anything else trapped in them.

 

[edd]

i read that muriatic acid bath will get rid of po4, and the whole process takes less than a week.

 

[edd]

kathy i was typing while you were posting.

 

[FlyTekk]

Ro/di it is. Guess ill have to wait. I also didnt want to put such initial strain on the filters. Of well. Its just not a cheap hobby at all! :0)

 

[FlyTekk]

Wow will try muratic acid. Is it in any way dangerous? Will it stick?

 

[KathyC]

Yes, it can be dangerous, you need to wear goggles & gloves, and follow the directions carefully, but you will also end up with extremely clean rock that won't leach anything back into your tank

There are a number of threads out there on the process...here is one of them...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1914426&highlight=rock+reincarnation

 

[FlyTekk]

Anyone see "Breaking Bad" LoL. Is this the same stuff they used to melt someone so no one could find the body? If so.... IM IN! Thanks for link!