Tap water

[219mem]

Hi there,

I have recently filled my new 100 galon soon to be marine tank with tap water and marine salt.
It has been runnig since 14/12/04 and yesterday I've had to refill some of the water, say 5% that has evaporated, again tap water.

When I have live stock, what should I do to make tap water a bit better before introducing it in the tank? Pre-heat it? Air it for a few days? It seems to me that introducing it directly from the hose into the tank won't be my best choice...

 

[Anonymous]

>.... It seems to me that introducing it directly from the hose into the tank won't be my best choice...

It really depends on what is in your tap water. Not familiar with Portugal, so I don't know what your water company put in it to disinfect it. Is there any analysis of the tap water to show you how toxic it is to the live stock you want to put in the tank?

I use reverse osmosis and deionization filtration to preprocess my tap water so that my reef tank does not turn into the Dead Sea.

 

[ChrisRD]

I use RO/DI as well. I'd suggest topping-off more frequently - like every day or two. This will keep salinity more consistent.

Generally for evaporation top-off you don't have to worry about heating or aerating the water because you're only adding small amounts.

 

[Anonymous]

>...I'd suggest topping-off more frequently - like every day or two. This will keep salinity more consistent.

The frustration may be minimized by frequent topoffs, but the end point of the ion balance will be the same if you don't do water change.

 

[219mem]

>.... It seems to me that introducing it directly from the hose into the tank won't be my best choice...

It really depends on what is in your tap water. Not familiar with Portugal, so I don't know what your water company put in it to disinfect it. Is there any analysis of the tap water to show you how toxic it is to the live stock you want to put in the tank?

I use reverse osmosis and deionization filtration to preprocess my tap water so that my reef tank does not turn into the Dead Sea.

I really wouldn't know. I tried accessing public water internet sites in vain. I am going to try to find out some other way. Thanks anyway.
When you say topoffs, you mean small amounts of water every day/two days?
Bottom line is I probably should have RO, although I am going to have mainly fish and few soft corals?

 

[danmhippo]

RO water is good for your health, in addition to the fish and coral.......

 

[Anonymous]

RO water is good for your health, in addition to the fish and coral.......

Most fish is healthy to you, but some corals can be a bit tricky to prepare and cook properly

<ran away>

 

[SnowManSnow]

I'm with the other guys on the top off frequency. The thing to keep in mind about evap water is that although the water evaporates, it leaves everything else behind. If you have a 100g tank with a sal. of , for example 10, and half your water evaps.. all of a sudden you have 50g with a much higher concentration of salt in it.... so top off every day or so to keep the levels stable for your critters.

The same thing is my concern about using tap water. Tap has a lot of things in it and over time those things will build up in your system through your evap top offs. Even while doing consistant water CHANGES the concentration of things in the water is still raising because of your evap top offs.... make sense?

So again, I'm with the guys in using at least RO water.. and RO DI if possible. I get mine from the local Walmart store at 25cents / gallon.

As for adding water after all your inhabitants are in there... if you are just doing top off.. I wouldn't worry about heat and so forth (as long is there isnt a HUGE temp differance). If you are doing a larger water change .. yea heat the water. Also make sure you add your salt TO THE BUCKET BEFORE YOU ADD TO YOUR TANK. OH and remember, don't add salt to your top off water because the salt concentrtion for your max amount of water is still in the tank.

One last thing... I know I'm gettin' long here. You stated about running the water right from "the hose to your tank" DONT DO THAT hehe.. cause the water will have chlorine in it.. you have to dechlorinate it before it is added, unless you are using water from an RO or RODI system.. in which case it has already been done.

You probably knew all this stuff... but just in case

 

[219mem]

[You probably knew all this stuff... but just in case[/quote

First of all, thank you for the time you took writing your post.
You know, for someone who's new to this hobby, there's a lot of opinions, a lot of info that you have to filtrate.
I've read, and read, talked to this one and that one and everybody has a different opinion. Sometimes it gets a bit confusing.

But the general idea that I have comes very close to what you said.


One other thing: You buy your RO DI water from a Wallmart? I don't think we can find that here in Portugal. What other uses are there for RODI water? The sell it for aquarium purposes or something else?

Thank you for the help.

Merry X-mas.

 

[219mem]

RO water is good for your health, in addition to the fish and coral.......

Most fish is healthy to you, but some corals can be a bit tricky to prepare and cook properly

<ran away>

LOL...

Merry X-mas.

 

[Tackett]

One other thing: You buy your RO DI water from a Wallmart? I don't think we can find that here in Portugal. What other uses are there for RODI water? The sell it for aquarium purposes or something else?

Well...You could start by asking your local water company the same question. I cant point you in any decent direction in this area because I havent the foggiest clue about anything in portugual much less the water. Alot of chemistry labs use it, maybe try to track one down. But, hell, your tap may be fine. I would get some tests run on it if you can.

Also, In regards to topping off... Adding onto what the other guys have said, I would also set up a resivior (trash can or something) and run an airline and a gangvalve from it to the tank. Fill the trash can up with water, and slowly drip in the top-off water using the gangvalve to adjust the drip rate. This will keep your SG pretty close to stable. You just have to make sure your trash can always has water. Remember: the more stable your system, the more margin of error you will have. I have found IME that things can go to hell, as long as they slowly and consistantly go to hell, you stand a better chance of bringing it back.

 

[danmhippo]

To get RODI units, you could look under your country's yellow page under drinking water machines (or something like that). I am pretty sure every country has suppliers that supplies drinking water system to company, school, restaurants and offices. They would be the ones you can get RODI units from. Ask them for the one's to be installed under kitchen sink. You could also check portugal yahoo or googles under RODI.