tap water

[ateella]

Anyone using tap water in NJ area? any negative thoughts?

 

[SWITCH420]

I do im in paterson i do get a lil algae once in a while. i might use a tap water filter to help most people dont depends on ur tap

 

[beerfish]

NJ water is supplied by whoever the town contracts. It varies town to town. At the very least I'd get a DI to be safe.

 

[tosiek]

Yup and even people in the same town can have different water qualities. I would save yourself the trouble and forget about using tap all together. Invest in a RO/DI and know its almost never your water thats causing you tank problems.

 

[beerfish]

Yup and even people in the same town can have different water qualities. I would save yourself the trouble and forget about using tap all together. Invest in a RO/DI and know its almost never your water thats causing you tank problems.

This is the safe answer. I've had too many spills with the RO, and have found that PERSONALLY I'm ok with just the DI. This doesn't mean that someone one town over (or as mentioned above, the guy next door) will be ok with just DI.

If you want to get a feel for your water, get a TDS meter, some good test kits, and try to borrow or buy a phosphate meter. This will give you a general idea of how your local water is. Knowing that mine is generally ok, I still use the DI to polish it.

 

[ateella]

actually I'm Using RO/DI with my 45g tank. I just got my 180g and preparing to cycle it. I just thought I can do the cycle stage using tap water then change it to RO/DI after my first water change.

 

[johnny roastbeef]

This might be a coincidence, but I'll tell you my experience. When I set up my 300 gallon tank, I cured all my live rock in spare tanks I had laying around. Being cheap and all, I used plain de-chlorinated tap water, skimmer and no lights. The rock cured for over a month.

When I was ready to start the display tank, I used RODI, and brand new sand, with T5 lighting. Within a few months, (after the diatom bloom), I had an out of control hair algae problem. It wasnt from nutrients from the fish, as the tank really wasnt stocked yet. Seemingly it was residual on the rock from the curing tanks. A sea hare make quick work of all the algae, and hasnt returned since.

 

[NDY]

As Other Member Stated Save Ur Self
Head ache Invest In A RODI its The Way to go

 

[pecan2phat]

This is the safe answer. I've had too many spills with the RO, and have found that PERSONALLY I'm ok with just the DI. This doesn't mean that someone one town over (or as mentioned above, the guy next door) will be ok with just DI.

If you want to get a feel for your water, get a TDS meter, some good test kits, and try to borrow or buy a phosphate meter. This will give you a general idea of how your local water is. Knowing that mine is generally ok, I still use the DI to polish it.

Do you dechlorinate your tap water? Bigger question is how will you be able to remove the chloramine once they start adding it to the municipal water supply since most places are slowly gravitating towards it.

 

[rookie07]

RODI, no contest

 

[SevTT]

RO/DI. Even if your water quality is today, and yesterday, and the month before, it doesn't mean it will be tomorrow. If there's a bacteria problem or something, the town will add chloramines or worse and you won't have any idea until things start going bad.