Not sure.

[gpodio]

gpodio:

Sure.

Chlorine is a gas the dissapates rapidly out of the plumbing.

chloramine is a liquid which breaks down rapidly outside of the plumbing. And breaks down to chlorine and ammonia. The ammonia is rapidily consumed by the plants.

The plants rapidly bioaccumulate any heavy ions in the water. For instance, a marine macro algae rapidily consumed copper in lab tests. So rapidly that 1/10 pound (wet) of the algae consumed copper at or higher then 90% of the at faucet levels in US major cities in two weeks in a 55g tank.

Additionally, the dechloriantors and ammonia blocks also lock up oxygen. People using them plus my experience is that when used according to instructions they can and will crash the pH and kh.

The theory is there... but plants are not fast enough at consuming trace elements to clear up any "problem" values before they harm the fish exposed to them. If you were treating the water in a plant only tank prior to use this could work, but chances are if this is working for you, your tap water isn't that bad to cause problems in the first place. Plants will improve the quality for sure, but if the water is dangerous to start with, fish will likely be effected before the plants can do anything about it. Two weeks is certainly doable for plants, but fish won't wait that long in bad water...

My tap water is quite soft and relatively high in heavy metals for instance, I wiped out an entire population of SA cichlids doing a water change without my usual conditioner that also took care of heavy metals.

While it's true that conditioners do consume oxygen, I have never witnessed any ill effects from using them, when used properly. I have been using Tetra Aquasafe for the last 10 or so years, I usually dose twice the recommended amount as I fill the tanks directly from the tap. I don't know what product you've seen crash PH but I haven't seen any of the products I use effect PH or KH.

PS. Chloramine is quite stable once diluted... that's it's key advantage over chlorine.

 

[Anonymous]

beasle is very good with fjacts

 

[Anonymous]

I had the same thought. He's definitely the Njord of the freshwater forum.

 

[frisbee]

My tap...

 

[gpodio]

This reef belongs to a friend of mine, it too runs on regular tap water:

 

[Anonymous]

"TAP" water is highly variable. For me, it means ground water from a well 50 feet away, for someone an hour away in Seattle it means treated municipal water from a completely different source.

This is why we get so annoyed with people like Beasleboy going on and on about tap water.

 

[Anonymous]

"TAP" water is highly variable.

Agreed.

For me, it means ground water from a well 50 feet away, for someone an hour away in Seattle it means treated municipal water from a completely different source.

This is why we get so annoyed with people like Beasleboy going on and on about tap water.

And anyone reading this thread can read for themselves.

I am not advocating using tap water.

I am advocating using plants to balance out and stabilize the system.

For instance, gpodio's loss of the SA cichlids. A very serious and sad thing. And something I do not experience in my Fw and marine tanks.

So what is the solution to prevent that from happening? On one side is continue doing the water changes, using mechanical filters to remove the toxins, keep adding chemicals to fight that, add filters, co2, ferts and so on.

Does it work? It must. Afterall you and others say it does. Somthing I have never debated or doubted.


What I am saying is to start the tank with tons and tons of plants right from the start. And get those plants established and thriving. And wait a week to insure the tank is fine. then add the fish slowly with limited food being added.

Does that work. Must. I have fish for over 5 years in my current Fw and marine tanks. And have done it in 1/2 dozen cities in the US since the late 70's. Especially when you stop doing scheduled water changes.

So gpodio's tank 1) probably not fully balance out and stabilized with plants, 2) violoated "my" just replace top off by replacing 1/3 of the water all at once, and 3) used chemicals to treat the water.

As I stated before the question is whether or not living thriving plants are a better or at least as effective as a mechanical filter. I just condition my tap water with plants is all.

A side benefit is I have found I can use tap water with no tank filter and no water changes. It works so I don't deviate from that combintion.

Even in my new 1g neon nano which has 5 neons in it. :lol:

So I'll just continue sharing my experience, not post personal attacks, and let newbies decide what is best for them and their particular situation.

 

[Anonymous]

"TAP" water is highly variable.

Agreed.

For me, it means ground water from a well 50 feet away, for someone an hour away in Seattle it means treated municipal water from a completely different source.

This is why we get so annoyed with people like Beasleboy going on and on about tap water.

And anyone reading this thread can read for themselves.

I am not advocating using tap water.

I am advocating using plants to balance out and stabilize the system.

For instance, gpodio's loss of the SA cichlids. A very serious and sad thing. And something I do not experience in my Fw and marine tanks.

So what is the solution to prevent that from happening? On one side is continue doing the water changes, using mechanical filters to remove the toxins, keep adding chemicals to fight that, add filters, co2, ferts and so on.

Does it work? It must. Afterall you and others say it does. Somthing I have never debated or doubted.


What I am saying is to start the tank with tons and tons of plants right from the start. And get those plants established and thriving. And wait a week to insure the tank is fine. then add the fish slowly with limited food being added.

Does that work. Must. I have fish for over 5 years in my current Fw and marine tanks. And have done it in 1/2 dozen cities in the US since the late 70's. Especially when you stop doing scheduled water changes.

So gpodio's tank 1) probably not fully balance out and stabilized with plants, 2) violoated "my" just replace top off by replacing 1/3 of the water all at once, and 3) used chemicals to treat the water.

As I stated before the question is whether or not living thriving plants are a better or at least as effective as a mechanical filter. I just condition my tap water with plants is all.

A side benefit is I have found I can use tap water with no tank filter and no water changes. It works so I don't deviate from that combintion.

Even in my new 1g neon nano which has 5 neons in it. :lol:

So I'll just continue sharing my experience, not post personal attacks, and let newbies decide what is best for them and their particular situation.

a quote from beasleboy's sig:

since 79 ~12 fw leidens , ~8 years FO salt, mixed reef since 2002. Currently-10g FW leiden (30 fish), 55g display mixed reef, 20g Fw leiden from oct 2006. Very strong emphasis on the tank maintaining itself. tap water, no water changes, almost no dosing for up to 6 years continuous.

i won't even bother with all of the posts you've made where all you pretty much do is advocate tap water as being absolutely THE thing to do

you're a troll, a spreader of misleading information at best, mythinformation at worst and imo, should have been banned from posting here a long time ago

 

[Anonymous]

...

a quote from beasleboy's sig:

since 79 ~12 fw leidens , ~8 years FO salt, mixed reef since 2002. Currently-10g FW leiden (30 fish), 55g display mixed reef, 20g Fw leiden from oct 2006. Very strong emphasis on the tank maintaining itself. tap water, no water changes, almost no dosing for up to 6 years continuous.

That's correct. Because the tank uses plants to maintain itself it can use tap water, no water changes and no dosing.

i won't even bother with all of the posts you've made where all you pretty much do is advocate tap water as being absolutely THE thing to do

in a planted tank the plants do better with tap then ro/di.

Of course just my opinion. But seems like most the nasties in tap water are plant food. :wink:

you're a troll, a spreader of misleading information at best, mythinformation at worst and imo, should have been banned from posting here a long time ago

Your opinion speaks for itself.

 

[Anonymous]