Anyone using tapwater, what are your parameters?

[koehler]

Hi All,

Anyone care to speculate on what parameters and their top limits one could use in place of RO/DI? I ask because I'm currently in an apartment, and really don't have too much space for an RO/DI unit.

While 0 is definately preferable, what are the upper limits for Si and Phosphorous that people are getting away with?

Oh yes, if i end up going with RO or DI, whats the cheapest way to di it, if thats really possible.

 

[rayjay]

I don't check many "parameters" any more. I check s.g. when doing a water change, and maybe every 3 to 6 months I might check pH just out of curiosity and, for good measure, if I have time, check the alkalinity at the same time.
I never did check for silicon, magnesium, and for phosphorus, I can only remember getting a kit to see the phosphate levels in the foods I was feeding.
I used to check calcium but I haven't even had a usable kit now for many years.
Instead, I look at the tank as a whole, and for anything abnormal with corals/fish/inverts, and then might check pH and alk if something is not right.
When I first started, no one around here used special water, so when I got the computer and learned this was not good, I ran with DI water for a couple of years, followed by a year or so of just tap water and then back to DI again. I couldn't see any difference in the tanks for those periods so now I use aged tap water only.
I'm fortunate to have the Great Lakes as our water supply so if I had to decide with respect to any suspect water like well water or river water, I would get the water tested, and if it seemed ok I would probably experiment with a small tank, adding fish/corals/inverts slowly over a period of time to see how they react.

 

[madrefkepr]

My experience with tap water was absolutely terrible. Not having the time right now to go through the whole story, suffice it to say I will never use it again.

You could buy water from your local LFS, which is usually not too unreasonably priced. Kind of a PITA though. You can also look into a Tap Water Purifier, which is a compact, countertop DI unit which you can store almost anywhere. I used to have one, and I think it was about 2 1/2 inches around, and about 14-16 inches high. Just attaches to your faucet when you need it. How often you need to replace the cartridge depends on your source water.

Good luck!

 

[koehler]

Hmm, well I was getting RO/DI water from the vending type machines at the store, however carting the 5g around every week was a pain. Thats why I cecked my Pho from the tap again, ( 0 w/Salifert) and started using it. Only problem I think is the Si, which my Water district (Alameda, CA) lists as 8.8 mg/l.

The tank seems to be going fine, have about 15 Kenyen tree frags that have grown about 1.5 - 2" in about 2 months.


Is there such a thing as a cheap DI filter? And, as I only have a small 29g, wouldn't it foul or have bacterial growth with the minimal use I need?

Thanks for the help.

 

[JohnD]

If you have low water needs and not a lot of cash, I recommend an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Purifier. They run about $20 -25 for the complete unit (MO) and the replacement cartridge runs about $15-18. I haven't bought a replacement cartridge in a long while, so my prices may be off. They are sold by thatfishplace.com.

While they do not compare to a big-bucks RO/DI unit, they are not bad as a starter. I ran one for years.

The real problem is the quality of water you run thru them. Bad water=fast usage, while good water= slow usage. I do not know enough to comment on your particulars, however.

HTH

 

[koehler]

John, thanks. I think I am going to place an order with Fosters, and that will be one of the items I order.

Now, if I can just figure out what the best alternative to dripping Kalk would be. Fosters has Kalk, Calk, Calcium +3, Reef Advatantage, etc.

Since I really only have soft corals (Kenyen), and shrooms and polyps, I'm thinking my actual calcium needs are not quite hardcore enough to -need- to drip. Whats my best option for adding calcium with maybe a little alkalinity as a daily top off? I'm thinking I should get of the B-Ioinc crack...

 

[Anonymous]

I use tap water, but my tap comes from a well on my property, so it's not the same as city water. I haven't had any significant problems using my well water.

 

[Reefguide]

I have a well on the property, it seems clean though... My sprinkler systems have never stained my wall or anything.... What exactly should I test for when checking the well water?

 

[reefland]

When my RO/Di unit changes from 0 ppm to 1 ppm TDS, shortly after that I can see noticable algae growth. I can't imagine using straight tap water.

I have well water with very high iron content. It also has very high calcium levels and other dissolved solids. Enough that I would have issues getting the salt mix to dissolve properly.

 

[AllenF]

If you have low water needs and not a lot of cash, I recommend an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Purifier. They run about $20 -25 for the complete unit (MO) and the replacement cartridge runs about $15-18. I haven't bought a replacement cartridge in a long while, so my prices may be off. They are sold by thatfishplace.com.

While they do not compare to a big-bucks RO/DI unit, they are not bad as a starter. I ran one for years.

The real problem is the quality of water you run thru them. Bad water=fast usage, while good water= slow usage. I do not know enough to comment on your particulars, however.

HTH

I think he got it backwards. The slower the flow the better the filtering in these things. With bad water you want to run it very very slow. If your water is relatively clean, you can run it a little faster. Agree with all the rest.

 

[reefsnreptiles1]

Hey Allen. I think JohnD meant that with bad water the filter cartridge is used up fast vs with good water.

Brian

 

[Anonymous]

I have been using my well water in my fish/invert/shroom tank for almost a year now. I have only done three water changes. I have not had any problems at all.

 

[wombat1]

Those cheapo DI filters are a waste of money, IMO. Mine changed color after processing about 25 gallons of water. It's much cheaper in the long run to buy a bare bones RO/DI unit.

 

[AllenF]

25 Gallons would worth would last me about 3 months even doing 10% water changes every other week.

 

[reefland]

heh.. gets me less than 4 days.