SarahSmile
:)
You are soooo lucky your guy is into it Kelz!
What do I have to do if I'm forced to use tapwater?
- Thread starter cvcdrk
- Start date
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
If even after reading everyone else's responses and the article Biff linked to, you still decide not to get an RO/DI unit and lie to your GF about it, I'd recommend looking into getting RO/DI water from your LFS - it will be cheaper than buying water from Walmart. I was in a pinch and had to get water from my LFS - a 5g bucket of RO/DI water from my LFS was $1, vs $5 from Walmart or a grocery store.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
I had major problems with my RO unit. There was always something wrong with it and the TDS just seem to rise only one month after I put new filters in. It leaked all the time. Maybe I had just had bad luck or it was a cheap piece of crap to being with. Three stage filters seem to do a poorer job. But it cost me less to buy distilled water at my grocery store.
BTW, there are some places where the tap water is TDS 10 or lower (like Vancouver and Saudi Arabia) and in those rare situations you can use tap water.
BTW, there are some places where the tap water is TDS 10 or lower (like Vancouver and Saudi Arabia) and in those rare situations you can use tap water.
Kelz88
Got Reef?
Also if its a definate no on the r/o unit, you can also look into getting water delivered. Thats what i do. I will eventually get a unit though.
d2mini
Reef enthusiast
I'm sorry but my answer to your question basically was don't be lazy.
This is not a hobby for the impatient or the lazy. Period.
IMHO, either do it right or don't do it at all and stick to freshwater.
Kelz88
Got Reef?
What d2 said is very true.
Odanhammer
Reefing newb
Another story for you ,
Started a 10 gallon tank about 6 months ago , was my first tank and set it up with tap water and used tap water for top ups for the first 2 months. Had purchased a cheap 20 dollar test kit which were strips , again i didn't know any better and the readings were always good.
I actually got lucky when i consider all i have lost up to the 3 month mark was
20 bucks on a clownfish
45 bucks on 3 frags (one i was told wouldn't do well with my lighting , i got it because i wanted to try anyways , so double my fault)
Have since upgraded to a 40 gallon hexagon tank , still needs some more LR and well everything lol.
Used R/O water from a local water store ( i got dirty looks for about 8 stores around my area when i asked for RODI water , they said RO water is the best you can get)
My not so local salt water fish store sold me 40 gallons of premade RODI salt water for 20 bucks , was a pain to travel with ( takes about 35 minutes to get home from the place)
But it was well worth it , all my corals looks better , my fish seem brighter and my tank looks cleaner then it ever has.
Will get an RODI unit eventually , SpectraPure Water Purification Products
heard great things from that website , also cheap.
Started a 10 gallon tank about 6 months ago , was my first tank and set it up with tap water and used tap water for top ups for the first 2 months. Had purchased a cheap 20 dollar test kit which were strips , again i didn't know any better and the readings were always good.
I actually got lucky when i consider all i have lost up to the 3 month mark was
20 bucks on a clownfish
45 bucks on 3 frags (one i was told wouldn't do well with my lighting , i got it because i wanted to try anyways , so double my fault)
Have since upgraded to a 40 gallon hexagon tank , still needs some more LR and well everything lol.
Used R/O water from a local water store ( i got dirty looks for about 8 stores around my area when i asked for RODI water , they said RO water is the best you can get)
My not so local salt water fish store sold me 40 gallons of premade RODI salt water for 20 bucks , was a pain to travel with ( takes about 35 minutes to get home from the place)
But it was well worth it , all my corals looks better , my fish seem brighter and my tank looks cleaner then it ever has.
Will get an RODI unit eventually , SpectraPure Water Purification Products
heard great things from that website , also cheap.
OceanCrazy
Reefing newb
Lol, are you talking about the GF or the RO/DI on Craigslist?
justanotherfishhead
Lisa
I just wanted to add that there are so many things your LFS may tell you that you should not listen to. Mine also told me its okay to use tap water and I found out I was putting in water that was 50ppm nitrate! (most people want this 0 or at least under 10 ppm) They tell you what you want to hear, and they don't want to overwhelm a new customer with too many things because you might decide not to do the hobby at all which would mean a lost sale. There's a lot of research to do in this hobby, and a lot of money to be spent. It's unavoidable. I also wanted to mention that I bought a cheap RODI on ebay and regretted it. After only two months with the small cheap filters in this unit, they already needed replacing and not very easy to change out. Then I got the spectrapure and just changed out filters in a few minutes, and you'll be happier in the long run.
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