tap water ?

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 10:31 AM

just wanna know is it true that some tap water have nitrates in it cause i was curious and tested my tapwater and it had no nitrates

lkc · 07/27/2009, 10:47 AM

That doesn't mean you should use it. Trates are just one of the bad things found in tap wter.

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 10:58 AM

ok for example my tapwater showed no trace of nitrates but does that mean its still there

thegrun · 07/27/2009, 10:59 AM

But yes, my tap water has about 25 PPM nitrates. Did you use a fresh water test kit when you tested yours? As Ikc posted, there are numerous chemicals not suited for the aquarium found in tap water.

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 11:18 AM

isnt a sltwater test kit the same for testing tap will it get the same results

LiveRound69 · 07/27/2009, 11:40 AM

just to name a few......phosphates and silcates produce hair algae...and are present in all the freshwater from the treatment plant near where you live....they add phosphate to the water to cut back on the corrosion that occurs in our metal pipes..and yes,....alot of them are copper,..which kills corals. so dont use tap....goto wal mart near your house and look around the canned soft drink section usually and you will find a RO water dispenser called WATER ISLAND...i use that and it works great..costs about .40 per gallon in your jugs.

good luck

100%hydrophylic · 07/27/2009, 12:40 PM

or you could buy an RO unit. saves gad driving to walmart

WaterKeeper · 07/27/2009, 01:33 PM

You have a FO tank so nitrates are not your main worry. It is the other, unseen, chemicals in your tap that may pose a problem. With the current price of RO/DI units it is not worth taking a chance on losing a fish that cost two to three times the price. It will also far lessen the chances of a nasty algae outbreak.

Ty1e · 07/27/2009, 03:37 PM

+1

snorvich · 07/27/2009, 03:46 PM

+2

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 09:01 PM

i was checking the prices on pet warehouse and a good one was about 250 and with a new baby on the way i think i will find a way to work with ocean water wich i have all around me close to home

KarlBob · 07/27/2009, 09:10 PM

Ocean water has its own pitfalls. If you collect it close to shore, it may be polluted. Wherever you collect it, you can occasionally pick up diseases, parasites, and immature pests that will grow up to menace your tank. Some people swear by natural sea water, but many others prefer the safety and predictability of artificial salt water.

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 09:24 PM

i think it goes both ways it could be good and it could be bad

KarlBob · 07/27/2009, 09:31 PM

Pretty much, yeah. If that's what you want to do, the advice I've read suggests taking a boat far enough from shore that you're not going to pick up gasoline, oil, fertilizer, treated sewage (or untreated, I suppose), etc.

If you collect a lot of water at once, your best bet is to keep it mixing and warm with one or more powerhead(s) and heater(s) until you're ready to use it.

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 09:42 PM

yeah that sounds like a good idea its just well everyone has different opinions here on reefcentral on alot of issues 50% agree and 50 dont

KarlBob · 07/27/2009, 09:51 PM

Yup. That happens a lot. Even when 80% agree and 20% don't, the 20% are often loud enough to make it appear to be 50/50. Read as much as you can, from as many different sources as you can get, and go with what makes the most sense to you.

baldomero · 07/27/2009, 09:54 PM

ok karl thanks alot im gonna call it a night see ya tomorrow

KarlBob · 07/27/2009, 10:08 PM

You're welcome, and g'night.

scotbehot · 07/27/2009, 10:17 PM

I got a 100 gallon per day RO six stage kit from purewaterclub.com for around $100, and it comes with a 3 gallon reserve tank. I used tap water previously but since reestablishing my tank I have just used the RO water, and what a difference it has made, wish I had bought one sooner! Plus with a baby on the way you could also use the water it produces to mix with the formula, I assume it is similar to the nursery baby water my sister buys for her 3 month old. So you may be able to knock out two birds with one stone. Again my advice stems from the fish tank and is a guess about the baby.

KarlBob · 07/27/2009, 10:22 PM

For the baby, I think it would be better to get a system with a valve that lets you pull the water out after the RO, but before the DI. That's what I've seen advised before for making drinking water for adults.

sedor · 07/27/2009, 10:25 PM

I got mine for around $100 as well. A very small investment for the convenience. Not to mention once you've been in the hobby for a while, it will become necessary.

baldomero · 07/28/2009, 10:43 AM

100 bucks now that sounds reasonable and scott ur right about using it for the baby thanks

07/27/2009, 10:31 AM	#1
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	tap water ? just wanna know is it true that some tap water have nitrates in it cause i was curious and tested my tapwater and it had no nitrates

07/27/2009, 11:40 AM	#6
LiveRound69 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: KY USA Posts: 183	just to name a few......phosphates and silcates produce hair algae...and are present in all the freshwater from the treatment plant near where you live....they add phosphate to the water to cut back on the corrosion that occurs in our metal pipes..and yes,....alot of them are copper,..which kills corals. so dont use tap....goto wal mart near your house and look around the canned soft drink section usually and you will find a RO water dispenser called WATER ISLAND...i use that and it works great..costs about .40 per gallon in your jugs. good luck __________________ LR69 Current Tank Info: 40 gallon Reef

07/27/2009, 12:40 PM	#7
100%hydrophylic Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: GA Posts: 1,636	or you could buy an RO unit. saves gad driving to walmart __________________ :) Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef, 28g nano SPS

07/27/2009, 01:33 PM	#8
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	You have a FO tank so nitrates are not your main worry. It is the other, unseen, chemicals in your tap that may pose a problem. With the current price of RO/DI units it is not worth taking a chance on losing a fish that cost two to three times the price. It will also far lessen the chances of a nasty algae outbreak. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

07/27/2009, 03:37 PM	#9
Ty1e Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Calgary Posts: 620	+1 __________________ Tyson. Current Tank Info: 70 gal rimless

07/27/2009, 10:47 AM	#2
lkc Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Tarpon Springs Posts: 269	That doesn't mean you should use it. Trates are just one of the bad things found in tap wter.

07/27/2009, 10:58 AM	#3
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	ok for example my tapwater showed no trace of nitrates but does that mean its still there

07/27/2009, 10:59 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	But yes, my tap water has about 25 PPM nitrates. Did you use a fresh water test kit when you tested yours? As Ikc posted, there are numerous chemicals not suited for the aquarium found in tap water.

07/27/2009, 11:18 AM	#5
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	isnt a sltwater test kit the same for testing tap will it get the same results

07/27/2009, 03:46 PM	#10
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	+2 __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

07/27/2009, 09:01 PM	#11
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	i was checking the prices on pet warehouse and a good one was about 250 and with a new baby on the way i think i will find a way to work with ocean water wich i have all around me close to home

07/27/2009, 09:10 PM	#12
KarlBob Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Laveen, AZ Posts: 2,309	Ocean water has its own pitfalls. If you collect it close to shore, it may be polluted. Wherever you collect it, you can occasionally pick up diseases, parasites, and immature pests that will grow up to menace your tank. Some people swear by natural sea water, but many others prefer the safety and predictability of artificial salt water. __________________ Later, KarlBob Current Tank Info: No tanks for now. Starting over in Austin sometime next year.

07/27/2009, 09:24 PM	#13
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	i think it goes both ways it could be good and it could be bad

07/27/2009, 09:31 PM	#14
KarlBob Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Laveen, AZ Posts: 2,309	Pretty much, yeah. If that's what you want to do, the advice I've read suggests taking a boat far enough from shore that you're not going to pick up gasoline, oil, fertilizer, treated sewage (or untreated, I suppose), etc. If you collect a lot of water at once, your best bet is to keep it mixing and warm with one or more powerhead(s) and heater(s) until you're ready to use it. __________________ Later, KarlBob Current Tank Info: No tanks for now. Starting over in Austin sometime next year.

07/27/2009, 09:42 PM	#15
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	yeah that sounds like a good idea its just well everyone has different opinions here on reefcentral on alot of issues 50% agree and 50 dont

07/27/2009, 09:51 PM	#16
KarlBob Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Laveen, AZ Posts: 2,309	Yup. That happens a lot. Even when 80% agree and 20% don't, the 20% are often loud enough to make it appear to be 50/50. Read as much as you can, from as many different sources as you can get, and go with what makes the most sense to you. __________________ Later, KarlBob Current Tank Info: No tanks for now. Starting over in Austin sometime next year.

07/27/2009, 09:54 PM	#17
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	ok karl thanks alot im gonna call it a night see ya tomorrow

07/27/2009, 10:08 PM	#18
KarlBob Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Laveen, AZ Posts: 2,309	You're welcome, and g'night. __________________ Later, KarlBob Current Tank Info: No tanks for now. Starting over in Austin sometime next year.

07/27/2009, 10:17 PM	#19
scotbehot Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 147	I got a 100 gallon per day RO six stage kit from purewaterclub.com for around $100, and it comes with a 3 gallon reserve tank. I used tap water previously but since reestablishing my tank I have just used the RO water, and what a difference it has made, wish I had bought one sooner! Plus with a baby on the way you could also use the water it produces to mix with the formula, I assume it is similar to the nursery baby water my sister buys for her 3 month old. So you may be able to knock out two birds with one stone. Again my advice stems from the fish tank and is a guess about the baby.

07/27/2009, 10:22 PM	#20
KarlBob Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Laveen, AZ Posts: 2,309	For the baby, I think it would be better to get a system with a valve that lets you pull the water out after the RO, but before the DI. That's what I've seen advised before for making drinking water for adults. __________________ Later, KarlBob Current Tank Info: No tanks for now. Starting over in Austin sometime next year.

07/27/2009, 10:25 PM	#21
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	I got mine for around $100 as well. A very small investment for the convenience. Not to mention once you've been in the hobby for a while, it will become necessary. __________________ Ryan

07/28/2009, 10:43 AM	#22
baldomero Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: aguada,puerto rico Posts: 902	100 bucks now that sounds reasonable and scott ur right about using it for the baby thanks