Water for water changes? Ice Mountain water in a bottle

pgaschulz · 01/27/2008, 07:41 PM

My brother works for Ice Moutain and I get 5 gallon jugs of water for him for free or very very cheap. Can I use this water for my water changes? If I just add the salt right to the jug? Or should I get an RO system in my house? I am new to the salt water tanks.....Let me know?

Thank You,
pga

Agu · 01/27/2008, 07:48 PM

Drinking water has minerals and other "contaminants" that make it palatable for drinking. Pure water has no taste or odor because it's pure. Ice mountain may be great for drinking but it's not what you want to use in a reef tank.

SquidHC · 01/27/2008, 08:00 PM

Also, in many cases bottled drinking water CAN be worse than even your tap water. There is no federal, state, or private organization that mandates or tests the quality or contents of bottled water. Id say its a no no for your tank. Just buy a quality RO/DI unit.

iwishtofish · 01/27/2008, 08:15 PM

Salt mix should be added to a food-safe, open-top container first filled with distilled or RO/DI water. A powerhead or submersible water pump is needed to circulate the water for proper mixing, and preferably a heater to bring it up to tank temperature. Salt water should have been mixing for at least 24 hours prior to use.

You'll need at least a hydrometer to measure salinity, but a properly calibrated refractometer - although slightly more expensive - is much less prone to error and is generally one of the hobbyist's best investments.

seapug · 01/27/2008, 08:25 PM

Don't write it off just yet. Any free source of purified water is worth investigating. Find out what processes are used to make it. If it's made using an RO/DI process and has nothing added to it for taste it could be fine. Might not be a bad idea to test a sample for TDS, nitrate & phosphate, too.

If it turns out to be good, get a big brute trashcan, powerhead and heater and use it for mixing. Pour in the water, then add the salt and let it mix.

01/27/2008, 07:41 PM	#1
pgaschulz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Monee Illinois Posts: 162	Water for water changes? Ice Mountain water in a bottle My brother works for Ice Moutain and I get 5 gallon jugs of water for him for free or very very cheap. Can I use this water for my water changes? If I just add the salt right to the jug? Or should I get an RO system in my house? I am new to the salt water tanks.....Let me know? Thank You, pga

01/27/2008, 07:48 PM	#2
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	Drinking water has minerals and other "contaminants" that make it palatable for drinking. Pure water has no taste or odor because it's pure. Ice mountain may be great for drinking but it's not what you want to use in a reef tank. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

01/27/2008, 08:00 PM	#3
SquidHC Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Portland, Oregon, USA Posts: 840	Also, in many cases bottled drinking water CAN be worse than even your tap water. There is no federal, state, or private organization that mandates or tests the quality or contents of bottled water. Id say its a no no for your tank. Just buy a quality RO/DI unit. __________________ We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. Current Tank Info: 30x30 cube under construction!

01/27/2008, 08:25 PM	#5
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Don't write it off just yet. Any free source of purified water is worth investigating. Find out what processes are used to make it. If it's made using an RO/DI process and has nothing added to it for taste it could be fine. Might not be a bad idea to test a sample for TDS, nitrate & phosphate, too. If it turns out to be good, get a big brute trashcan, powerhead and heater and use it for mixing. Pour in the water, then add the salt and let it mix. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

01/27/2008, 08:15 PM	#4
iwishtofish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 4,949	Salt mix should be added to a food-safe, open-top container first filled with distilled or RO/DI water. A powerhead or submersible water pump is needed to circulate the water for proper mixing, and preferably a heater to bring it up to tank temperature. Salt water should have been mixing for at least 24 hours prior to use. You'll need at least a hydrometer to measure salinity, but a properly calibrated refractometer - although slightly more expensive - is much less prone to error and is generally one of the hobbyist's best investments.