Does Chlorine leach into live rock?

[Averhoeven]

I got impatient while waiting for my plumbing to arrive and did my aquascape. However, I want to leak test the tank now that is all set up in addition to thinking it would be an efficient way to blow the dust off of it and figured I'd use my hose to load it up quickly since I'm gonna need 200g. Is there any downside to soaking my not so live rock (reef cleaner rock if it matters) in tap water? Should I buy a dechlorinator? Do I have to worry about it absorbing things from the tap water that it will later leach into the tank?

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Its been a common practice to do just that by many hobbyists. You can fill up your tank with tap water then drain it and let it sit to dry out for 24 hrs. Run polyfilter or carbon to take out any metals left behind.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’d worry more about copper than chlorine, but it is probably ok.

 

[Averhoeven]

I’d worry more about copper than chlorine, but it is probably ok.

Tested my tap water. TDS 12 and copper 0.03 ppm. That said, now my pregnant wife is all worked up and is only going to drink from my RO....

 

[mfinn]

Tested my tap water. TDS 12 and copper 0.03 ppm. That said, now my pregnant wife is all worked up and is only going to drink from my RO....

Tap Water has a TDS of 12???

 

[Averhoeven]

Tap Water has a TDS of 12???

Woops, missed a 4 somehow... TDS 142.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That copper level is concerning to me (if real).

 

[Averhoeven]

That copper level is concerning to me (if real).

Used a Hannah checker. First time I've used it so maybe I did it wrong? That's 30ppb and what I read said the EPA allows up to 1300 ppb. If that's real, is it a problem level even for just drinking? Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Used a Hannah checker. First time I've used it so maybe I did it wrong? That's 30ppb and what I read said the EPA allows up to 1300 ppb. If that's real, is it a problem level even for just drinking? Thanks

It's fine for your drinking. 30 ppb may not be fine for a reef tank. We really do not have good data on how much is too much since complexation to organics can change the toxicity a lot.

 

[Averhoeven]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to fill the tank with RODI for the true fill. The tap water was purely for the leak test.
I wonder why our tap water is high.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to fill the tank with RODI for the true fill. The tap water was purely for the leak test.
I wonder why our tap water is high.

Copper comes from your own pipes, and 30 ppb is not very high from a drinking perspective.

The range of copper in the home tests done by the local water authority to Boston (MWRA) where I live showed the range as 29-119 ppb.