For those without RODI filters…
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Timfish
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Neither, I use tapwater. This is one of those polarizing topics bought up periodicly. Water utullities are required to test and post their results regularly. Aquarists can look up the utillitiy in their location and evaluate whether or to use it with or without filtration.
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cd459
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That’s the dream. According to a water quality report there’s 0.6 ppm of copper in the tap, so that probably wouldn’t translate well for a reef tank. Do u ever test the water yourself or rely on the test publications?
Soren
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I have an RO system, so I am not answering from experience, but there are benefits and disadvantages to all options. Personally, I like to have the quality under my own control, so I went the route of using an RO system (and will probably add DI soon for making saltwater). For me, it was no question I could not just use my well water, since it comes into the house at 1200+ TDS and still has 800 TDS after the primary house filters.
To establish some baselines for your case:
Is there a particular reason you cannot or do not want to get your own RO/DI system?
What is the estimated cost comparison between purchasable RO water and LFS saltwater?
Do you have ways to test qualities of purchased RO water? If it is for human consumption, it will likely not have been filtered through a DI system and will still have some impurities, though they may be low enough to not cause problems. It would be safest to still test...
How reliable do you consider your LFS? Will they tell you about, maybe even show you, the RO/DI system they use for making saltwater?
Ultimately, it is up to you how much cost is acceptable for how careful you want to be with quality of any water source you choose to use.
This just seems to me like the factual truth of this debate: tap/well water can be good enough in some areas but you do not know without testing and evaluating.
If there are uncertainties with quality, RO/DI helps eliminate uncertainty at an additional cost.
If quality is certain, tap/well water can be readily useable.
When giving advice to others, RO/DI should be recommended until testing and evaluation can confirm all qualities of tap/well water for the specific water supply in question.
ZoWhat
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Cutnpaste from wqa.org .... your tap water is directly related to chemical runoff in your region. You need to understand where the source water your local water municipality is pulling from.
" It’s bad enough to be able to see, smell, or taste a contaminant. But what if your water looks, smells, and tastes just fine — is it? Not necessarily.
Microbial and organic contaminants cannot always be detected by human senses. You might go years before realizing a problem exists. Many folks never become suspicious until people in the community start to get sick. Water near agricultural areas may contain harmful organic material from pesticide or fertilizer application. Chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers in water may increase cancer risk and reproductive problems, and can impair eye, liver, kidney, and other body functions. Similar problems can result from exposure to water near industrial plants.
Some common waterborne contaminants include:
Check out our "Water Q&A." "
" It’s bad enough to be able to see, smell, or taste a contaminant. But what if your water looks, smells, and tastes just fine — is it? Not necessarily.
Microbial and organic contaminants cannot always be detected by human senses. You might go years before realizing a problem exists. Many folks never become suspicious until people in the community start to get sick. Water near agricultural areas may contain harmful organic material from pesticide or fertilizer application. Chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers in water may increase cancer risk and reproductive problems, and can impair eye, liver, kidney, and other body functions. Similar problems can result from exposure to water near industrial plants.
Some common waterborne contaminants include:
- Aluminum
- Ammonia
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Chloramine
- Chromium
- Copper
- Fluoride
- Bacteria & Viruses
- Lead
- Nitrates/Nitrites
- Mercury
- Perchlorate
- Radium
- Selenium
- Silver
- Uranium
Check out our "Water Q&A." "
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Although the worst offender won't show on the report: copper from your own pipes. At best, you'll see the results of a random sampling of water in a few homes in the district.
Your local report suggests that 10% of Austin water users have copper over 20 ppb. I personally would not use 20 ppb copper.
PatW
2500 Club Member
Here in central Florida, tap water is really not a viable option. I tested the Nitrates and Phosphates. Nitrates came in at 1 ppm so not terrible and phosphates came in at .1 ppm which is far higher than I like. And then you have good chances of high copper, As, Pb, Cd, and so on. On top of that, there is a good chance of significant herbicides and pesticides. It is easier and safer to just get an RODI system and eliminate those concerns.
If you have a good LFS, you could buy there mixed salt water (if you like the mix they use) or you could buy their RODI water. Of course, that means you would be hauling salt water and or RODI water often. Hauling water for ATO and water changes is pretty much in feasible if you have a tank of significant size.
If you have a good LFS, you could buy there mixed salt water (if you like the mix they use) or you could buy their RODI water. Of course, that means you would be hauling salt water and or RODI water often. Hauling water for ATO and water changes is pretty much in feasible if you have a tank of significant size.
Timfish
Crusty Old Salt
There are certainly some valid concerns expressed. I used to use RO and RO/DI religiously then with an unexpected sequence of events in 2008 I maintained a system using just tapwater and didn't see any difference and my other systems after a couple years. I've had inverts spawn repeatedly now in systems with tapwater so I don't see it as a major concern. The microbial stuff is far more important in my opinion.
Here's two threads I posted locally on zooanthiids reproducing repeatedly. This first link was with them reproducing in RO/DI. This second link was with them reproducing 2 years after being switched to tapwater.
These thread on the local forum was on successful completion of the life cycle for Turkey Wing Clams in a DT. There were two additional juviniles found in 2015 and 2017 (they were lost along with one adult when some disinfectant overspray got into the tank last year)
Most recently I caught this green Rhodactys mushroom releasing gametes.
For the record I still maintian a couple systems with RO/DI. It's the long term, as in decades or centuries, that intrigues me.
This is from 2 years ago but here's an ICP test for this system
Here's two threads I posted locally on zooanthiids reproducing repeatedly. This first link was with them reproducing in RO/DI. This second link was with them reproducing 2 years after being switched to tapwater.
These thread on the local forum was on successful completion of the life cycle for Turkey Wing Clams in a DT. There were two additional juviniles found in 2015 and 2017 (they were lost along with one adult when some disinfectant overspray got into the tank last year)
Most recently I caught this green Rhodactys mushroom releasing gametes.
For the record I still maintian a couple systems with RO/DI. It's the long term, as in decades or centuries, that intrigues me.
This is from 2 years ago but here's an ICP test for this system
