If you are new to reefing

Screwgunner · Apr 10, 2021

Numder one most important thing in a reef ? Saltwater made with reverse osmosis deionized water there is no other way city water has chlorine or worse chloramine if you know what was in your water you would cringe at the thought of drinking it . Well water farmlands use nitrates to fertilize there field's guess where it goes. Yep in the ground. So start your reef with well water and you will see green hair algea faster than anyone else. Get a good filter for your water rodi system at lest a 4 stage . Now you need a TDS meter Total Dissolved Solids. Your DI filter will not last forever so check your water with this meter once and awhile
If it is not 0 time to change DI filter. Now you have the yor water from your tap good . Pick a salt any salt mix and stay with it do not change your brand or type. They are not the same and you want stability. Change 7 to 10 percent water a week. Now you have a good start for a reef tank.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 10, 2021

Screwgunner said:
Numder one most important thing in a reef ? Saltwater made with reverse osmosis deionized water there is no other way city water has chlorine or worse chloramine if you know what was in your water you would cringe at the thought of drinking it . Well water farmlands use nitrates to fertilize there field's guess where it goes. Yep in the ground. So start your reef with well water and you will see green hair algea faster than anyone else. Get a good filter for your water rodi system at lest a 4 stage . Now you need a TDS meter Total Dissolved Solids. Your DI filter will not last forever so check your water with this meter once and awhile
If it is not 0 time to change DI filter. Now you have the yor water from your tap good . Pick a salt any salt mix and stay with it do not change your brand or type. They are not the same and you want stability. Change 7 to 10 percent water a week. Now you have a good start for a reef tank.

Mine is generally 2 and I am algae free and pest free. Unless at high levels, chloromines are not a harmful substance as expressed. I used full tap water with a 360g I had with zero issues (see below)
You are Not incorrect but it isn’t as critical as described

ScottR · Apr 10, 2021

My RODI water clocks in at 1-2 and I tested it and there’s not much in it. Nothing to worry about. But that 1-2 could vary depending on your local water supply. Unfortunately TDS meters can’t test for chloramines. So even if you read as zero, it doesn’t mean chloramines aren't present. I like to change my carbon block regularly just for this reason.

Screwgunner · Apr 10, 2021

That is a good point . I only have chlorine that is removed by charcoal and evaporates out of water quickly. Chloramine is chlorine and ammonia to gether and is much harder to remove
There are special carbon filters for that. Choromine is used in big city's like New York. TDS can be above 0 . Look at that beautiful tank . He is running 2 TDS that is good my water out of my faucet is 380 . That is city water . Not good for a reef. You have been reefing for a while with that tank . I am trying to let beginners know. That water quality is key. To a successful reef.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 10, 2021

ScottR said:
My RODI water clocks in at 1-2 and I tested it and there’s not much in it. Nothing to worry about. But that 1-2 could vary depending on your local water supply. Unfortunately TDS meters can’t test for chloramines. So even if you read as zero, it doesn’t mean chloramines aren't present. I like to change my carbon block regularly just for this reason.

You nailed it. Only total dissolved is measured

ca1ore · Apr 10, 2021

Screwgunner said:
Well water farmlands use nitrates to fertilize there field's guess where it goes. Yep in the ground. So start your reef with well water and you will see green hair algea faster than anyone else.

I looked into this years ago and could not get a definitive answer. OK, where I live in CT isn’t big farmland country, but my well is 400’ deep and pulling from a major aquifer. Hard to see how groundwater pollution would affect that for many hundreds of years LOL. Not debating the importance of a good RODI system - its an important part of the puzzle.