Made saltwater from tap water and added

[Wall]

So as a newbie, after the cycle was over, I took a suggestion from an LFS owner and made my salt water from city tapwater and reef salt and then changed about 10% every other day for a week. Last night I realized that maybe I have messed up by not using RODI water to mix salt and am not sure how to cure it now.

It's a two-month-old 60-gallon low-budget tank with a shrimp and a few hermit crabs in it for now. However, I wish to add a few beginner fish in a week or so but I am not sure if it's safe to add fish anymore.

Please help!

 

[LouisianaReef]

So as a newbie, after the cycle was over, I took a suggestion from an LFS owner and made my salt water from city tapwater and reef salt and then changed about 10% every other day for a week. Last night I realized that maybe I have messed up by not using RODI water to mix salt and am not sure how to cure it now.

It's a two-month-old 60-gallon low-budget tank with a shrimp and a few hermit crabs in it for now. However, I wish to add a few beginner fish in a week or so but I am not sure if it's safe to add fish anymore.

Please help!

While most people do use rodi water for reef tanks and I recommend it as well, it is not absolutely mandatory. The issue with tap water for reef tanks is twofold, firstly is the chemicals used to treat tap water, chlorine or chloramine is deadly to almost all aquatic life. This can be address with by treating the water before use with water conditioner. Second would be parameters of tap water. It can contain a lot of the things such as phosphates that we try to control in the reef tank environment.

While I would suggest that you use rodi or distilled water going forward, your unlikely to have done any harm. Just start doing your WCs with the rodi or distilled water and everything will likely be fine.

 

[Tahiti]

I would highly recommend watching BRS videos on how to set up and maintain a saltwater tank. They helped me out a ton when I first got into the hobby.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would definately suggest to switch to rodi water, and I would go to a different LFS as well, that was very poor advice. . Even when I did freshwater tanks I still used rodi water. We should do what is best for these animals in our care, not what is easiest for us.

 

[Wall]

While most people do use rodi water for reef tanks and I recommend it as well, it is not absolutely mandatory. The issue with tap water for reef tanks is twofold, firstly is the chemicals used to treat tap water, chlorine or chloramine is deadly to almost all aquatic life. This can be address with by treating the water before use with water conditioner. Second would be parameters of tap water. It can contain a lot of the things such as phosphates that we try to control in the reef tank environment.

While I would suggest that you use rodi or distilled water going forward, your unlikely to have done any harm. Just start doing your WCs with the rodi or distilled water and everything will likely be fine.

Do I need to do a big WC right now or just wait and do 20% in couple of weeks. I did 10% 2 days ago. TiA

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Do I need to do a big WC right now or just wait and do 20% in couple of weeks. I did 10% 2 days ago. TiA

you could do it over time.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

If your Shrimp and Crabs Survived, you’ll be fine. Shrimp are particularly sensitive to Water Quality. I will suggest an Iodine Test Kit, to keep your Invertebrates healthy.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, if the shrimp and hermit crabs are fine, then the water likely won’t harm fish. As mentioned, RO/DI is recommended because it’s known to be clean and toxin free (no chlorine, no excess metals - such as copper - that could cause problems, etc.) - depending on local water quality, this isn’t always needed, but it gives you a good, clean slate to work with even if it’s unnecessary for your location.

 

[exnisstech]

If your Shrimp and Crabs Survived, you’ll be fine. Shrimp are particularly sensitive to Water Quality. I will suggest an Iodine Test Kit, to keep your Invertebrates healthy.

Not saying iodine has no effect but to the OP I wouldn't bother testing iodine at this point. There is enough stuff for you to learn already without complicating things.
I've successfully kept inverts since I started the hobby and have never tested iodine.

EDIT : To much testing especially early on as a person is learning can lead to tail chasing and disappointment. Personally as a beginner I would recomend testing nitrate, phosphate, salinity, and temp. If you decide you want to keep coral then I would also test alkalinity and occasionally calcium and magnesium. There are many tests that are totally unnesseary and over complicated this hobby, especially for beginners. JMO

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If your Shrimp and Crabs Survived, you’ll be fine. Shrimp are particularly sensitive to Water Quality. I will suggest an Iodine Test Kit, to keep your Invertebrates healthy.

IMO, that iodine supplement need is a false myth in the hobby. There's no evidence that supplemental iodine is needed to keep shrimp, and most telling, there is not a single mention of the need for supplemental iodine in the water in ANY of the many papers that describe shrimp aquaculture (at least not that I have found when looking specifically for it).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So as a newbie, after the cycle was over, I took a suggestion from an LFS owner and made my salt water from city tapwater and reef salt and then changed about 10% every other day for a week. Last night I realized that maybe I have messed up by not using RODI water to mix salt and am not sure how to cure it now.

It's a two-month-old 60-gallon low-budget tank with a shrimp and a few hermit crabs in it for now. However, I wish to add a few beginner fish in a week or so but I am not sure if it's safe to add fish anymore.

Please help!

Most tap water is OK for that purpose, and some is not. Most likely it will be fine. Copper would be the biggest problem, IMO, and it is only high enough to be a substantial problem in less than 1% of homes.

 

[Wall]

So after all this learning, I'm thinking of buying an RO/DI system but on budget. Saw some on eBay such as one from the link below. Any opinions?

Keen to know if there are any other options as well.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

So after all this learning, I'm thinking of buying an RO/DI system but on budget. Saw some on eBay such as one from the link below. Any opinions?

Keen to know if there are any other options as well.

Pardon Our Interruption...

That one looks fine to me, but there are definitely other options (even on a budget). I have links for one or two more intensive ones saved on my computer that I could link in the morning if anyone’s interested (to my understanding, filters with more than 4-5 stages are only necessary if you have bad water to start with), but the most budget-friendly option I know is the RO buddie 4 stage RO/DI linked below (Edit: to add, it comes with a faucet adapter):

https://www.chewy.com/aquatic-life-ro-buddie-four-stage/dp/146155?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Aquatic%20Life&utm_campaign=19725493100&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0RrCSPn_T_fSrnWjAFkZvvq&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZ-v4YrtgQMVjxStBh2mzwEcEAQYASABEgJpXvD_BwE

 

[Wall]

That one looks fine to me, but there are definitely other options (even on a budget). I have links for one or two more intensive ones saved on my computer that I could link in the morning if anyone’s interested (to my understanding, filters with more than 4-5 stages are only necessary if you have bad water to start with), but the most budget-friendly option I know is the RO buddie 4 stage RO/DI linked below (Edit: to add, it comes with a faucet adapter):

https://www.chewy.com/aquatic-life-ro-buddie-four-stage/dp/146155?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Aquatic%20Life&utm_campaign=19725493100&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0RrCSPn_T_fSrnWjAFkZvvq&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZ-v4YrtgQMVjxStBh2mzwEcEAQYASABEgJpXvD_BwE

Great! Would love to see links to the other ones as well. From what is read RO Buddies replacement filters cost more in long run.. What is your experience on that ?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Would love to see links to the other ones as well.

I’ll try to remember to post them then.

From what is read RO Buddies replacement filters cost more in long run.. What is your experience on that ?

No personal experience with it, but it wouldn’t surprise me of buying the brand name cartridges cost more long term. I know the main complaint that I’ve heard is that the DI resin needs replaced often. That said, a lot of people buy off-brand cartridges for replacements, and some have bought refillable DI resin cartridges so they can just swap out the resin in the cartridge as needed; so I’d imagine there are ways to be frugal long-term with the system too.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I’ll try to remember to post them then.

Found one similar to but cheaper than the RO Buddie while looking through the links again:
The other links:

 

[jda]

You are OK. I start nearly all of my tanks with tap water, but then use RODI moving forward. There are probably some places where tap might be bad to start with, but you would likely know about these and not be drinking the tap water anyway. Nearly anything that was bad in tap water would affect shrimp and crabs more than fish, I would guess.

Nearly all RODI units are the same just with different costs from different vendors. The filters are also nearly all the same - like a X micron filter is likely all made in the same place just with different labels. Just find a reliable company with the best price - this is nearly never a reefing supplier. I do try and get a 99% rejection membrane and pay a bit more - saves waste water and needs less DI.

 

[exnisstech]

I would stay away from the systems like RO buddy that have the sealed cartridges. I started with one but quickly switched to a standard system that takes the inserts. The filters last longer and you can expand if you want. Maybe take a look at buckeye hydro, they are a sponsor here and their prices look competitive.

 

[coralnutz]

Tap water quality can vary hugely even just in different areas of the same town. My experience from filtered water from grocery store was that quality also varied a lot. None of them were even close to 0 tds. For such an expensive (time and money) hobby as this, I would always recommend a filter system at your house for reefing.

Best of luck with your reef.

 

[Wall]

Thanks everyone.. I'll use RO/DI going onwards and hope to maintain a healthy reef tank!!