Tap water for qt?

[Heres_doe_]

What’s the thought of using tap water for qt system? Will be using a dechlorinator. Yes or no and why?

 

[vetteguy53081]

What’s the thought of using tap water for qt system? Will be using a dechlorinator. Yes or no and why?

I would not. For starters, the amount of Alk in tap water can potentially double this number easily and affect CA and PH not to mention content of heavy metals, chloramine, polluants. flouride and other elements not contained in sea water. tap water also offers no ph buffering and note many areas have copper in their tap water which you do not want in your system. Next will be phosphates in water which will cause further issues.
As you can see - Risk is the issue
You can however use tap for 5 min Freshwater dips

 

[Heres_doe_]

I would not. For starters, the amount of Alk in tap water can potentially double this number easily and affect CA and PH not to mention content of heavy metals, chloramine, polluants. flouride and other elements not contained in sea water. tap water also offers no ph buffering and note many areas have copper in their tap water which you do not want in your system. Next will be phosphates in water which will cause further issues.
As you can see - Risk is the issue
You can however use tap for 5 min Freshwater dips

It’s for a quarantine tank not display. I wouldn’t use anything other than ro in my display. But this is my first time doing a quarantine tank.

 

[LPS Bum]

I’ve done it many times in my QT. No problems in over 12 years. Admittedly that’s a fish QT, and not a coral QT.

The only time I use RODI water in my QT is when I’m treating with copper. I don’t want to use a dechlorinator, so that’s the best option. But other than that, no problems using tap water and a dechlorinator.

 

[Heres_doe_]

I’ve done it many times in my QT. No problems in over 12 years. Admittedly that’s a fish QT, and not a coral QT.

The only time I use RODI water in my QT is when I’m treating with copper. I don’t want to use a dechlorinator, so that’s the best option. But other than that, no problems using tap water and a dechlorinator.

Ok so when treating with copper no tap. Thanks

 

[LPS Bum]

Ok so when treating with copper no tap. Thanks

Yeah, reducing agents (such as dechlorinators) can increase the toxicity of certain copper meds, like Cupramine. Best to go with RODI water if you’re medicating. Other than that, I’ve had no problems.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

What’s the thought of using tap water for qt system? Will be using a dechlorinator. Yes or no and why?

As with literally every public aquarist in the US, I’ve used dechlorinated tap water for every fish quarantine I’ve done ever. I only use RODI for corals.
That said, there are differences in tap water around the world. If it has a pH of above 7.5, TDS less than 500, no chloramines it is fine. You do need to aerate it for 24 hours before adding the salt to drive off excess trapped gasses and chlorine.
I have seen people lose fish in quarantine when they could not do needed water changes because they could not make enough RODI water to keep up.

Jay

 

[ti_lavender]

This will highly depend on your tap water as well. If you’re on municipal water, you likely can get a water report to see some of the levels in your water. Tap water varies so much.

 

[mfinn]

I've always used tap water for my fish quarantine tank.

 

[GARRIGA]

As with literally every public aquarist in the US, I’ve used dechlorinated tap water for every fish quarantine I’ve done ever. I only use RODI for corals.
That said, there are differences in tap water around the world. If it has a pH of above 7.5, TDS less than 500, no chloramines it is fine. You do need to aerate it for 24 hours before adding the salt to drive off excess trapped gasses and chlorine.
I have seen people lose fish in quarantine when they could not do needed water changes because they could not make enough RODI water to keep up.

Jay

Couldn’t sediment filter plus GAC create acceptable QT water without the use of dechloribators? Literally RO without the membrane. Can be quickly hooked up to a faucet without concerns about dealing with retention. Water can then be adjusted for excess alkalinity if that exists and once salt added the pH should stabilize based on room co2. Plus low enough micron such as with ultrafiltration will remove many pesticides or so I believe based on my research. Could be wrong and obviously tap vs well might require other considerations yet attempting TTM when lacking the facility to store enough water requires options perhaps such as this. Can also add mixed bed GFO/GAC along with CupriSorb to remove phosphates and copper along with potentially other metals such as aluminum.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I would not. For starters, the amount of Alk in tap water can potentially double this number easily and affect CA and PH not to mention content of heavy metals, chloramine, polluants. flouride and other elements not contained in sea water. tap water also offers no ph buffering and note many areas have copper in their tap water which you do not want in your system. Next will be phosphates in water which will cause further issues.
As you can see - Risk is the issue
You can however use tap for 5 min Freshwater dips

I get the theory and don't disagree - and in some areas the practice...

At the same time, my reef ran for 5+ years on no more than a (6+ year old) sediment filter, because the membrane was shot and the resin depleted (also 6+ years old). In fact, my TDS OUT was 250 and my TDS in was ~120 or so... I assume the resin was leaching back what it pulled out prior to being depleted.

I know countless people who have never run RO/DI and would bet that the vast majority of saltwater aquarium owners have never touched an RO/DI system.

 

[BeanAnimal]

This will highly depend on your tap water as well. If you’re on municipal water, you likely can get a water report to see some of the levels in your water. Tap water varies so much.

FWIW you municipal water report mostly BS - You will see annual report numbers depicting mean water parameters at the distribution source, post treatment. Not what comes out of your pipe 2, 3, 6 months later. That was delivered through miles of old pipe, contaminated with spring flood waters, etc. That and if it is really bad, they likely just lie, as they have done to cover up lead and other issue that are recently coming to light.

 

[BeanAnimal]

As with literally every public aquarist in the US, I’ve used dechlorinated tap water for every fish quarantine I’ve done ever. I only use RODI for corals.
That said, there are differences in tap water around the world. If it has a pH of above 7.5, TDS less than 500, no chloramines it is fine. You do need to aerate it for 24 hours before adding the salt to drive off excess trapped gasses and chlorine.
I have seen people lose fish in quarantine when they could not do needed water changes because they could not make enough RODI water to keep up.

Jay

Exactly - to that end, I bet that only a small fraction of reef tank owners use RO/DI. It is expensive to own and operate and a PITA to setup and maintain. It is a somewhat "new" thing anyhow. When I started, it was the "high end" rarity that people used RO/DI.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I get the theory and don't disagree - and in some areas the practice...

At the same time, my reef ran for 5+ years on no more than a (6+ year old) sediment filter, because the membrane was shot and the resin depleted (also 6+ years old). In fact, my TDS OUT was 250 and my TDS in was ~120 or so... I assume the resin was leaching back what it pulled out prior to being depleted.

I know countless people who have never run RO/DI and would bet that the vast majority of saltwater aquarium owners have never touched an RO/DI system.

I too ran a 360 g for 3+ years on well water and consider it one of my best tanks but once I added RODI, I saw vast improvement and then moved to city and saw issues with algae and cyano when I toped tank initially with city water. I also agree on municiple reports as questionable

 

[BeanAnimal]

I too ran a 360 g for 3+ years on well water and consider it one of my best tanks but once I added RODI, I saw vast improvement and then moved to city and saw issues with algae and cyano when I toped tank initially with city water. I also agree on municiple reports as questionable

Ohh I am not saying that RODI is not an improvement... but esp for FO QT, I would not likely bother with RO unless I knew for sure my municipal water was had lead, copper arsenic, etc. in it.