water filter or muni water

[rsarvis]

[sorry, reposting this as a main topic, 'cause i didn't get much response when i tagged it onto the end of an older thread]

 

can ya'll tell me the advantages and disadvantages of using either a water filter or municipal water?

 

right now, i'm leaning toward not using a filter and just dechlorinating and dechloraminating (is that a word?). i know fairfax county does free chlorine part of the year and chloramine the rest of the year, should i still worry about both year-round, or just in the switchover months? do i need to find out how much of each is in the water, and if so how do i do that?

 

also, i read that fairfax is planning to start (not sure when) adding ozone to the water to enable it to decrease the amount of chlorine/chloramine added to the water. what do i need to know about ozone?

 

thanks.

[stevil]

Advantages of using an RO/DI filter will reduce the amount of unknown elements into your water which has the net effect of reducing algae blooms, which is particularly an issue when starting up a new tank, but can continue to plague you.

 

Disadvantages are cost, but that is relative. It's at least $60 to get a basic RO/DI unit, average will be $100, and depending on how much water you need per day you might need a more expensive one. You'll also need to buy replacement filters every year. Another possible disadvantage is water waste - in order to get purified water, some of it must go down the drain (or if you are creative you can find other uses for it.. watering the plants, etc...)

 

Personally, I wouldn't go with straight tap water and dechlorinators... I think the RO/DI investment is well worth it.

 

How big are you planning your tank to be? You can also buy it from local stores - folks with small tanks tend to find that a cost effective alternative.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Another R/O advantage is that you can also drink the water. I do.

 

Figure the saving for buying bottled water if you buy bottled water.

[quazi]

An RO/DI filter is the most important piece of equipment I have. I have gone through 2 close to tank crashes when I did not pay attention to the quality of water coming out of my RO/DI unit. I would not skimp on this if you plan on keeping a thriving marine tank.

[emissary]

I strongly advocate the use of an RO/DI system for all water going into your aquarium.

[jason the filter freak]

If i could afford the RODI system, I would love one, and would use one religiously, I use tap water now and haven't really seen any negative effects, still I'd reccomend getting one when you can, I plan to

[rooroo]

I used tap water for a year and found that using an ro/di significantly affected the inhabitants positively. If you can afford it and have the place to store the filtered water, its well worth the investment. If you do go with tap water, you should always treat your water for both chlorine and chloramine. You can use either Seachem Prime or Tetra Aquasafe as both treat for both chlorine and chloramine. There are others out there that work too, just be sure to read the lable and be sure it treats for both.

Edited January 2, 2007 by rooroo

[inedukated]

Get an RO/DI unit. It's a little expensive, but once you make about 20-30 gallons of water, you start to realize how much you'll save in the long run, and it only gets better the more you use it.

 

I used to use tap water, and very seldom did water changes because I was afraid of all the chemicals in the water....but now that I have RO/DI, I change a small amount (5gal) twice a week, and I've seen tremendous benefits. Everything looks clearer and fish and corals look happier.

[jwildman]

Can't agree more .. get a RO/DI unit, it will make life easier and reduce a number of problems you will have with city water

 

Get an RO/DI unit. It's a little expensive, but once you make about 20-30 gallons of water, you start to realize how much you'll save in the long run, and it only gets better the more you use it.

 

I used to use tap water, and very seldom did water changes because I was afraid of all the chemicals in the water....but now that I have RO/DI, I change a small amount (5gal) twice a week, and I've seen tremendous benefits. Everything looks clearer and fish and corals look happier.

[Guest beatle]

I ran my 20g -> 37g tanks for the past 6 months on tap water (Fairfax County) treated with Prime. I never really had any problems along the way, though I couldn't grow coraline. I've heard it's a must when dealing with some of the more challenging corals, but I've not had a problem yet with my fish. My soft corals seem to be doing well, but it has only been a few weeks. I plan to pick up an RO/DI unit eventually, but my "low tech" setup has been good so far.

[rooroo]

Heres a link to the water quality report for Alexandria.

 

Lead and nirate results look good. Copper might be a little high, but I'm not really sure what the acceptable level is for a reef aquarium. Will look that up.

 

No info on silica or phosphate. But it seems the most feared are acceptable.

 

This article is a really good read about using tap water in a reef aquarium.

 

Edit: Copper levels seem to depend on your home and the kind of piping in your home. Best to purchase a copper test kit and test it yourself. The 90th percentile levels seem acceptable for a reef aquarium but you cant be sure as your neighbor may be fine while your house is not. As Randy suggests, run the water for a few minutes before placing in a storage container. Be sure to use a good dechlorinator that removes chloramine too. And if your at all worried as water conditions change all the time with public water, you should get an RO/DI.

Edited January 2, 2007 by rooroo

[Guest beatle]

I'm not sure if that's the water report for those in the City of Alexandria or those in Fairfax County. My address is in Alexandria, but I get my water from Fairfax County. Here is their water quality report. One of their chemists, Eileen, is even nice enough to call me whenever they switch from chloramine to free chlorine.

[rooroo]

Wow, Fairfax county spent some money on a graphic designer for that report! Well, it seems that everything is ok with his water, the only concern again being copper. 1.3 ppm (parts per million) (action level) is above what Randy suggests, he says something in the range of 0-100 ppb (parts per BILLION) might be acceptable. Get a copper test kit and check regularly.

 

Either way, you should always treat for both chlorine and chloramine when using tap water. That way you don't have to worry about it. Use Seachem Prime or Tetra Aquasafe (you can get that at Petsmart). They both treat for both.

 

In any case, you're taking a gamble no matter what using tap water. I had no problems for a year and many others have never had problems either. Its up to you, but like most others recommend, a RO/DI filter is the best option for controling the water quality of your tank.

Edited January 3, 2007 by rooroo