Guest Maynard June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 yoguys... my damsel died like 1 week ago....my tank is a new cycling tank...im in that cycling process...my tank has been cycling for almost 3 weeks now.... could it b my water that killed the fish? i never started it with RO water....my fault!!! is there anyway i can dechlorinize my water with chemicals? or do i have to put new RO water again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trble81 June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 Did you treat the water at all before filling you tank (like with Prime or something similar)? What are your parameters? Did you see any spikes that you would normally see during the cycle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 yoguys... my damsel died like 1 week ago....my tank is a new cycling tank...im in that cycling process...my tank has been cycling for almost 3 weeks now.... 1st that is a NONONO, you DON'T cycle a tank with LIVE FISH in it. could it b my water that killed the fish? i never started it with RO water....my fault!!! is there anyway i can dechlorinize my water with chemicals? or do i have to put new RO water again? :( :( :( There are declorinators out there that would help, short term you can use distilled water (I used on one of my nano's distilled water from FoodLion and I worked fine for a long time) but on the long run you want to buy (new or used) RO/DI Unit. Raf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 (edited) Raf is right, you don't need to use fish to cycle your tank. You could just add a little bit of food every day and keep monitoring your levels until they all drop to zero, then add clean-up crew, then slowly start to add fish. Don't feel too bad, though. You aren't the first one to do this, and I'm sure you won't be the last. (Confession time: I used black mollies to cycle my 1st SW tank ). In all likelihood you don't need to add anything but not-quite-fully-cured live rock. The die off alone will be more than enough to kick-start the cycle. Anyway, the best thing you can do now is not add any more fish until your biological filter is fully functional. A good test is to put a small piece of cocktail shrimp into your tank and let it rot and/or get consumed by critters. If you can do this without seeing any spike in ammonia or nitrite, your biological filter is ready for you to start adding fish. As for de-chlorinating tap water, you can use any of the commercial brands you will find at your LFS, just be sure you get one that deals with chloramines as well, and most important, make sure to aerate the water for at least a day before adding it to your tank. IMO though you will run into problems down the road if you use tap water. Far better, as Raf says, to use distilled water from the grocery store now and save up for a RO/DI unit if you are serious about staying in the hobby. Edited June 20, 2007 by Rascal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maynard June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 thnx guys.....i really want to get a ro/di system...but i have no place to put it? wheres a good place to put that unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamal June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 you dont have to mount it. you can put it iin a closet until needed so it wont take up space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaironman June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 thnx guys.....i really want to get a ro/di system...but i have no place to put it? wheres a good place to put that unit? I purchased a heavy duty 32 gallon trash can (rubber/plastic) from Lowes and put it outside near the water hose in the back of my house. Every week, I plug in my RO/DI and fill it up within 8 hours of running since my basement does not have a sink setup yet and has been doing that for a few years. KLee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 wheres a good place to put that unit? I have mine in the laundry room under the sink until is needed, doesn't really take much space. Raf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almon June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 I purchased my 1st RO/DI unit and have it conveniently mounted above my reservoir and next the the water outlet and drain. That was in March. For the previous 22 years I used only tap water, very successfully. Many times not adding dechlorinators because I would run the water for several days using carbon. Never had a problem. I would always use a dechlorinator if I was using the water immediately. Julian Sprung still uses tap water without a dechlorinator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phisigs79 June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 i have tested tap water for all parameters except phosphate and everything was ok. I think the phosphate and metals in the water would be the problem causing algae blooms. If you let the water sit for a few days and use it you "should" be ok but doesnt say you wont have a issue with algae but i could be wrong. I feel better knowing my tank has the best quality water possible so when something goes wrong i dont worry "hey, maybe its the water source" but that just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 i have tested tap water for all parameters except phosphate and everything was ok. Probably varies greatly depending on where you are, and the plumbing in your house. My tap water has tested positive not only for phosphates but also nitrates, ammonia (I couldn't believe that one -- "p" water!), and copper. We use it in a 20G FW planted tetra tank, but not quite as much invested in that one. Other than that it is good for boiling pasta and that's about it. I don't even give it to the dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phisigs79 June 20, 2007 Share June 20, 2007 haha yeah copper pipes are no good! Im away from all you "city" people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JasonD June 21, 2007 Share June 21, 2007 Some tap water is great, some not so great. Some parts of AA country have very high copper levels in the tap water -- levels still low enough to be drunk by humans but that will kill corals in no time flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 I used to use tap water, but decided to stop doing it because I myself won't drink it. Can teh RO/DI units hook directly to a regular fawcett? I live in an apartment so my options are very limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 (edited) yoguys... my damsel died like 1 week ago....my tank is a new cycling tank...im in that cycling process...my tank has been cycling for almost 3 weeks now.... could it b my water that killed the fish? i never started it with RO water....my fault!!! is there anyway i can dechlorinize my water with chemicals? or do i have to put new RO water again? Dangit!! Don't suppose I could get you to come kill mine, could I?? I really want to put something else in that nano... bob Edited June 22, 2007 by lanman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 I used to use tap water, but decided to stop doing it because I myself won't drink it. Can teh RO/DI units hook directly to a regular fawcett? I live in an apartment so my options are very limited. Yes. One way is to put an adapter on the the faucet itself which has a barbed fitting for the RO line and a lever to switch the flow b/n the faucet and the RO unit. This is how I did it for the 1st 2 years. Used the bathroom sink. Another way is to tap into a cold water pipe (under the sink, for example) and get a unit with an auto-shutoff capability. Much easier. Either way, as long as you can clear out some cabinet space under a sink, you ought to be able to do it even in an apartment. Check out a site like this for some options: http://www.thefilterguys.biz/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 (edited) id get some prime reef on the bottle it says it gets rid off chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, and detoxifies nitrite & nitrate and doesnt impact ph or anything else like that id use it just to be safe my tap waters parameters were mostly fine when i was using them but the nitrates were high so i started using this just to be on the safe side and since i have ive noticed more coral growth and healthier fish Edited June 22, 2007 by Connor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 how hard is it to get a fawcett adapter? I don't see this in the immediate future, but maybe later if I know I can hook it up (can't tap into the pipes in the apt) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JasonD June 23, 2007 Share June 23, 2007 how hard is it to get a fawcett adapter? I don't see this in the immediate future, but maybe later if I know I can hook it up (can't tap into the pipes in the apt) Mine (the one Melev sells) came with all the different connections -- faucet, saddle valve, and one other. Just select the one that's easiest to use in your setup. I bought mine off of RC for $100, never used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas June 27, 2007 Share June 27, 2007 I live in a small condo and I dont have space for a fish room or i would have a Reverse osmosis filter with DI Here is what I use and have used for years. it makes water much quicker than a RO/DI system. Just slip it over the faucet and turn the water on. It is costlier than an RO unit since the cartidge needs to be changed when exhausted. On the positive side there is no waste water. I usually buy 6 cartridges at a time for around 14$ each. This unit is very convenient. Linky V http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11278/product.web David Forgot to mention you dont need to adjust the PH or electrolytes when using the water for top off purposes or making new saltwater. You do need to only when using for freshwater purposes. Salt mixes already contain all the buffers. DAvid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 27, 2007 Share June 27, 2007 don't the Britta-type filters do the same thing as that water filter? I have been buying water. Usually I can purified water at Safeway for 34 cents a gallon if I use my own refill containers, so a weekly water change of ten percent is a couple of dollars, but it's a real pain hauling jugs of water a few at a time through an apt complex and up the stairs. The purification includes RO and UV but I don't know about the DI, I'll have to look to see if it says that on the description on the machines. Some parts of AA country have very high copper levels in the tap water -- levels still low enough to be drunk by humans but that will kill corals in no time flat. I've never thought to test tap water for copper. Has anyone else in the Gaithersburg area tested it for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal June 27, 2007 Share June 27, 2007 how hard is it to get a fawcett adapter? All you have to do is ask I have one that I not using any more. FYI, you probably could tap into a pipe under a bathroom sink or something, you'd just have to replace that section of pipe before you moved out. I realize that sweating pipes is probably a little bit beyond what most non-plumbers think they are capable of, but it is a lot easier and much more fun than you would think. LMK if you want the faucet adapter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 28, 2007 Share June 28, 2007 I can't afford the unit right now, so I can't accept your offer, but thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak June 28, 2007 Share June 28, 2007 i use tap with no dechlorinator for my big system, and distilled for my pico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrubberbandman June 28, 2007 Share June 28, 2007 FYI, my wal-mart sells gallons of purified drinking, that reads 0-1 on my TDS meter, for .69 cents a gallon. which is good until you get a RO unit Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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