To rebuild or not to rebuild

[rhang]

Hi All

 

My current setup is a 75g DT/30g sump FOWLR using tap water. The tap water will be a lesson well learned as I have ordered a Typhoon from AWI. With RO/DI water soon to be easily accessible, I am going for the real thing, a reef setup with livestock!

 

Here is where I need some good advice from you pros. The current setup of ~60lbs lr/3" ls is contaminated with tap water. I have a 29g laying around I can use as a QT to hold the current livestock while the new reef setup cycles for about 2 months or more if I am mistaken. Can the contaminated 60lbs lr/3" ls be salvaged? Can it be reused in the QT? Can the reef tank use any of it? That seems to be a lot substrate for a 29g? I have thought about several options to take and maybe you can tell me if they're good, bad, or just plain dumb ideas.

1. Scrub and transfer some existing substrate to QT. Add RO/DI to QT. Cycle QT. Transfer livestock to QT. When reef DT cycled, transfer livestock back to DT. Resuse the old cleaned substrate in DT.

2. Dumb idea. Old substrate contains silica, diatoms, high nitrate, and maybe copper. Throw all away. Start all over.

 

The objective for me is to setup the reef tank slow and properly. Option1 will definitely be slow but not proper and end up defeating the purpose of using RO/DI. Option2 may be maybe ignorant and wasteful.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated

-Rey

[jason the filter freak]

Contaminated is not the right word, I currently "have" 4 reef tanks that all operate on tap water. Depending where you are and the treatment methods of the treatment plants tap can be "safe" for your tanks. It's certainly not going to hurt your live rock it's debatable the effects on fish and corals that being said

-September tank of the month (mine and my girlfriend's) is an SPS, LPS, and Softie tank is exclusively topped off with tap water (via 4 gallon bucket filled from a utility sink 2-3 times a week) (Columbia water)

-My 47 gallon tank which is nothing but sand and water but was once a thriving mushroom and ricordea only tank (with a bta) was topped off with glasses of water right from the sink (usually 2 times a day) (Laurel water)

-My neighbors 55 gallon softie only reef which may as well be mine as I do a considerable amount of the maint on it, and I built is is topped off with tap water (Laurel Water)

- My moms 8 gallon nano cube at her job is topped off via lab grade ro/di but water changes are done via tap water made saltwater (laurel water)

- My buddies 55 gallon is topped off and also has a water changes via tap water (Ellicott city water)

 

For all of the tap water no dechlorinator is used

[rhang]

Contaminated is not the right word, I currently "have" 4 reef tanks that all operate on tap water. Depending where you are and the treatment methods of the treatment plants tap can be "safe" for your tanks. It's certainly not going to hurt your live rock it's debatable the effects on fish and corals that being said

-September tank of the month (mine and my girlfriend's) is an SPS, LPS, and Softie tank is exclusively topped off with tap water (via 4 gallon bucket filled from a utility sink 2-3 times a week) (Columbia water)

-My 47 gallon tank which is nothing but sand and water but was once a thriving mushroom and ricordea only tank (with a bta) was topped off with glasses of water right from the sink (usually 2 times a day) (Laurel water)

-My neighbors 55 gallon softie only reef which may as well be mine as I do a considerable amount of the maint on it, and I built is is topped off with tap water (Laurel Water)

- My moms 8 gallon nano cube at her job is topped off via lab grade ro/di but water changes are done via tap water made saltwater (laurel water)

- My buddies 55 gallon is topped off and also has a water changes via tap water (Ellicott city water)

 

For all of the tap water no dechlorinator is used

 

Jason, you're right. Contaminated is a poor choice of word as you've proven that tap can be used with success. Sorry if I offended anyone using tap and do not mean anything negative by it. I don't know if you've ever had to fight the algae war but I am in the middle of it right now. So bad that I have to cut my lights totally. So far algae: 1 - me: 0. May be Columbia/Laurel/Ellicott City has better water quality than Montgomey County? I am just trying to eliminate or control the algae bloom I am experiencing.

[Origami]

My feeling is that your rock is fine. Depending upon if there was still a lot of chlorine or chloramine in the water, you may have killed off some bacteria, but bacteria are resilient and the effect is not long lasting. Most nasty stuff is removed in the water treatment process. To check on your public water quality, check with your local sanitary and sewer commission and get their latest water quality / water analysis report. For much of Montgomery County, you need to look at the Potomac Treatment Plant that WSSC runs: http://www.wssc.dst.md.us/

 

Here's the link to WSSC's tap water analysis: http://www.wssc.dst.md.us/info/tap.cfm

[steveoutlaw]

You're fine. Just mix up new saltwater with the RODI and keep the existing rock.

[lanman]

You're fine. Just mix up new saltwater with the RODI and keep the existing rock.

 

+1 - not likely anything wrong with your rock and sand; just keep plugging along, but with better quality water in your water changes. Watch all of our parameters, and try to be pro-active. But the main thing is frequent water changes.

 

bob

[rhang]

Thank you all for your suggestions and link to WSSC. It's good to know I am on the right track for a newbie.