First Fill

[GanderGreg]

What do you guys do when first filling a new tank? I've read to only use rodi but I've also read of people filling with tap and doing every water change with rodi. What's your fill method of choice?

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

 

[EricTMah]

Don't use tap water!!!

Start it off right. Use RODI right from the get go!

You're only asking for algae issues if you start with tap

 

[heath]

What do you guys do when first filling a new tank? I've read to only use rodi but I've also read of people filling with tap and doing every water change with rodi. What's your fill method of choice?

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

oh shit, don't use tap water, I did and ended up in a hellva mess with hair algae and I was lucky, my algae was about 3 inches long, you almost needed a lawn mower and it took about 3 months to get it cleaned up, treating it every day and massive water changes every week... suit yourself but it really isn't worth the hassle....

 

[derrick orosz]

i believe its been mentioned but no tap water

 

[nathan]

Oh and no tap water!!!!!

 

[GanderGreg]

So how much tap water should i use? Jk. Thanks for the input!

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

 

[jeffopentax]

Let's get @scubasteve in on this just for fun


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[heath]

my understanding is this, could be wrong but; whatever chemical (phosphates) that is in the water will be absorbed by your rock and then leach back out...have to ask, why do you want to use tap water...I know that there are a few members here that use tap water with success but, I have learnt my lesson, never again...

 

[EricTMah]

Let's get @scubasteve in on this just for fun


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is true.
I've also seen @Kman run a full blown reef successfully with only tap water for over 10yrs.

My point is if you're unsure. Always eliminate that one variable to start with. Starting a reef from scratch and having it be easier to manage and allow to mature. You should start right. Then if you decide to switch to tap water later. Then that's their call.
Starting "fresh" with pure Rodi will help with problematic algae later in the maturing process.
It's just easier.

I'm sure both @scubasteve and @Kman will tell you that they've battled different algae problems some time in the process of using straight tap water.

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[nathan]

Here is the deal with tap water.... some city's tap water is different then others.... my tap water here is very high in nutrients. My tap water makes my grass actually grow... it's very high.... but I'd just stay away of any... better safe then sorry

 

[scubasteve]

I use "TREATED TAP" but you better have a fuge or algae scrubber. Starting out it makes learning nutrient export a lot harder unless you know your stuff rodi is easier like @EricTMah said it eliminates an element when dealing with an issue. You would really get confused if you knew what I do lol it kinda breaks all normal logic in reefing but I am sps dominant and it does work.

 

[Kman]

At one time I used to put water right from my tap and add some prime and dump it into the tank. But over the years the nutrients started to get very high in the source water in my area so I could no longer do this. Not to mention all the heavy metals you get from your pipes, toxins and other pollutants like human medications that are in our tap water. It also really depends on what you want to keep. If you wanted to do a tank with soft corals, mushrooms, a few LPS and zoe depending on your area it could work. Even then you will probably have issue with algae unless you pre treat the water. You would for sure have to pre-treat your water prior to use. Set it up in bins and run chemical filtration on them for days before use will go a long way. You should select corals that use organics as a prime source of feeding (like soft corals or mushrooms) and have a efficient fuge and filtration system. If you plan to keep SPS in a system like this you should select species that come from nutrient rich areas like a lagoon or mangrove area and use pre-treated aged water.

To be honest years ago it was plausible but with the concentrations in our source water now and all the pollutants it is not worth the extra time in my opinion. You would be spending extra money on products to help keep the water clean and then you might as well have gone RO in the first place. Most peoples source water today is to polluted to do a reef tank without issues unless you are one of the lucky ones with low levels. It is not just the organic levels you need to worry about it is all the other crap in the water that causes color issues and death in corals. Most of that stuff I mentioned at the very least slows growth. I found that the calcium skeletons were not laid down as well and were weaker then corals that used RO. It probably has something to do with something blocking the uptake and processing of calcium. (Thinking out loud here)

It is a huge hassle to switch from tap to RO water as well. I have done it and it took me months of careful water changes so I didn't shock my corals. all in all it cost me 4 months of coral growth and color during the transition.

RO is by far the preferred method. It is possible to do tap water it is just way more work and hassle and the algae issues are a pain.

 

[heath]

very good article, I think that some of us have tried it and it has bitten ( or it did for me) us in the ass big time...I don't understand why for the first fill that you would want to use it, this is going to be the foundation for a successful tank...

 

[Bece13]

FYI...
http://watersoftenerfacts.ca/my-water-hardness/
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutTheEnvironment/QualityTreatment2.asp