sillicates

I have been having to use tap for topoff's and WC's I use stuff to clean the water so I can use it..is there something at the LFS that will remove the sillicates also? After WC's I have real bad diatom bloom's and it makes the tank look like mud....
Danny

 

Danny, you can't "clean" water of contaminants. You can remove certain things like ammonia, chloramines, even phosphates if you run it through a phosphate reactor--but you can not remove nitrates with liquid from a bottle you'd buy at an LFS.

Tap water for topoffs is crazy bad. If you're willing to spend $15 or more for a bottle of something that might get rid of phophates, silicates, chlorine, whatever; why not consider getting an inexpensive RO/DI? You can get a decent RO/DI from airwaterice for $90.

I realize you state that you "have to" use tap water for topoffs, and I know I'm not addressing your original question here, but why would you? If necessary, buy distilled water from the supermarket until you can get an RO/DI. When you add tap water to a reef tank you're contaminating it. Adding contaminated water to a reef tank is suicide.

 

I agree with reefsparky, RO/DI water would sort out your problems.

 

+Right now I am trying to get a fuge plumbed in and I am on SSDI and the gov doesnt give alot....after getting set up I can afford it I will get an RO/DI and it will be next month...I have no WC's needed until then....I also have other things to pay for .. everything in my tank seems fine except the brown star and the GSP....So I should have the fuge plumbed in this month and next month I will get an RO/DI....

 

Well since we're talking a month; and no water changes during that time--I'd just use store bought distilled for the time being.

 

To answer your question directly, no there is nothing you really can add in tank to get rid of silicates. The best way is to not allow them to enter, or do WC with source water that has no silicates. FWIW diatoms are a very nutritious alga. Many items love to eat it both while grazing and once you scrape it into the water column.

 

i would agree that buying water from the store will be your best short term bet. I would not use distilled, however, unless you KNOW they were not distilled using copper. I used water from the Culligan machine for 1.5 years. it was a pain to tote, but at only 40 cents a gallon, worth it for the health of my reef. RO/DI is much better, but the machine was MUCH better than tap water. So go get some RO water from a culligan machine. its cheap and you can bring any container you want to fill.
Oh, also, i know the walmart around us also sells gallons of "drinking water" that if you read the label they are really RO water, so thats an option too.

 

would adding a few cups of treated tap water help start a diatom bloom? I've heard pygmy angels love the stuff and my potter is not into flakes.

 

Yes it would, it would also encourage other pest algal growth and possibly slime algae as well. By raising nitrate and phosphate levels. If you do use tap water I would keep a check on calcium levels, over time these can creep up and can inhibit coral or coralline growth as high levels of phosphate will bind with the calcium and lock it up.