Water

Hello Again!
I have always used water from the water store that has already gone through the reverse osmosis process, however, I recently heard a couple say that they are using water straight from their water hose outside. Is this really ok for the tank?

 

It is not recommended at all. Tap water usually contains nitrates, phosphates, silicates, minerals and such that are not good for a reef tank. It also may contain heavy metals. The best method is to purchase your own RO/DI unit, you will save money in the long run. Some people have had store bought RO water that was very poor quality, largely due to old filters.

 

I know RO mean reverse osmosis, what does the DI stand for? And where can I buy something like this?

 

I just bought the Mighty Mite. They are a sponsor on here. They are around 109 so can't beat the price..

 

It all depends where you live and your water quality. We did it for years because of a budget crunch, but wouln't reccomend it if you can do otherwise. You'll have much less algae issues. We finally purchased a ro/di unit. reverse osmosis and deionized (I'm pretty sure) unit. We also know if water was on boil order due to broken lines we'd always have 35 gallon barrel full of water if needed. We use it to pump into Kalk barrel, for topoff water and for making saltwater. We bought a spectrum I believe.

 

Yeah I have hard water here where I live. Come to think of it I dont even drink our water unless it comes from the fridge. So it looks like i'll be buying me a Mighty Mite this weekend! = )