Tap water !!

You are all right! I'm going through some nasty algae blooms outbreak right now and I wish I would have known that I needed to have an ro/di water system. It's only been 104 days since I started and I am getting heart broken.

So you guys think I can get away with just an RO system for now?

 

ro is a ton better than tap for sure. Just get that DI asap.

 

Yes, just treat with your dechlorinator as well.

 

You do not need nor want dechlorinators with RO or RO/DI water. They serve no purpose and many make protein skimmers go crazy. RO/DI is as pure as it gets and requires no additives or supplements. RO is going to be 90 to 98% better than tap water but I would not use it in my reef given a choice.
A high end reef quality RO/DI is only $128 from Spectrapure, the number one name in the business. RO alone is $100 so for the extra $28 it's a no brainer.

Top of the page here:
SpectraPure Water Purification Products
They don't come any better at any price.

 

I use distilled for my 20, but my lfs is offering ro for cheaper, so I'll begin to use it. I haven't had a single algae issue with distilled. I havent even seen a trace.

 

+1. You may think that you are going the cheaper way with tap water, but in reality you aren't. Impurities in tap water actually build up in your rock.

For example, I used to live in West Chester, PA, which is near the Brandywine creek... This is where they dump sewage. They then treat the water with copper and put it through our faucets. If I had not gotten an RO/DI unit quickly, the copper would have built up in my rocks, then one day, went off like a chemical bomb.

This actually just happened to Trent (Dingo). He had a tank crash due to his copper levels poisoning his tank. He believes the lethal copper levels were a result of the salt he was using.

Personally, I am strongly opposed to using unnecessary chemicals on my tank. The only real treatment I have done was the interceptor treatment for red bugs. And I dose two part using high purity chemicals (not liquid supplements). My tank is SPS dominant.

Stating the obvious, this hobby is more expensive than most. A common practice is to attempt to save money "in the long run".

As a broke college student, I understand where you are coming from. Regardless, save money, use RO/DI. By the way, if you need advice on which one or how to set it up, AZDesertRat is the most knowledgable guy on this topic on 3reef and the other major forums.

 

+1. You may think that you are going the cheaper way with tap water, but in reality you aren't. Impurities in tap water actually build up in your rock.

For example, I used to live in West Chester, PA, which is near the Brandywine creek... This is where they dump sewage. They then treat the water with copper and put it through our faucets. If I had not gotten an RO/DI unit quickly, the copper would have built up in my rocks, then one day, went off like a chemical bomb.

This actually just happened to Trent (Dingo). He had a tank crash due to his copper levels poisoning his tank. He believes the lethal copper levels were a result of the salt he was using.

Personally, I am strongly opposed to using unnecessary chemicals on my tank. The only real treatment I have done was the interceptor treatment for red bugs. And I dose two part using high purity chemicals (not liquid supplements). My tank is SPS dominant. For the most part, the corals are fully colored and are happy, without chemicals. Though, I did just move to a new apartment and simultaneously upgraded the tank to a 90, so they are a little stressed at the moment.

Stating the obvious, this hobby is more expensive than most. A common practice is to attempt to save money "in the long run".

As a broke college student, I understand where you are coming from. Regardless, save money, use RO/DI. By the way, if you need advice on which one or how to set it up, AZDesertRat is the most knowledgable guy on this topic on 3reef and the other major forums.

 

you might rethink that stuff being reef safe.. getting ready to write them an email as it wiped out all my acros and chalices. even my shrooms arent happy!!!!

 

+1 on Azdesertrat. water guru