Should I do a water change w/Tap water in Fish/Live Rock Tank?

Roks-Sharky

Roks-Sharky

Member
We just had tiles put in our kitchen and laundry room. They never reconnected the laundry room sink which means my R/O filter is disconnected. I am feeling very lazy and don't feel like reconnecting the sink myself, it requires a trip to Home Depot.

I want to do a major water change with tap water. How bad of an idea is that? It used to be a reef tank. Now I have a Picasso trigger, yellow tang, Hippo Tang, Chromis, PJ Cardinal & firefish and about 150 pounds of slimy rock? Can't be worse? Can it?

People who don't know nothing think it looks great! :faces:
 
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ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Not the best idea, but sometimes impossible to avoid. Do you have somewhere local you can buy RO DI water by the gallon?
If you're set on doing a water change before hooking up the RODI, do you have a test kit that you can test the tap water for the major stuff - phosphates, etc?
 
Roks-Sharky

Roks-Sharky

Member
ReefLady said:
Not the best idea, but sometimes impossible to avoid. Do you have somewhere local you can buy RO DI water by the gallon?
If you're set on doing a water change before hooking up the RODI, do you have a test kit that you can test the tap water for the major stuff - phosphates, etc?
Click to expand...


Yes I have a phosphate test ket! Just pulled it out on your advice, but guess what! It requires distilled water!
 
Dentoid

Dentoid

Smile Maker
PREMIUM
Why start bad habits? Having a marine tank requires a committment, get off your lazy butt and get your RO/DI unit working! :poke:
 
Luukosian

Luukosian

Well-Known Member
Unless its an emergency water change for some reason or another I would just wait until its hooked up. Odds are tap will be worse than whats in the tank...point of a water change in fish only is to get rid of nitrates and all that bad stuff which the tap water will just replace.

Think of it this way....the trip to home depot to hook up ro will probably take less time than cleaning all the algae after putting tap in the tank.
 
Jeremy0322

Jeremy0322

Active Member
Go to walmart of Giant Eagle and by distilled water, it comes in an orange capped clear jug. Its fairly cheap, and thats what i have been using since the start, its good stuff.
 
Emg

Emg

Member
It seriously depends on your quality of tap water. I've been using my tap since I started up my first reef in 2006......but my water comes from a community deep underground aquifer in a small town and is very soft.....and obviously is low in phosphates because I get almost no algae except for that nuisancy hard to scrape off little green circles here and there.

I'd go with Luukosian and just wait as long as there isn't any issues to deal with in the tank.....now go git those fittings.... ;)
 
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