Tap water for starters

What would you use

  • Tap water

    Votes: 1 14.3%
  • RODI water

    Votes: 6 85.7%

  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .

Basile

Well-Known Member
Someone just tweet me that i could fill my 265 G tank faster with tap water at first for the cycling.

I was surprise by the suggestion, and wonder . I know their's no life yet in the tank, and the cycle is a few weeks to months. But i'm perplex as to this. I've research the use of tap water and some seem to use it even when they have life stock. What do you think.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Your going to go to a lot of trouble to set up the system. Don't undermine your efforts by using tap water. This can cause no end of problems.

Yes, it will take up to a few days for the RO/DI unit to make enough, but it's well worth it.

It this time, someone actually voted for tap water use. I find this hard to believe.
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Dave is right , Take Your time now at the beginning. Things You you now can affect the tank in the future. Good luck with this tank and let us know how it's going !
 

Basile

Well-Known Member
Your going to go to a lot of trouble to set up the system. Don't undermine your efforts by using tap water. This can cause no end of problems.

Yes, it will take up to a few days for the RO/DI unit to make enough, but it's well worth it.

It this time, someone actually voted for tap water use. I find this hard to believe.


I also just realized that i'll be using Prodibio products for the beginning ; the prodibio would also be compromised with the chlorine. So yep you guys are right RODI , thanks.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
You can use the Prodibio products if your want. They will not hurt anything, but they can be a very expensive way to go. I think your better off looking around for more reasonable solutions.
 

Basile

Well-Known Member
Dave is right , Take Your time now at the beginning. Things You you now can affect the tank in the future. Good luck with this tank and let us know how it's going !


For sure thanks, I'm doing my RODI water as we speak. Its not a race no , the suggestion was given to me because of all the dead matter in the tank that i can't remove from my back wall. He said it wouldn't matter if i use RO water or plain water , because of the die OFF from the macro algae stuck on the wall.

That's why he suggested just the plain water. And since i'll be doing WC every week until cycled it wouldn't matter. But i get ya , i'm in no hurry, it was just a suggestion made by someone who's pretty good at it.
 

spiraling

Well-Known Member
I considered using tap water - but mine is really good. almost no nitrate or phosphate, and TDS < 10. Even then I thought 'why chance it' and spent 5 days making RODI water. I have been learning that the slow way is usually the best way in the long run. :bounce:
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
For sure thanks, I'm doing my RODI water as we speak. Its not a race no , the suggestion was given to me because of all the dead matter in the tank that i can't remove from my back wall. He said it wouldn't matter if i use RO water or plain water , because of the die OFF from the macro algae stuck on the wall.

That's why he suggested just the plain water. And since i'll be doing WC every week until cycled it wouldn't matter. But i get ya , i'm in no hurry, it was just a suggestion made by someone who's pretty good at it.

Some additional points -

I would consider argument that the dead matter in the tank that can't be removed is why you can use tap water to be flawed. While you may have some nitrates and other products of the nitrogen cycle in the system, you don't know what is in your tap water. It would be quite easy for it to contain other unwanted items that you can't easily test for. Things like silica come to mind. A lot would depend on the actual source of the water.

I would recommend that during the initial cycle you don't make any water changes until you have seen the ammonia and nitrite levels spike and drop back to zero. Water changes before this point only slow the initial cycle process down. Once this initial cycle is complete, you can make water changes to reduce nitrates. Depending upon what happens during the initial cycle you may not even need to do that. If your nitrate and phosphate readings are low your good to go.
 
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