Is tap water alright to use for startup?

[jcardona1]

Will Chlorine and Chloramine dissipate if you let the water sit for about 24 hrs?

 

[kumdoalan]

Will Chlorine and Chloramine dissipate if you let the water sit for about 24 hrs?

Not the chloramine....
I let my tanks sit for a full week with the filter going the whole time and it did NOTHING to the chloramine!

You have to use a water conditioner that is made to handle chloramine.
PRIME is so easy and cheap to add, only takes a short drive down to the Local fish store to get.

I lost over 20 fish in the last few weeks because of chloramine in my tap water
.....I learned an important lesson!

 

[rdefino]

What's the best way to add Prime? And how much should be added to a brand new tank? Also, how much to add for water changes and how?

 

[johnptc]

What's the best way to add Prime? And how much should be added to a brand new tank? Also, how much to add for water changes and how?

add 10ml of prime per 100 gals


for water changes if you premix the water use in the same ratio


if you add tap water to the tank add enough prime for the whole tank eg 200 gal tank add 20 ml

 

[rdefino]

Thanks

 

[rsalinas5]

hey guys i use prime everytime i do water changes to my 55gal. but i was wondering if anyone can help.. ever since i set it up my tank the water has not cleared up.. i do the required water changes once a week. and i even bought more carbon for my filter thinking it would help. i have a emperor 400 filtering my tank. can someone please help..

 

[xspainx69]

Its pretty simple you grab a water conditioner and follow the instructions in the back of the bottle. Once you dose the tank with water conditioner wait about 24 hours then your ready to go. I am assuming the tank is cycled. If not, then you dont put anything in the tank until its cycled.

 

[kumdoalan]

ever since i set it up my tank the water has not cleared up....

I too have noiticed something like this with my own water changes.
In my case , I change about 25% of the water in a tank.
At first the water looks great!
Then I notice that the water starts to fog up.
Soon the water is very foggy and you cant see very well into the tank at all.
Then it starts to get clear again.
Finally the water is very clear!

I used to think this was all do to something going on with the filter, but now I doubt that answer...

There is something else going on here....

 

[cassharper]

For the OP:

So are you going to use RO for for waterchanges after the initial set-up?

If you are going to be using RO water, I would do the initial fillup with RO. If your tap has a TDS of 205, and start adding RO (which usually has a TDS between 2-10) you are going to be lowering GH, KH, pH, and TDS while the fish are in. Major stress. Most commercially bred fish will be fine with your tap water, but the change of every thing will not be good.

 

[rdefino]

I would rather use tap water, were it's easier. I've been using RO water along with the fish It have. Would they have any problem accumulmating to the tap water in the new tank when it's done cycling?

Over all, is the RO water the best way to go? Or is tap just as fine as long as I use prime with it?

thanks