Water Changes

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R

rich_one

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 6, 2011
1,141
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Southern Maryland
Been doing some reading, in preparation for me picking up my recently acquired, if you will, 75 gallon FOWLR setup, and I've come to a question regarding water changes.

I do not HAVE to use r/o water, do I? Can I use water from the tap... of course understanding I need to mix the salt and age the water a bit first? If I wanted to, could I use the prepackaged salt water they sell at Petco (I understand it's an expensive option... I'm just asking about its viability for right now)? Just covering my bases so I have my water change plan ready to go. Thanks for the opinions!

-Rich
 
First off I would advise against the water from Petco. Its friggin expensive $12 for 5g, plus because its been stored in a closed container the pH is WAY too low. I buy (for now) premixed saltwater at my local saltwater store for 1.15 a gal. ( $5.75 for 5g). You technically do not have to run RODI water however it is advised. Most municipal water systems contain, nitratesm phosphates and other nasties that will could cause algae blooms, diatoms or even tank crashes. Have you ever gotten a water analysis from your local water company? Or have you ever had your tap check for quality? From my point of view its just a good idea to use RODI unless you are sure you have quality water from the tap. That being said My LFS also sells pure RODI (no salt added) for like 60 cents a gallon then you can mix it yourself...
 
TMartinez said:
First off I would advise against the water from Petco. Its friggin expensive $12 for 5g, plus because its been stored in a closed container the pH is WAY too low. I buy (for now) premixed saltwater at my local saltwater store for 1.15 a gal. ( $5.75 for 5g). You technically do not have to run RODI water however it is advised. Most municipal water systems contain, nitratesm phosphates and other nasties that will could cause algae blooms, diatoms or even tank crashes. Have you ever gotten a water analysis from your local water company? Or have you ever had your tap check for quality? From my point of view its just a good idea to use RODI unless you are sure you have quality water from the tap. That being said My LFS also sells pure RODI (no salt added) for like 60 cents a gallon then you can mix it yourself...
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Ah... cool. That's good to know. I'll have to check that out. Only stores near me, unfortunately, are Petco and Petsmart, and Petsmart has ZERO saltwater products really, other than Instant Ocean. I've never had my water checked. I do currently have four freshwater aquariums, and I've had various fish spawn regularly. So from a freshwater perspective, my fish seem to love the water. Of course, that's freshwater... not saltwater. So I don't know. I'm not TOO worried about an algae bloom, becuase I believe I can combat that, if necessary, with a refugium... right (please correct me if I'm wrong). But I DO NOT want to have tank crashes... so like you suggested, I'll check with pre-mix and/or RO options at Petco, and go from there.

Thanks for the tips!

-Rich
 
I tell people that freshwater aquariums are a box you keep fish in. Saltwater aquariums are miniature ecosystems

While your freshwater tanks are fine with tap water that had been dechlorinated, saltwater reacts differently to small amounts of chemicals and minerals. And while a refugium will assist in keeping nitrates and phosphates down (assuming you are using a macro algae) that's not to say it will eliminate it. If you have a higher concentration you will have it growing in your tank as well. Plus things like diatoms which is a small unicellular organism which will thrive off imprper water conditions...

Where in south maryland are you?
 
I live in Waldorf, MD... Charles County. Thanks for the info. Really helping me shape how I will go about water changes. I really appreciate all of the input, given how new this is to me.-Rich
 
buying the pre mixed from a local fish store is the easiest. and yes rodi is very helpfull. you will be a much happier salty fish keeper. there are enough other things to worry about without adding more nitrates and phosphates.
i would def do a refuge with macro algea. i also grow macro in my tank for my fish. its a good way to counter act over stocking. it will eat up alot of nitrates and phosphates that algea and red slime would otherwise thrive on.
its all a learning game. read as much as you can and make your own decisions on what you think is right for your tank. experiment with diff stuff, just have fun with it.
hope it all comes out good for you in the end!
 
Thanks! So, it is a 75 gallon tank with, I don't know... maybe 50 or 60 pounds of live rock or so. I obviously want to add more rock, over time. Can I just add dead rock to what is already in there live, or should I continue to add pieces of live rock? Also, can I add pieces of live rock over time? No way I can afford a huge amount at once.

I know that particular question is off topic a bit, but I figure since I'm the OP... LOL... thanks guys and gals!

-Rich
 
you can add dead rock or live rock but if you add live, add slowly as the die off will add to the bioload before its reestablished. You can buy the premium reef RODI from premiumaquatics.com for like $150... This will pay for itself in no time flat instead of buying premixed salt water.
 
I'm buying an RODI unit myself, and with a larger tank it will definitely pay for itself quickly. As for buying live rock I recommend at least 50% pound per gallon meaning if you have a 75g tank then you want 37.5 lbs of live rock and fill in the remainder with "dead" rock. That being said you need to work slow, don't throw a bunch of fish in there at once. Slowly add fish (aka bioload) and add dead liverock as you can. The bacteria from the live rock will seed over to the dead rock eventually make it live rock, but it is a slow process.
 
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