Edmonton Tap Water Quality

[marcingo]

Just thought I would bring this point up and see if anyone else has noticed this. So I started my tank 2 months ago and my ammonia levels have not fallen below 0.25 until today where it is 0. Then I decided to randomly check the water I was preparing for a water change and I couldn't believe it. The tester read between 0.5 and 0.75. I've been doing freshwater for 2 years before this and always used tap water and never had a problem with it. Could this high ammonia reading be some temporary drop in city tap water? I also forgot to mention that I also checked the tap water without any declorinator or salt thinking either one may be a problem causing the ammonia reading but I still got 0.5 to 0.75. I guess the point of this post is to see if anyone else has found a similar problem with tap water or if its just my pipes.

If I should stop using the tap water what do you guys recommend should I just use bottled water?

[Keen]

I use the jugs of water you can fill at the local supermarket. they tend to work quite well, and you dont need to worry about adding chemicals to it, since there is no chlorine.

[marcingo]

But then I probably need to add Calcium and other essential elements. Correct?

[kellehar]

you can buy kits to measure the ppm of calcium in your water and also you should replenish your trace elements as it used by your corals and inverts.

[Beverly]

Edmonton tapwater is treated with chloramine, which is a compound consisting of ammonia and chlorine. Depending on your test kit, you can measure about 1 ppm ammonia from local tapwater.

Many dechlorinators, like Prime and Amquel, are designed to deal with chloramine. They neutralize the chlorine and turn the ammonia into non-toxic ammonium. Again, depending on the test kit, you can measure the treated tapwater for ammonium.

Don't know what sized tank you have, but if it's a nano, you can get away with using RO water bought in 5g blue jugs at most supermarkets. If you have a larger tank, investing in an RO unit would be more economical over the long term.

[marcingo]

Great thanks. By the way my tank is a 10 gal. In regards to the RO/DI units where can they be purchased for the least:)

[rusty]

I use the jugs of water you can fill at the local supermarket. they tend to work quite well, and you dont need to worry about adding chemicals to it, since there is no chlorine.
I haven't tested it my self but I was talking to a guy who bought water from the supermarket and he tested it and it to had high ammonia levels. He was telling me that after that he tested it all the time and it was not as pure as they say it was. sometimes it to had high chlorine and ammonia, I guess you never know how often the change the filters on those machine either.:eek:

[marcingo]

Rusty.

Actually after I tested my tap water I thought why not test the water in my water cooler and see if its the same and if I'm just wasting my money. Anyway I tested it and it read 0 ammonia. (ozonated water from shoppers drug mart in the 5 gal bottles)

[GrimReefer]

you want pure water? invest in a RO unit. cost you $100 and you have never spent better money. tastes great...everything else is pershaps needless security....but still so good. you spend almost as much on a single coral...you may as well have pure water!!! that's the most important part!!! :P