Reassurance please

[DiverDude]

Originally Posted by Samshung

Firstly, I haven't been using RO water. Rather I've been using Brita filtered tap water (I hope I don't get forum ostracized for admitting to this). Yes it's slower than watching grass grow but it was cheaper than a $300 RO system. I do plan on getting one down the road though.

If you have the patience to filter tank water with a Brita, then you likely have the patience to do well with your tank !

I bit of advice: If you plan on using RO/DI water, get a filter system NOW. I made the mistake of setting up my tank and running it for about a month (with weekly water changes) and it's just a 30 gal. I spent over $50 on water from the supermarket and that $$ should have gone towards the RO/DO system that I knew I was going to buy later anyhow.

Also, water changes are the bane of any reefer but they are incredibly important. Given that, you need to spend some time (and $) making sure that it's as easy and convenient as possible and that means being able to make your own water. Finally, if something ever goes wrong in your tank, you need the ability to do substantial (30%, 40% or more) water changes as quickly as possible. Being able to make water quickly (and keeping some on hand as well is always a good idea) is invaluable for this. For this reason, you should always have 1/4 bucket of salt (or more) on hand at all times !

[intarsiabox]

There are lots of people in BC along the coast that just use tap water without issue. Hopefully someone from Vancouver will chime in to verify whether or not an RO/DI unit is required. You could also look at a phosban reactor with phosphate removing media such as Chemipur Elite or the like, again only if it is required.