Did I just waste my money?
I bought a fancy RO/DI unit for my new reef tank. Thinking it was the only way to go. My tank is in it`s third week of cycling, I have the usual cyano and some green hair algae troubles. Well, today I visited my local Petland Discount, they have a nice 90 gal. which, to me, looks incredible. There is no nuisance algae the 4 fish look healthy, and it has a tromendeous growth of coralline algae. So, I ask the kid what`s the secret? Turns out, nothing really. They use tap water, check salinity with a cheap plastic instrument (I use a refractometer $$$), throw in some Kent calcium, stronium, and iodine (never testing!). Lights are NO florescents and PC, maybe 300 watts total (if that).
Is anyone else using just tap water with good results? I`m thinking of using RO for drinking, and tap for my tank. I have to pay for water, just hate to pour money down the drain.
BTW, Queens tap registers 41 on my TDS scale, which is good, meaning that our tap water is pretty clean.
Paul.
I bought a fancy RO/DI unit for my new reef tank. Thinking it was the only way to go. My tank is in it`s third week of cycling, I have the usual cyano and some green hair algae troubles. Well, today I visited my local Petland Discount, they have a nice 90 gal. which, to me, looks incredible. There is no nuisance algae the 4 fish look healthy, and it has a tromendeous growth of coralline algae. So, I ask the kid what`s the secret? Turns out, nothing really. They use tap water, check salinity with a cheap plastic instrument (I use a refractometer $$$), throw in some Kent calcium, stronium, and iodine (never testing!). Lights are NO florescents and PC, maybe 300 watts total (if that).
Is anyone else using just tap water with good results? I`m thinking of using RO for drinking, and tap for my tank. I have to pay for water, just hate to pour money down the drain.
BTW, Queens tap registers 41 on my TDS scale, which is good, meaning that our tap water is pretty clean.
Paul.