need advice regarding water in my SW aquarium planning

[psariandras]

Our water is from a well, it is hard and, at least slightly, acidic.

Should I buy water and then treat it before I set up the tank, or can I use our well water and treat it then use it in the tank?

Regarding routine water changes, will I have to buy new water for each change or can I use our well water and treat it? I don't understand exactly how often I will need to change the water. (I want to have 29 or 55 using berlin filtration(ideally) and plan to have a goby/pistol shrimp and one other fish perhaps) as the tank starts out.

Different magazine articles have different guidelines for the frequency and amount of water in water changes. Different sources have given me contradictory information. Would I need to change 20% weekly or monthly under ideal conditions with the goby/pistol shrimp(maybe one other fish) using the berlin filtration method, or would I need to change the water less? I am thinking specifically about once the tank is cycled and parameters are stable(although I don't know what things should be starting out either).

I appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks in advance.


--psariandras

[chickenhawk]

Before we moved, our well water had way too many minerals leached from the ground. No matter how I treated it, I never fully got it safe....trust me, I tried. I found it safer to buy purified water at the store when they had sales. However, this was for a 12 gallon tank. Also, I'm still a newb, so take this how you will. Good luck!

[rockethippo]

Depending on how your store water is like, a RO/DI unit will be better.