is RO water crucial?

[armyvet]

Hello, great forum. Well I took your advice from my last postings and obtained some playsand. It is not Southdown, but it is screened, washed and dried playsand with the consistency of sugar. Non silica. Should work out fine. My new question is this. I have read alot of threads and alot of people seem to use RO water. I am starting out with a FOWLR tank. Is it critical to use RO water? I have read that there are chemical water conditioners that can be used instead to prepare tap water. Eventually I would like to add maybe one or two anemones( after I get a couple years experience). Would non RO water work for FO but maybe hurt anemones? Ro units look to be very expensive and if it is not a must I could use the money elsewhere. And lastly, once my tank cycles can I add all the LR since there are no fish in yet? Then when readings reach normal add the fish? I plan on buying cured LR. I have a 36gal tank and am planning on getting about 30-35 lbs of LR. Thanks for the help.

[mogurnda]

>Is it critical to use RO water?

Depends on your water supply. I use RO because my tap water has a lot of nitrate. If your tap water is decent, then it's not necessary. Just use a chloramine remover, like Prime, before mixing your salt.

>Would non RO water work for FO but maybe hurt anemones?

Pretty much the same answer as above. By the time you want to add an anemone, you will have a better idea of the condition of your tapwater.

>And lastly, once my tank cycles can I add all the LR since there
>are no fish in yet? Then when readings reach normal add the fish?

More or less. Even cured rock will have some die-off, so you'll want to keep an eye on ammonia and nitrite.

Good luck, and keep posting!

[Cearbhaill]

I chose to go with RO/DI water because it's one varaible I can control. I figure I'll be seeing lots of problems in my initial few months so why let one slip by when I can nip it in the bud.
I think it's purely a $$ situation- do the best you can afford.

[armyvet]

Is there a test I can do to determine if RO is necessary? Is there a rule of thumb as far as readings go? We have city water here, no deposits on faucets, showerheads, etc.... We have a filter in our fridge that is part of it for the icemaker and water supply, and a filter on the kitchen faucet. However most of the time we drink water without using the filter and we always cook using unfiltered water. Seems ok to me. If I do decide to use an RO unit any suggestions? How elaborate of a system do I need. I have seen some online upwards of $500. Also, any suggestions on a protien skimmer? I am gathering all my hardware up and plan on starting this tank in a few weeks. Doing some research so I do it right from the get go and don't waste too much $. Thanks for all the help.

[Cearbhaill]

Doing some research so I do it right from the get go and don't waste too much $.
That was my plan as well.
I went with a blemished Euroreef skimmer from H20tropicals.com. It is the same full warranty as any Euroreef only about $100 less with cosmetic damage. I can't even find the blemish on mine.

I ended up with a Kent Maxxima RO/DI unit but I believe cheaper models are out there- especially on Ebay. Here's one for $149 (http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/tank/ro_di.html) that is particularly recommended. Just be sure to get a high enough gph- these things are s-l-o-w.

You could test your tapwater for phosphates and silicates, or buy RO/DI water from a machine. But with your own unit you are sure it is being maintained properly and you only have to buy it once. It will go a really long way in controlling algae.