You can make tap water safe for your saltwater aquarium by using dedicated water conditioners. The conditioner will help remove harmful additives and purify the water for your reef tank. However, the safest and best way to make tap water safe for saltwater aquariums is to use an RO/DI system.
Knowing what’s best for your aquarium is essential, whether it’s a hobby or a new entry into the marine world! And today, I’ll be teaching you the most accurate way to use tap water for your reef tank. Keep reading!\
How to Make Tap Water Safe for Saltwater Aquariums?
The tap water we use is safe for consumption, washing, and even watering plants. But tap water can pose many issues for your aquarium, specifically a saltwater aquarium! I once used untreated tap water in my reef tank, leading to marine life almost dying in the tank.
While the fish survived, the coral life didn’t! This is mainly because tap water contains many harmful additives, such as chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia. All three harm the fish and the plant life in your reef tank.
So, I found two methods to work not only for me but many fellow aquarium owners. One is to use water conditioners or purifiers. And the other is to use an RO/DI system.
Let’s talk more in-depth about both and learn how you can use them to treat your tap water as well:
Method 1: Treating tap water using water conditioners
Several water conditioners are available in the market to treat tap water for your aquariums. You can also find water purifiers or conditioners made to treat water for saltwater tanks.
The conditioners come in the form of liquid gel. And usually, you’d only have to mix 1-2 caps per gallon. The conditioner bottle should have proper instructions. This is the water conditioner I used.
Mix the conditioner, let the water sit, and mix overnight before filling the tank. This allows the water temperature and mixture to sit properly.
One problem I faced was that the conditioners did a great job removing the chlorine and chloramine from the tap water. However, I didn’t see a drastic improvement in the water life.
This is mainly because, in my area, the water contained a few more additives that the conditioner couldn’t remove.
Contact your local water treatment facility and ask them which chemicals are used to treat the water. This way, you can choose the right water purifier for your tap water.
Method 2: Treating tap water using an RO/DI system
An RO/DI system is undoubtedly the best way to treat tap water for saltwater aquariums. Especially for my saltwater aquariums, the RO/DI system was a life changer!
The usage is also pretty simple; you can find RO/DI systems online or at your local pet stores. And they don’t cost a fortune but save you a ton! Ensure you do not buy an RO system but rather a RO/DI (reverse osmosis with deionization), specifically made for saltwater aquariums.
The RO/DI system cycles your water through a filtration process which keeps the harmful contaminants out of the tap water when used in a marine tank. The water stays healthy and clean for your fish friends to live a happy aquatic life right in your domain!
You can also buy RO/DI treated water from some pet stores, which you can then fill your tank with. However, for the long run, I would advise getting yourself an RO/DI system like this one!
Pros and Cons of Using Tap Water in a Saltwater Aquarium
Now that we’ve discussed how you can treat your tap water for your saltwater aquarium let’s talk about the upside and the downsides. As I mentioned, I have experienced the worst and best of tap water while using it for my reef tank.
And from my experience, using treated water can save you money and time. And, of course, tap water is widely available. However, if I had the resources, I would invest in not using tap water at all.
This is mainly because tap water is made for human consumption. But the water can be rough and even deadly for your saltwater fish, especially for saltwater plant life. Here are some more pros and cons of using tap water:
Pros:
- Saves resources such as time and money
- Allows more regular water changes
- Treatment at home is more trustworthy than 3rd party supplier
- Easier to maintain for multiple aquariums.
Cons:
- Threats can remain even after treatment
- Water conditioners don’t always work fully without proper treatment.
- Prevents important bacteria growth, which is harmful to marine life
- Can kill or harm saltwater fish if untreated
- Will kill the saltwater plant life if untreated
What Happens if You Put Untreated Tap Water in a Saltwater Aquarium?
The marine life in your saltwater aquarium can experience a lot of harm if the tap water isn’t treated properly. As I mentioned earlier, the tap water supplied to us is made strictly for us. Not for saltwater fish or plants.
In my experience, untreated tap water led not only the coral and other plant life to die but also harmed the saltwater fish in my reef tank. The additives in the tap water are in small amounts, which doesn’t harm surface animals or plants.
However, for marine life, chlorine, chloramine, ammonium, etc., are harmful no matter how small the amount. So, ensure proper use of water conditioner or better install an RO/DI system, as I mentioned, to keep your saltwater aquarium healthy for marine life.
Conclusion
In some cases, the water conditioners may not work properly. However, if the RO/DI system isn’t working for you, I would advise replacing the system!
As marine life strictly belongs in the marine world, caring for them when their lives are in your hands is essential. I’m sure you can have a better aquatic journey with your saltwater aquarium using this article.