- Pretreat the tap water with chlorine, then dechlorinate it before pouring it into our system or making-up your sea salt mix. This method of treating tap water may be good for killing off potential bacteria that may be present, but it does not remove contributory problem chemical elements such as phosphates, nitrates and silicates that give rise to algae blooms, or heavy metals such as copper or iron that are detrimental to reef animals.
- Purchase a basic tap water filter. These types of filters may not be ideal, but they do somewhat improve water quality by removing chlorine and some contaminates, and are better than using nothing. We use a Teledyne WaterPik Filter on our kitchen tap for drinking, as well as adding top-off water to our 55 gallon aquarium.
- By prefilter the water through carbon filtration it not only removes chlorine from water, but helps to eliminate phenols, odors, and other contributory problem elements as well. Carbon filtration can be accomplished by purchasing a compact hang-on-tank type canister filter that provides a media chamber where carbon or other filtering material can added, or by making your own carbon filter like this simple PVC Water Tap Filter designed by Don Carner.
- Purchase an RO, DI, or better yet a combination RO/DI water filter unit. The initial investment may be costly for one of these units, but they pay for themselves rather quickly, and are by far the most effective water purifying filters on the market.
Next Page > Alternative Water Sources to Consider
