# ro or tap



## a rix (16 Jun 2015)

Hi guys Should I be using ro or tap water to first fill my new tank.


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## Andy Thurston (16 Jun 2015)

doesn't really matter. most plants will grow fine in fairly hard water, just dechlorinate it first if using tap. Most fish will be fine in harder water too as long as it is stable. you only really need ro if your planning on breeding soft water fish or keeping fancy shrimp


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## parotet (17 Jun 2015)

a rix said:


> Hi guys Should I be using ro or tap water to first fill my new tank.


I would say there are many aspects to be considered before using RO, which is expensive and not that easy as using tap water. The question would be: how's your tap water? Any areference analysis? How many liters per week do you need? Can you harvest rainwater? Is your first planted tank or do you have some experience? Which plants do you want to use? Do you want to breed soft water fish?

The answer to all this will point you in the right direction...

Jordi


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## a rix (17 Jun 2015)

Havnt had the tap water tested as yet however i do live in east anglia and have quite hard limescale planning on mainly tetras. Have had a tropical community tank before  but this is my first planted aquarium ive come from marines to start this. As for plants still researching atm.

Anthony


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## MirandaB (24 Jun 2015)

If you're in East Anglia,like me,then it will be rock hard,high tds and high ph which is no problem for most plants but for Tetra then not so good.
I currently do a 60/40 rainwater/tapwater mix or if I run out of rainwater then I use RO which brings it down to somewhere near reasonable levels but I'm not keeping Tetra who would probably appreciate it softer than that.


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## parotet (24 Jun 2015)

MirandaB said:


> f you're in East Anglia,like me,then it will be rock hard,high tds and high ph which is no problem for most plants but for Tetra then not so good.
> I currently do a 60/40 rainwater/tapwater mix or if I run out of rainwater then I use RO which brings it down to somewhere near reasonable levels but I'm not keeping Tetra who would probably appreciate it softer than that.


Exactly the same for me in the Spanish Eastern coast... liquid rock. I tried a few months ago for the first time the 60/40 tap/rainwater mix and I am very happy with the results (I have just shrimps for the moment, but very good results with plants also). I just buy RO when I run out of rainwater but to be honest I have only small tanks (total volume, barely 85 liters) and for weekly WCs I use about 15 liters of RO/rainwater (and the cistern where I harvest the rainwater has 1,200 liters!)

Jordi


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## a rix (24 Jun 2015)

So would i be ok to fill with dechlorinated tap water and then use ro for water changes as i wont be adding fish for a while as iam using ada aquasoil and it leaches toxins at the start


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## MirandaB (24 Jun 2015)

I can't see a problem with doing it like that,some plants such as crypts might suffer a  bit of melt when you eventually changeover to remineralised RO but they will recover


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