Anemone keepers: Do you use tap or RO water?
 

In Joyce Wilkerson's book, Clownfishes, she has a section on anemone husbandry and she references the "anemone survey" she did several years ago. She found that those respondents that use tap water are 6 times as likely to successfully keep an anemone alive 2 or more years. So, I wanted to ask those of you with anemones more than 2 years old whether you use tap (dechlorinated/dechloriminated) RO, DI, RO/DI, distilled, or some other variation such as water sent through a water purifier for human consumption?

I used tap a LOOONG time ago with a Condy (FOWLR ) and this thing got huge fast...but that was also my first SW tank.

I had an RBTA over 2 years with all RODI.

I started out using Tap when I first got into the hobby and had NO success with anemones. Since then I have progressed to using RO/DI and have had great success.

I think RO/DI is a must for a reef tank.

7 year old Haddoni
9 month old Haddoni
7 year old BTA ( recently sold )
1 year old LTA

RO/DI the whole time.

RO/DI here. Chicago water is great but not good enough for a reef tank.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11511310#post11511310 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Engine 7 [/i]
[B]RO/DI here. Chicago water is great but not good enough for a reef tank. [/B][/QUOTE]

I agree, but sure makes the RO/DI filters last a long time. :)

Thank you all for the responses, appears RO/DI is winning. Anyone else?

I think phender kept a H. crispa for years using tap water.

Ive been using water from my local spring. TDS reads 47ppm.

haddoni - 2.5 years
gbta - 1.5 years

I recently switched to a Kold Ster-il Fin-L-Filter System so we will see how that goes.

I did use RODI water for a wile but my tap water reads 53ppm so I stopped using it.

Re: Anemone keepers: Do you use tap or RO water?
 

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11509529#post11509529 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by garygb [/i]
[B]In Joyce Wilkerson's book, Clownfishes, she has a section on anemone husbandry and she references the "anemone survey" she did several years ago. She found that those respondents that use tap water are 6 times as likely to successfully keep an anemone alive 2 or more years. So, I wanted to ask those of you with anemones more than 2 years old whether you use tap (dechlorinated/dechloriminated) RO, DI, RO/DI, distilled, or some other variation such as water sent through a water purifier for human consumption? [/B][/QUOTE]
I took part in that survey. I won't publicly comment on it here.
I've always used RO water in my reef aquarium(s). Not only am I keeping anemones alive, but they're reporoducing in my systems.
Since the quality of tapwater can (and does) vary from time to time it's seems foolish to risk using it.

[img]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/512/7144136_3668.JPG[/img]
[I]Macrodactyla doreensis spawning in my aquarium[/I]

Again, thank everyone that has responded. It seems the consensus on here points toward the use of RO/DI for success in keeping anemones long-term, though success can also be had with the use of tap directly. With tap it is so variable depending on locale and even within a given locale there can be variations in water quality depending on weather, etc. Thanks again and any other responses are welcome.