tap water contaminents

[Acolin]

The EPA lists 87 contaminants for drinking water, such as bacteria, nitrates, arsenic, lead, copper, pesticides, disinfection byproducts, turbidity, radioactivity, Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE, from gasoline) and perchlorate. What are the safe levels for humans? For fish? When should the beginning aquarist test their water? When should they use RO?

:mad:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've gone over that I think are the most likely problems with tap water in this article:

Tap Water in Reef Aquaria
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm

FWIW, I think most folks who can afford it should purify tap water, even if the water report looks OK. Some things, like copper, come from your own pipes.

[Acolin]

read your exceeelnt article, what about the other contaminants?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I focused on those that I thought might be worse for a reef than for people so would be higher in EPA-allowed tap water than one might want in a reef. For most others, if it is OK for you, it is probably OK for your reef.