hello dabrowns, Welcome to the forrums! You will find it very helpful as you get into this side of the hobby, and im willing to put my money on it that some of your other tanks will slowly become saltwater tanks as well:mrgreen:
Water changes are a process that is important to do correctly, however it is easy once youve done it a few times. As for the comment earlier that you cant use tap water, that is not true. depending on your local water supply there is rarely a time where tap water would be a problem. you will however need to treat the water just like fresh water (dechlorinate). ive run fish only and reef tanks for alot of years on strickly tap water, I never had a tank crash or show ant adverse affects after a change. However I did get a ro/di unit 6 months ago and have been using ro water ever since, honestly I havent noticed any change in my tanks enviroment. But all that said I would still recomend you buy a RO/DI simply cause it is safer if you decide on going with a reef tank, Thats the only reason I bought one (when youve got more invested in your tank than your new car you need alittle insurance).
The important things to remember are make your water a day or two in advance. most people buy a brute trash can from a hardware store, add the salt mix to the can to get the desired salinity. if you have a powerhead put it in the water to help mix the water and keep the water moving. also a small heater would help to get that water to the same temperature as the tank. before you add the water to the tank take a quick test of the salinity and ph, if there fairly close then your set.
A last piece of advice I give everyone, Never do anything based on one persons opinion (including me) Ive been in it long enough to see alot of disaster because people gave poor advice, and the bottom line is you invested the money, so when something dies your the one who lost. So get second opinions and do your research. Once you see what works for your tank you will have a blast, its very adictive and well worth the investment.
Hope things go well for you
Bryan