Using a RO

[SiNiStEr NaTiOn]

I was wondering, could I use a straight up RO unit for water. or would I still need to use chemicals to treat chlorine and chloramine? If I can then I'll save the money to get one, then down the road when I start on my reef build again I'll buy DI for it, for the reef water.

Or would RO/DI be a good choice for FW tanks.

If I can use either RO or RO/DI without the use of chemicals to treat the water I prefer to go that route?

I would like to get everyone view on using plain RO or RO/DI for FW tanks.

 

[BLAKEJOHN]

I dont think it is really needed. I was told that RO/DI was bad for freshwater fish, but I use it. I guess it depends on the type of water the fish come from. Personally I would wait and save the money to get one for your reef. If you dont need to spend the money on the unit and replacement filters for freshwater, then I would wait. But just as you researched for SW do the same for your FW. I am very limited in FW knowledge. So dont take my word for it.

 

[SiNiStEr NaTiOn]

But just as you researched for SW do the same for your FW.

Don't worry about that BlakeJohn, I will be doing the research on FW as extensive like I do with SW.

 

[livingword26]

In saltwater, you put everything back in the ro/di water that is needed with the salt mix. In freshwater that does not happen. Ro water would not only be unhealthy for the fish, but you would not be able to grow any plants.

 

[minicrazy592]

You may want to check out one of these. I plan on getting one for my tanks eventually to deal with the hard water we have down here.
Aquarium Water Quality: Tap Water Filter

 

[SiNiStEr NaTiOn]

The only reason I ask is I know my lfs they use the same water that they use for the SW tanks, and it's RO/DI.

I'm thinking about using a tap water filter, but not that particuliar but this one instead Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Filter It's made by API.

mini do you use a water hardness test on your water, if so what reading you get, just curious.

 

[DaveK]

RO/DI water can be used for FW systems, but since the process removes just about everything from the water, you need to replace some of it to give the water some hardness. You can use a commercial product like RO Right or similar product. See it here (offsite) - Kent Marine » Products » R/O Right Or, you can use a home brew mixture.

Some people use a mix of tap water and RO/DI water to avoid having to add something back.

You should test a FW system for pH and water hardness and adjust as needed.

The Tap Water filter by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals isn't a bad product, but it's expensive for what you get. In effect it's a mixed bed DI filter. It's good for small systems, but the replacement cartridges are expensive. Long term you are much better off getting an standard RO/DI unit.

 

[minicrazy592]

mini do you use a water hardness test on your water, if so what reading you get, just curious.

Yup I do. My tap water down here is extremely hard. When I first started the fresh tank up I used tap water. My tank read at 300gh ppm and that was as high as my test kit goes, so it actually may have been higher. Since I found out about that, I've started using a mixture of distilled water and spring water till it came down to about 100gh ppm, which is still not entirely ideal, but much better than the 300 reading. I have to watch my ph level when I'm adding this mixture or else it will drop too much. The only time I add tap water is when I'm out of the distilled and spring water which happens enough that it seems to equal out my parameters. I also have a small piece of driftwood for what it's worth in my tank.

One thing about my methods is I am always changing what I do. I observe what works and what doesn't for me and proceed as such. It's one of the reasons why I run my SW tank differently than the common excepted way of using artificial salts. Do I get flamed for it? Yes, often, so much so I do even mention my methods anymore. BigAl has wished me and my fish the best of luck and said talk to him in a year to put it in perspective. lol

Right now this method is working for me. The fish are happy, as much as one can tell, and my plants have loads of new growth and their root systems are going to town so I must be doing something right.

Test results:

Distilled:
Hardness 25GH ppm
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 0
PH 6.2

Spring water:
Harness 75GH ppm
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 80KH ppm
PH 6.8

Tap water:
Nitrates 10ppm
Hardness 300GH ppm
Chlorine .05ppm
Alkalinity 100KH ppm
PH 7.6

Tank as of 10:30am
Hardness 75GH ppm
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 120
PH 7.2
CO2 12.682ppm- Kinda low today