RO/DI thoughts opinions? Fishless cycle

[Tstewar82]

Hey fellas, I am curious to wonder if owning one of these things such as this onehttp://www.marinedepot.com/Seachem_Pinnacle_+_(100GPD)_RO_DI_3027_75_to_120_Gallons_Per_Day_RO_Water_Filter_Systems-Seachem-YSC7411-FIROROSH-YSC7411-vi.html is a good idea? I'm not exactly sure how my untouched tap water stands yet, I havnt tested it..

Just wondering If my water is bad/good, if i bought one of these what would be the fastest way to get a fishless cycle going? Using either water?

I.e. if i use good tap water and treat it will I be on further down the road rather then using RO/DI system? Or vice versa..? If this is confusing, as I'm sure it is, then I am sorry... I am pretty lost myself....

Thanks again!!

 

[a.nettleship]

As I understand it, the machinery in your link is a water purifier. I'm not sure as to the benefits of them, but I can certainly say they're not generally regarded as something you need: most if not all of the harmful substances in your tap water will be removed by whichever dechlorination product you use to treat your water before adding it to the tank.

I notice in the description that the purifier removes bacteria, among other things, so in terms of fishless cycling, where the object is to grow a colony of bacteria that breaks down ammonia into nitrites and then nitrites into nitrates, you might find that if anything, the reverse osmosis machine slows down the process, as less bacteria will be introduced in your water. Your money might be better spent on a good quality filter system - which is where the majority of your ammonia and nitrites eating bacteria will eventually live.

There are a number of articles around that explain fishless cycling in more detail and what you're trying to achieve by it:

Fishkeeping - Fishless Tank Cycling and Avoiding New Tank Syndrome - General Guides - Articles

Tropical Fish Centre - Fishless Cycling

I hope that helps you become a bit less lost!

 

[librarygirl]

RO water is mainly used in Saltwater setups. Some people use it for freshwater either by using it 100% if their tap water is very bad (not common) or they'll cut their tap water with 1/2 tap and 1/2 RO. I'd test your tap water first though before going to the expense of getting one of these; most likely your tap water is fine. And if you use 100% RO water you'd need to add back minerals by using something like Kent's RO Rite or Seachem Replenish. Using tap water is cheaper and easier.