ro/di water

[snickers450]

hey guys..newbie here..is it ok for me to use tap water for my tank..i do not have money to buy a ro/di machine right now..i was told that tap water is a no..no..

 

[slitherbomb]

If you have corals, I would say no, but if you don't have corals, then yes you can. Just get a quality dechlorinator like prime. It WILL contribute to algae problems though.

 

[snickers450]

i would not put corals in it..strictly FOWLR..so using dechlorinator could cause algae?..

 

[slitherbomb]

No, but tap water would. They usually contain nitrates and phosphates along with heavy metals.

 

[snickers450]

Should i just use tap water..test it then go on with my busines..any advise guys..im really short on budget for ro/di..

 

[slitherbomb]

If you can, get the RO/DI, if you can't afford it, use treated tap water until you can get the RO/DI. That's what I did.

 

[Phranque]

I know I'm another newb to the forum, but not quite new to phishies, so I'll put my flame suit on....

If you are too pinched for a $150 RO/DI system, should you be getting into SW right now?? If you added up all the silly little expenditures that you will spend, plus salt, fish, LR, etc.... you could easily have an RO/DI for your fish's best quality of life if you just waited a little while.


$123 will get you started.... http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/showproducts.asp?Category=167&Sub=166

 

[snickers450]

Well, the reason i ran out of money was because i bought all of the stuff that i need excep the ro/di machine..im looking at a portable ro/di for $65..

 

[Phranque]

Well, the reason i ran out of money was because i bought all of the stuff that i need excep the ro/di machine..im looking at a portable ro/di for $65..

Oh..... NOW I understand.

 

[mysticeel]

If you use prime you must let the water mix with a power head for at least several days for it to be effective...

There is this company called Brita I heard that they make good products that help to purify water and they are cheaper than an RO unit...

 

[slitherbomb]

If you use prime you must let the water mix with a power head for at least several days for it to be effective...

There is this company called Brita I heard that they make good products that help to purify water and they are cheaper than an RO unit...

Wait what? I used to just put in a capful inside a 5g bucket, stir for a minute, and put it in. Prime works quickly.

 

[snickers450]

BRITA is that the same company that sell those little water purifier that attaches to your faucet???..i guess i'll be checking them out..

 

[carey]

You can get a very nice ro/di for $65.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

 

[snickers450]

You are correct carey..i found the $65 ro/di machine on one of your threads..thanks to you..

 

[MDChurch]

The RO/DI for 65 works great. I made my water over the weekend, filled the tank with mixed salt and it is good to go at 000 TDS and SG at 1.026 Can't thank you enough Carey for the recommendation purewater should give you a commission HaHa!!

 

[jgraz]

Is there any waste water involved when making ro/di? I thought I remembered reading somewhere that you need a drain to run off the water that does not make it into the system due to the slow nature of the RO.

 

[Phranque]

Is there any waste water involved when making ro/di? I thought I remembered reading somewhere that you need a drain to run off the water that does not make it into the system due to the slow nature of the RO.

Yes, you need a drain to run a waste line to. My system is in the basement in the laundry room below the kitchen, so I just tee'd off the cold water line to the R/O, and the waste goes into the same drain line as the washing machine.

The R/O & waste output of each unit is going to be different depending on filter condition, membrane rating, input pressure, etc.... My input pressure with all new filters is 85psi, and at that rate I get approximately 9 gallons of waste to every gallon of R/O @ roughly 50GPD (a bit more with brand new filters all around).

BTW, if your input pressure is less than 65psi, you should get a booster pump.

 

[jgraz]

Is it me or is that just wasting water. Now you have to pay for the system, and the water usage which sounds like it would be astronomic(sp) by the way, and sewage if it is calculated on your water usage. Basically 50 gals of ro/di would waste 450 gals of water down the drain literally.

 

[Phranque]

Is it me or is that just wasting water. Now you have to pay for the system, and the water usage which sounds like it would be astronomic(sp) by the way, and sewage if it is calculated on your water usage. Basically 50 gals of ro/di would waste 450 gals of water down the drain literally.

I does seem like it, but if you take the cost of the system or replacement cartridges, and the cost of the water involved, it breaks down to pennies per gallon, and the only LFS in my area that sells R/O is for $0.79 per gallon.

If you have sewage calculated onto your bill based on water usage, there is a very easy way around this...... I have an in-ground pool, and I just call up the City and tell them that I used XX amount of gallons this year topping off the pool, and they credit my bill since that water didn't go "down the drain" (of course, this number is slightly padded ).

 

[carey]

My water bill has not moved an dollar since I started using the ro/di unit. I also don't let the waste water go down the drain, mine is hooked up in my back porch so the waste water can water my grass and plants.

I pay about $15 a month for my water/ sewer bill and I use ALOT of water with all my tanks.

I also get about 3 gallons of waste water per gallon of useable water so my ratio isn't too too bad.