RO/DI questions! - Aquarium Advice

pkremer · 02-21-2006, 08:17 PM

OK, after much research, I have finally decided that RO/DI water is definitely the way to go for my new aquarium, both for the health of the fish, and since my local tap water can read as high as 20 ppm of nitrates!!! What is the point of doing water changes with that?

A few questions:

1) I do intend to buy myself a unit to use in my home in the next few months, but for now, will the reverse osmosis system at my local grocery store be sufficient?

2) Does reverse osmosis water need to be treated with the dechlorinator? I would imagine not, as the chlorine and heavy metals are already gone, but figured I'd double check!

zenn · 02-21-2006, 08:22 PM

Good choice on the RO/DI unit. I'm really happy i use one. Remember also that you're getting the added benefit of no mineral depsoits on your equipment so everything will be easier to clean. That's one of the things i hated the most with my FW setup using tap water.

1. Yes

2. No need for dechlorinator...RO/DI takes care of that. The water is 99.9% pure when it comes out of the RO/DI unit. Get a TDS meter to periodically check to see how your RO/DI unit is performing cause their filters do go bad after awhile(at which time you replace them). TDS meters are cheap on eBay.

HTH

**melosu58** · 02-21-2006, 08:26 PM

I like mine and you`ll like yours. As the others said no dechlorinator needed. Your fish will love it.

pkremer · 02-23-2006, 01:53 AM

OK, I thought this was funny, so I figured I'd share. Right now I have a 10 gallon QT set up with about 5.5 pounds of live rock and a Coral Beauty Angelfish. He has been healthy and happy, and I can't wait to get my 46 set up so he can have some more room to swim.

Anyway, I have been using treated tap water thus far, for water changes and topoffs, and noticed something funny. It used to be that when I poured the evaporation topoff water in, my Coral Beauty would hide behind the rock. Since I bought a gallon of RO water at the local grocery store and have been using that for my daily evaporation topoffs, he swims right up as I am pouring it in and swims right through that cool "cloudiness" when you pour freshwater into saltwater.

So not only did I find that entertaining, it also doubled my determination to use only RO water in my new aquarium. It seems he can tell the difference and obviously likes it better! hehe!

PS - In case you were wondering, my ammonia and nitrites are 0, nitrates 20.