I am starting a new 50 gallon and I fillied it with RO from lfs. I have read that you need to add minerals back to RO is this true? Also I took my sponge from my established 15 and put it in my new cartridge and also shook my other filter media inside the new tank. It has been about 4 days and still no drop in ammo. Is this normal or because of 100% RO WATER? Should I drain some water and add tap water? Also I didn't add prime, should I ? Thanks for advice
New 50 gallon
- Thread starter js198027
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Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's possible that the complete r/o water could have killed the BB. It has absolutely no minerals in it so will tend to pull nutrients from things around it which is why you shouldn't drink it as well as being dangerous for fish. They have mixes to add to r/o water to control pH and reintroduce minerals if you wanted to go that route. I would just use dechlorinated tap water in the future unless there is something very wrong with yours.
trustemedia
Aquarium Advice Freak
I was wondering this same thing since I have found some RO systems online that say you get a filter that adds nutrients back to the water.
"Alkaline Filter - Due to the purity of water at this stage, Reverse Osmosis product water is acidic. To buffer this back to a natural Alkaline Calcium ionized water. The filter gives back minerals such as ionized Calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium., which was eliminated by the R.O. process. "
"Alkaline Filter - Due to the purity of water at this stage, Reverse Osmosis product water is acidic. To buffer this back to a natural Alkaline Calcium ionized water. The filter gives back minerals such as ionized Calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium., which was eliminated by the R.O. process. "
The problem I see with this is you have no control over the amounts added back into the water. With a product like Seachem Equalibrium for planted tanks and Replenish for non planted tanks you add the proper amount to bring your tank up to the levels you want. Use more for harder water and less for softer water.
Using total RO water isn't necessary unless you have terrible tap or well water or if your tap water is from a whole house water softener unit. Or your keeping something like very delicate shrimp that need very specific mineral amounts in the water.
My tap water runs through my water softener. I currently have 2 15 gal tanks that I run it. I just thought RO was better until I did more reading. What should I do? Add chemical? Change to my tap water? Just leave it and wait? Will adding prime help?
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would just use tap water (unless it's unsuitable for fish) and dose it with prime.
Since your water goes through a water softner then you will have to use RO and reconstitute it. Reason being is water that goes through a softner exchanges calcium and magnesium ions for sodium ions. Sodium is not a good thing to have in planted tanks and most fish tanks. So unless you can bypass the water softner unit you don't have a choice but to use RO.
