New discovery. Should I purchase a RO/DI system?

[ColemAnthony1]

I just recently discovered that my well water has nitrates in it. I could never understand why my 60 gal tank always had a nitrate level of 20-40ppm no matter how many water changes I did or how many times I cleaned my filter, but now I know why. Would purchasing a RO/DI system be worth the money in the long run? I want my fish to have the best water quality possible.


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[Straick85]

I've looked into usibg ro water for freshwater, and found that there's more to it. After going through the filter, you would need to remineralize the water. The ro unit strips the buffering agents out of the water, as well as trace elements.

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[TMaier]

I have terrible city water and have to buy DI. I then add Seachem Equalibrium to add the needed minerals.

 

[ColemAnthony1]

I've looked into usibg ro water for freshwater, and found that there's more to it. After going through the filter, you would need to remineralize the water. The ro unit strips the buffering agents out of the water, as well as trace elements.

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Well that won't work... I just don't know how to get rid of those nitrates! Is there no chemical that I can add to the well water to get rid of them?


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[Straick85]

Plants will use it up nicely. I'm sure that there is a filter aditive that will remove it, but I'm not sure.

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[ColemAnthony1]

I've got a ton of water lettuce in there, but I can't seem to keep any other plants alive to save my life... Haha I found this product on Amazon and it has good reviews. It's called Kordon Amquel plus. Should I give it a try?


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[rlederer]

I would definitely go for an R/O system. I've had one for years with great success. You need to mix tap or well water with the R/O water so that you have the pH and hardness you want and you can also use Replenish - an additive that replenishes the lost minerals due to R/O. For $200 you can get a decent R/O system and it will save you money and trouble in the long run.