Would RO/DI Hurt a FW tank.

[sabbott1877]

It seems that RO/DI would be Overkill for a FW tank, but I am trying to slowly purchase equipment for a SW Setup, and would like to get one. I want to justify it to myself by using it for my FW tanks until I get more money for more SW Equipment. I just wanted to make sure that it will not hurt anything in my FW tanks.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

Nope, RO/DI is cheaper in the long run than using prime or other deconditioners and it is more pure.

Changing water is just too easy and fast for freshwater that RO/DI would slow things down (compared to people with pythons).

 

[sabbott1877]

Thanks!

Would it be alright to store water in large jugs or is it just supposed to be used as it is made?

 

[JeffreyL]

RO/DI

RO/DI is fine for FW, especially if you want to remove something from your water. Metals, extreme hardness, etc. BUT, you must then add some trace elements that you just removed. lol The fish and plants require a small amount of various elements for their health. RO Right by Kent and others will take care of this.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

My tanks got 100% RO until recently. I had a big problem with "toxic water change syndrome" (yes, I did just make that up). On average 2-3 fish per pwc would kick the bucket and none in between. Also I couldn't get my nitrates down. Then I tested my tap water...80-100+ ppm nitrates (even with lots of plants) plus who knows what else (caused some unexplainable pH swings too, plus there is a giant copper pit nearby that is putting untold amounts of poisons into the water). I went 100% RO (I had been going 50/50). I am switching back to 50/50 for a trial period now. I add RO right, aquarium salt and baking soda. Oddly enough, I still drank the tap water.

 

[sabbott1877]

So the consensus is that RO Right is all I will need to make the water good for my fishes? What is the baking soda for? (I use aquarium salt already) Somewhere I read that I would not need the RO Right. Is it a necessity?

 

[newfound77951]

Yes. You should not use straight RO/DI in a freshwater tank. There are no trace elements or ions in the RO/DI water. If you drank enough RO/DI water you'd get sick from electrolyte imbalance. Also, pure RO/DI water has no buffering capacity, and therefore is subject to rapid pH swings. The baking soda would increase the buffering capacity as well as the pH so I would definitely add some. Also, it is impossible to measure the pH of RO/DI so adding some baking soda would help. Unless your tap water is really hard or has other issues (like Apocalypse_Gold's) I would go 50/50 or wait until you need it for your saltwater tank. Otherwise you're wasting money on the RO/DI and then the additives that you need when you could just use the tap water.

 

[sabbott1877]

Alright, Thanks everyone, I will just wait for now, and maybe when I get the SW stuff I will use the RO/DI for all my tanks.