How to use ro water

[BLUElobster99]

So I just got an RO water system and I know not to use 100% water


So how to I prepare it for use in my tank? Do I need to buy some sort of trace elements?


My tank consists of


1 green phantom plec


10 checkered barbs

2 African banded barbs

 

[Rivercats]

What exactly are you wanting it for? To use as your sole source of water or to cut tap water with? The first will need to be re-mineralized with something like Sechem's Replenish for a fish only tank or Seachem's Equilibrium for planted tanks. If your using it to cut your tap water with you use it just the way it comes out of the unit.

 

[BLUElobster99]

What do you mean by cutting my tap water?

 

[Rivercats]

Cutting your tap water means you use "x" amount of tap water to "x" amount of RO water.

 

[molliwopp]

Using ro is easy. Mixing it with tap water is the easiest way, then you wont have to remineralise it.

Do a 50/50 ro to tap mix, like it rest and then test the results. If you already know the ph, hardness of you tap.water, with 50/50 you could actually mathmaticly work out and get an idea of what water parameters this mix will produce, easier just to mix and test though to be sure.

 

[Bbush]

Sorry to high jack, but how do you go about adding r/o to an already existing tank w/ fish?

 

[molliwopp]

Sorry to high jack, but how do you go about adding r/o to an already existing tank w/ fish?

Slowly over time, just start adding it to your water changes. People when they buy drip acclimatise fish for there tanks. So it can be done quicker than over weeks but doing it gradually is just as easy.

 

[Bbush]

What %?
Or just like 50% of whatever you're adding back?

 

[molliwopp]

That depends on your results for you tap water and what hardness/ph youre looking to achieve. Try a 50/50 mix and test, go from there.

 

[Rivercats]

What %?
Or just like 50% of whatever you're adding back?

Again like I asked the OP what are you trying to do with RO water? Go to using all RO in your tank or cutting RO with your tap water? There is a big difference in the two. You have to be consistent with it's use or you can cause your gh, kh, and ph to jump around which is not good for the fish. Is there a reason you need to use RO? Good advice can't be given until we know exactly why you want to use it so you can be given the correct information on how to use it for what your wanting to achieve.