Reconstituting RO water

[hatton3]

For those that use RO water for their planted tanks, what do you use to reconstitute the mineral base? Do you use a product like Kent RO Right, or do you just add your micronutrients, Iron, and KPH from your supplements?

I currently dose Flourish Trace, Flourish Iron, and potassium nitrate, potassium phosphate, and potassium sulfate.

[hatton3]

I've got some Instant Ocean salt from my saltwater tank. Has anyone ever used a small amount of sea salt to reconstitute RO water. Say-1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of RO? All I need to to is add back minerals, buffers, etc. Sea Salt has quite a bit of that.

Then again, it might be the wrong kind of mineral levels for a freshwater tank...

[plantbrain]

Don't use that for GH.
Sodium and Chloride levels are extremely high relative to the GH components.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[125gJoe]

Kent's R/O Right is it..... :)

[hatton3]

Okay, no problem. Just trying to get off as cheap as I can. Turns out my water is sky high in phosphates. The ph is 8.3 out of the the tap (after I shake the water to outgas). I just figure that I'll use the RO water as I have a RO filter and get good clean water and neutral ph.

[wetmanNY]

What you want to add is just sufficient carbonate to stabilize your pH. but no more (which would lock up carbon from CO2). Calcium, and a little magnesium, will come along with the most common carbonates. Dosing carbonates and electrolytes simply from hydroponic trace elements seems risky: not the same factors, right? Copper, boron and iron used as electrolytes?

Surely a splash of your own hard tapwater is a perfectly suitable source of minimal electrolytes and carbonates. I don't understand why polyphosphates in tapwater would be seen as a problem, when PO4 is being dosed as a fertilizer?

[Starry]

I've never dabbled with R/O water, but it's beyond me why you can't just mix in a bit of your tap water. Sounds more logical than spending more money on a special "mix." But, I guess if you can guy a R/O unit then you have a few bucks to spare. :)

Edit: Ahhh I just saw wetman's comment. Great minds think alike :)

[hatton3]

Hey, adding a splash of tap water is even cheaper!:D
Never say that it isn't a good idea to ask a question.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by hatton3
... Turns out my water is sky high in phosphates. The ..... You don't want that! I have heard that a "splash" of tap water is a good thing to supplement the R/O water.. I will still use Kent's R/O Right for the tank, and have put the "splash" in too...

[plantbrain]

Now why is high tap water PO4 bad again?

Hatton's already adding KH2PO4. Using the tap water means it's less they have to dose of this. WMNY said something there.

Hard water? Now why is this "bad" for plants again? Please, do tell?

RO is used for fish perhaps, if you want to pamper some but I had no issues with rummy noses and cardinals.

But hardwater is great for many plants. Add CO2 and it's fine.

RO water taste good though.

Want cheap GH additions?

Add 4:1
Calcium chloride(CaCl2) to MgSO4.

CaCL2 is sold as pool calcium hardness increaser, about 5-8$ for a 10lb jug.
MgSO4- Epsom salt.

KH? Baking soda.

There's all you'll need for KH/GH manipulations on the dole.
I would not bother with water changes using RO and having to make up the water batches etc and work on CO2, use the tap water, and add the right nutrients.

RO waterchanges and mixing is a PITA. Some folks like extra work and spending extra $. I use RO for me, cheaper than buying spring water.
Yea, I got fooled back in 1991 and bought one but put it use for myself rather than the plants.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[hatton3]

Well, the RO filter is used for drinking water mainly around the house. I've read a few other of your posts and I am beginning to think that putting RO water in the tank is just wasting a lot of my time. Did I read right that a moderate phosphate level can actually control algae?

In any case, RO for my drinking water will keep cancer-causing chemicals out of the water that I drink.

Thanks for the insight Tom

[plantbrain]

Moderate to high levels of PO4 doesn't control algae.

Good plant growth does. PO4, NO3 etc is indirect help for algae control.

The notion is that adding POO4 indirectly affects algae through the good growth of plants and the higher DO levels that are present when you have a happy plant.

It's really deceivingly simple, grow the plants well, everything else does well as a result(no algae, healthy fish, happy hobbyist etc).

I watched my plants, not the algae for a long time. What people were saying was wrong about PO4 and did not match what I was seeing nor did they have as nice plants/good growth like my tanks.

I suppose I could have kept it a secret and sold my secret in bottles. "Algae reducer":-)

Regards,
Tom Barr

[hatton3]

I'm sorry, I mis-spoke myself - Yes you are right, the higher levels of P04 allow the plants to out-compete the algae.


:o

[plantbrain]

Sorry, did not mean to rattle on there. I knew you knew:-)

Regards,
Tom Barr

[hatton3]

;)

Hey Tom, I really like my new compessed gas C02 system.