r.o. water in my freshwater aquarium?

[mikeb210]

I've used RO only in my planted tanks and my cichlid tanks and I've never had a problem with it. You can ask 10 different people this question and you'll get 10 different answers. I don't think you'd have issues using RO as your top off, as its only there to replace the H2O that has evaporated. The minerals and whatever will still be in the tank. Water changes is a different story but like I said, I've been doing it for years and never had problems. Good luck

PS. Check into the large bladder tanks that hold the RO. You can use that with a solenoid and float valve so that the water will be stored in the bladder until your tank needs it. Keeps the RO from running indefinitely.

 

[Star_Rider]

spanaway almost Graham..LOL

the water here is really good pH 6.8-7 kh 3-4 gh 7-8

I use an RO for my marine tanks.


but for top offs RO is fine. if doing water changes then you will need to add salts back(buffers)

auto top off systems tend to have float valves. a bladder would be good too.

toejam where in tacoma? I work in downtown. 15th and market/13th Broadway

 

[dmann]

i have decided against the r.o. i was only going to use it because my buddy already has one and another one came with a used tank he picked up, so i got it free

 

[Jakezori]

I sometimes do a half half water change with half tap and half ro as i have some german blue rams and the water in my area is ridiculously hard. The reason you cant use ro water is it because it takes out all of the small mineralsand such that your fish need to survive.

 

[ToeJam]

spanaway almost Graham..LOL

the water here is really good pH 6.8-7 kh 3-4 gh 7-8

I use an RO for my marine tanks.


but for top offs RO is fine. if doing water changes then you will need to add salts back(buffers)

auto top off systems tend to have float valves. a bladder would be good too.

toejam where in tacoma? I work in downtown. 15th and market/13th Broadway

near the Dome is the crib.... I work at American lake VA

 

[ToeJam]

i have decided against the r.o. i was only going to use it because my buddy already has one and another one came with a used tank he picked up, so i got it free

RO is not as bad as people make it sound:

Look at it this way:
Tap water (read my sig on tap water for marine has some good points vs tap by the way: Tap can change over night being fine ...then heavily polluted with things that are bad for tanks...

RO water is Nitrate,Nitrite,Phosphate, Free...all the things you don't want to add to your tank at all.

Trace elements are gone also...so that is why people dont suggest using it as change out. This can be countered by just droping in a measured amount of Fresh Water Salts if you are doing a big water change.

I think the benefits out weigh the tap water... Tap water does contain nitrates,nitrites, and a lot of times high phosphate levels. High phosphate means rapid algae growth...and BGA loves that stuff aka Red slime in marine world...but basically Cyanobacteria.

SO if you have a FREE unit...by god take advantage of it.

Now if you want to use a float valve there are some at most marine stores.

I prefered the floating bobble type....vs the Kent marine floater pad.... Stay away from the Tsunami Switch it just sucks cause it works by pressure...and not reliable from experiences from locals here in reef tank world.

 

[jpappy789]

RO is not as bad as people make it sound:

Look at it this way:
Tap water (read my sig on tap water for marine has some good points vs tap by the way: Tap can change over night being fine ...then heavily polluted with things that are bad for tanks...

RO water is Nitrate,Nitrite,Phosphate, Free...all the things you don't want to add to your tank at all.

Trace elements are gone also...so that is why people dont suggest using it as change out. This can be countered by just droping in a measured amount of Fresh Water Salts if you are doing a big water change.

I think the benefits out weigh the tap water... Tap water does contain nitrates,nitrites, and a lot of times high phosphate levels. High phosphate means rapid algae growth...and BGA loves that stuff aka Red slime in marine world...but basically Cyanobacteria.

SO if you have a FREE unit...by god take advantage of it.

Now if you want to use a float valve there are some at most marine stores.

I prefered the floating bobble type....vs the Kent marine floater pad.... Stay away from the Tsunami Switch it just sucks cause it works by pressure...and not reliable from experiences from locals here in reef tank world.

I don't know about you, but my plants sure love nitrate and phosphate...and my bacteria would die without any nitrite

 

[ToeJam]

I don't know about you, but my plants sure love nitrate and phosphate...and my bacteria would die without any nitrite

Thats the nice part about fresh water world.... if you can get a good planted tank going...you dont need to water change as much. The plants act like a Fuge (marine thing)...

I have a reef tank so I have to keep my Nitrates at 0ppm to 10ppm by the time i change water... Phosphates are a pain for me...I have to use a phosban reactor to keep that at 0 all the time. Stupid Lights..=( 8 hours a day of 500w of halide lighting....without Ro water and that reactor I would have a planted tank of hair algae and cyano...yuk:wall:

 

[jpappy789]

You still need regular water changes...plants wont remove certain things that can build up and become toxic to fish (hormones for example) and will not replenish minerals essential to fish on their own. Using nitrate to gauge maintenance is not the best method IMHO.

 

[ToeJam]

You still need regular water changes...plants wont remove certain things that can build up and become toxic to fish (hormones for example) and will not replenish minerals essential to fish on their own. Using nitrate to gauge maintenance is not the best method IMHO.

No im not suggesting that. Specifically for me and my tank. It is something I watch like a hawk.
Corals ..especially Small Stony Polyp types don't tolerate high nitrates.