Bottled water questions

Pisces

Pisces

Night Owl
Mar 4, 2002
80
1
8
Fayetteville, AR
Real Name
Lisa
I really miss having a community tank (we've got 2 reefs) so I'm seriously considering either setting up the 20g again or buying a 55g or larger tank.
We're on a bad well right now so all tank water has to come from the store. Which is the best kind of bottled water to buy for a fresh tank? Spring, drinking, purified or distilled?
This may be a stupid question, but does bottled water still require the use of a chemical water treatment to make it safe for fish?
 
A R/O DeIoninzing system will be cheaper in the long run....:)

Here's one...

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spring water doesnt neccissarly mean its any better than tap water... its still treated with chlorine also.

distilled water is commonly stored in copper vats, copper is extremely deadly to all inverts and if the levels get high enough, fish. If you want to use distilled water you should do a copper test first.

RO is great, 95-99% as pure as distilled but usually cheaper and isnt stored in copper vats.

Regardless, a RO/DI unit will be cheaper in the long run, not to mention simpler than having to go to the store if theres ever a water problem. RO and distilled water do not need to be treated with any chlorine or chloramine remover. However, you must mix RO or distilled with tap water, or add some salt to the water. Fish cannot live in water without electrolytes.
 
Um...

I forgot to mention that we already have an RO/DI unit on our kitchen sink and I honestly wouldn't use it for our fish tank. We've tested it and it still lets quite a bit of silicate and phosphate through. Our well water is VERY dirty and it's on a softener system. I'd rather be safe and use bottled water. Using our tap water for anything is out of the question.
 
Replace the cartridge in the RO, and add a DI unit for the output to the tank.
 
If you use RO water, mix it with your tap water. Freshwater tanks usually don't have anything in them to buffer the water (ie. coral, and whatnot). Experiment with the mixing till you get a good KH level.. I suggest a KH of 4-5.

-Richer
 
Slip, there already is a DI unit after the RO. All filter cartridges were replaced within the past 2 months.

I just tested the RO/DI water and the Phosphate is reading 0.1 ppm and Silicate is basically off the chart, 2 ppm and above. We live in Florida, the water is in sand so what can you expect, Right? On the bright side I tested the RO/DI water and a jug of distilled water for Copper and they were both 0.
Would you use this water in a fresh tank? Wouldn't the Silicate cause major algae problems?

One store sells Purified water which says it is RO water, is that my best option to go with? Sorry for all the questions.
 
I doubt thats a DI filter, your not supposed to drink DI water. Maybe its a carbon filter?

if the distilled water is testing 0 for copper than its fine for your tank. You need to add salt or a little bit of your tap water however. Remember to buffer well also, distilled water has no alk.

You can always add another DI unit after the first one and lower phosphates and silicates...
 
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A splash of your own untreated wellwater would give you all the electrolytes you need. Why would you buy r/o water and avoid your own? High silicates won't be a problem; silicates don't "cause" diatoms. Plants will use the phosphate, if you'll give em a little potassium, perhaps in the form of "Nu-Salt" from the diet aisle at the market.

Check with your Culligan Man or whomever to be reassured, but if you'll recharge your water softener with potassium chloride instead of "salt" sodium chloride, you can use it in fishtanks and the garden etc. without adding sodium to the aquarium or the garden soil. A simple adjustment that can be made with any brine-charged ion-exchange resin.
 
Originally posted by wetmanNY
A splash of your own untreated wellwater would give you all the electrolytes you need. Why would you buy r/o water and avoid your own? .....
Click to expand...
Hmmm, yeah, why buy R/O water? Seems like your R/O system is not working properly.
 
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