Water Source and Mixing

D

dewilde2

Illinifish
Aug 8, 2006
253
0
0
43
St Louis
I have a very new small FOWLR tank, and I started it with the premixed saltwater, and have so far been using that for water changes and have purchased RO/DI water from my LFS for top offs.
Now that everything is pretty much stable and going well, I have some questions.

If I don't want to buy RO/DI water from the LFS, what kind do I need to look for at the store? I looked at WalMart and the grocery store, and they have nice inexpensive 2.5 and 5 gallon containers of water, but they all say "drinking water, spring water, distilled water," etc and I'm not sure which is right.

I purchased a sea salt mix but was wondering about storage. It seems like it will be easiest to mix all of the salt and RO/DI water at once, but I would only need very small volumes at a time. I've read to mix with a powerhead in the tank and let it sit overnight, but wanted to check on this. Also, can it be stored mixed and for how long?

Last but not least- do you still use Prime/other dechlorinator etc if you're using RO/DI water?

Thanks!
 
I would use distilled water or better yet, buy yourself an RO/DI unit on Ebay for a hundred bucks or so. It doesn't matter what brand it is since there are only two or three makers of the membranes which means that most all of the RO brands are essentialy the same. When using distilled bottle water or RO/DI water, you do not have to treat it any further with prime or other dechlorinators.

If you live in the United States, this link will provide you with a tap water quality report for your area that should convince you not to add it to your tank, might make you think twice about drinking it as well....lol

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html

RO/DI Units

Chuck
 
Thanks. I will consider purchasing my own unit and buy distilled water in the meantime.

Can someone please tell me about the mixing? Thanks!
 
Do see if your LFS has a total dissolved solids meter to ascertain the quality of the distilled water first. You want it as low as possible, preferably 0ppm tds. I have found some not so well distilled water, myself. Also, watch out for copper contamination (which won't so much harm the fish as it would the live rock).
 
Sorry, missed that part of your question.

Yes, you can premix your saltwater and store it. But be sure to store it in containers that are clean, and have never held any type of chemical or soaps. Before using stored water, be sure to aerate it for a few hours and double check its pH, salinity and temperature to ensure it matches your main tank. Also, when mixing the water, always add the dry salt mix to a large amount of water. Never allow the water and salt to form a high concentration as it will cause precipitation of the calcium/mag.

Chemistry - has links concerning water changes

Chuck
 
Make sure if you store it the container is tight, else you have to worry about algae and other things growing and getting into it.

Also look into RO/DI units. Some have different rejection rates. I had a Coralife one and it wasn't the best. Bought one from The Filter Guys and love it. You will probably want a TDS meter, makes it easier to determine when to change the filters rather than wasting money or having bad water. Depending on the area you are in will also depend on what filter will work better. I live in an area with horrible water, that there is still detectable amounts of about 4 leaving the membrane.
 
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