Freshwater RO System buffering and PH guidance needed

Hi, Before anyone asks me to search I have and I read a lot. There is a lot of different information about their about what products people use and in what amounts and so on and so forth about RO waters proper use in freshwater aquariums.

I was hoping that someone could give me a little bit of guidance on what I should be doing in my current situation with my tank and fish setup.

I have a 360 gallon mixed freshwater tank.

The current inhabitants are:
3 Ornate Bichirs
1 Silver Arowana
2 Peacock Bass
2 Severums
2 Jaguar Cichlids
2 shovelnose alcheri cross catfish
3 large common plecos

I have an RO system setup for my water because the tap water has nitrate in it and was causing me problems.

What I have been using so far is a combination of RO Right and sechem netral regulator. I have not had the equipment to test GH or KH or TDS. I just ordered the necessary testing equipment to start testing those things this weekend. Currently I just dose according to the recommended charts on the back of the bottles for both of those products. My PH has been maintaining now at about 6.5, nitrite is 0, ammonia is zero, and with 50% weekly changes my nitrate hovers at 20-30 ppm. All my tank inhabitants seem to be happy.

My big questions here are:
1. Should I be using a combination of RO Right and Seachem Neutral buffer? Should I only be using one of these products?
2. When setting up proper doses should you first try to get the gh/kh where you want it and then add the buffer? If someone could walk me throught their typicla process for settign up the correct doses that would be a big help.
3. With the large variety of fish that I have what gh/kh and tds should I shoot for?

Thanks for all the help its much appreciated.

here are a few pics of the current inhabitants:

The problem with mixing the tap water is that the tap water has nitrate in it, typically 40-80 ppm. Even if I dilute it I am then still adding nitrate into my tank which is not good. That is why i have to go the RO water route.

Yoimbrian said:

I know nothing about adding chemicals to RO water.

However that is an awesome tank! What is that shape? Like an M?


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Thanks! It is kind of an "M" shape. It has two trapazoidal areas on each end of the tank

Ive had the RO system running now for about 3-4 months and I havent noticed an increase in production rate which would signify a ripped membrane. Or a large decrease in production which would tell me it was getting clogged. In addition my RO water has been testing with 0 nitrate in it. Maybe 40-80 was a bit aggressive in my statement of the city water but I tested it and it was near that range. It may not be that way all the time but I was fighting to control the nitrate in my tank after I moved to this area until I tested the tap water and then switched to RO water.

Can anyone make some recommendations as the the chemicals or additives that they use in their RO water for a freshwater tank?