Aging water vs RO/DI

[Derpeder]

Does aging your water accomplish the same thing as an RO unit?

I'm about ready to set up my 100 gallon salt water tank and don't have a RO/DI unit and don't have the money to get one.

I'm doing a FOWLR tank so no corels invovled.

Can I just age all my water and that be safe?

 

[Oddball]

"Aging" water is simply removing the chlorine, chloramines, bromines, etc. from municipal water. It's not a true aging, like wine, but refers to the old method of letting water sit until all the chlorine dissapated out naturally before the invention/availability of dechlorinating compounds.
RO water removes these chemicals and virtually all traces of minerals/metals from the water.
If your municipal water has no, or trace, copper levels you should be OK without the DO. Although, most marine hobbyists will tell you that RO water, and the manual addition of trace elements, is a far safer route to take with marine setups.

 

[ferco]

Hmm... I want to set up a Brackish tank again- in the future unfortunately; now I know someone- a good friend who live like 2 mins drive who had an RO unit for his marine tank- now is RO water always better? so would using RO water in a Brackish or even a Tropical tank be beneficial?

 

[Derpeder]

"Aging" water is simply removing the chlorine, chloramines, bromines, etc. from municipal water. It's not a true aging, like wine, but refers to the old method of letting water sit until all the chlorine dissapated out naturally before the invention/availability of dechlorinating compounds.
RO water removes these chemicals and virtually all traces of minerals/metals from the water.
If your municipal water has no, or trace, copper levels you should be OK without the DO. Although, most marine hobbyists will tell you that RO water, and the manual addition of trace elements, is a far safer route to take with marine setups.

Cool.....well I'll have my water tested to see the copper levels. Then decide at that point.

 

[Oddball]

Hmm... I want to set up a Brackish tank again- in the future unfortunately; now I know someone- a good friend who live like 2 mins drive who had an RO unit for his marine tank- now is RO water always better? so would using RO water in a Brackish or even a Tropical tank be beneficial?

A RO unit is highly recommended for marine systems and for very soft fresh systems. This way, the aquarist knows the water is baseline and adds the essential elements/minerals required for the particular system. If these stringent tactics are not required for the species you wish to maintain, you may prefer using a multi-stage inline filtration system. These systems don't produce the pristine water that DO produces. But, nearly all of the trace minerals/metals are removed along with most chlorine levels. These multi-stage inline filtration systems also don't require a pressurized reclaimation tank nor do they run 75% or more of the inlet water to sewer as DO does.

 

[ferco]

...what? lol soz didn't get much of that ^^ bit of a noob here... sorry