Auto Water Changer and R/O Water

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TheBigB

TheBigB

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 1, 2011
503
3
33
North Texas
Continuing to make progress on my 350 gallon build. Question on water changes.

I recently found out that my water parameters from my tap are less than optimal. Due to this, I am contemplating on setting up an R/O system and remineralizing. Another thing I'm also thinking hard about is setting up and auto water changer that will change around 30 gallons of water per day.

Can I dump the R/O water directly in the tank then set up an auto doser to add the necessary minerals and ferts? My idea is to split the R/O output to dump directly in the sump and the other output to a 55 gallon holding tank. I could then use the holding tank for any larger water changes I would want to do, but the auto changer would be changing roughly 50% of the water weekly (total water volume including sump will be ~500 gallons)

So my main question really comes down to if I can remineralize the R/O water directly in the tank/sump or do I need to remineralize in a separate tank first?

Thank you
 
I would just use a carbon/activated carbon block instead of R/O and increase drip to 60 gallons a day... you don't need to split the drip if you have the holding tank above/higher than the sump. Just have the drip overflow into the sump.
 
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I already have a carbon filter for my entire house, but the KH values that come from the water supply and after my house filter are causing me problems with my live plants. Also, the reason I was asking about going straight to the sump instead of the holding tank is so I can hook up an auto doser for other ferts I need for those plants as well. This would avoid me having to purchase two different units and add an additional aerator to mix the holding tank.

I do like the idea of doing the drip from the holding tank though. I'll have to give that some thought
 
Water "less than optimal", or total crap water? If you are running a drip into the sump at around a gallon an hour, the holding tank seems overkill unless it's garbage water.

*I am not an expert...busy researching my first 300+ setup...and won't be buying till I have a full plan that hopefully works pretty well on try #1.
 
I wouldn't be remineralizing in the tank personally. Would likely lead to swings in hardness and pH imo, even if only short term, which could affect your fish.
Better way to go about it would be to have the holding tank dripping into the system like vincentwugwg vincentwugwg suggests, and remineralize in the holding tank. So that when the water reaches the tank it is already stable.
This would likely be very expensive and complicated, and require a lot of moving pieces. But you could probably rig the ro system so that it only fills the holding tank when it's empty with a float valve or timer, then have a controlled doser meant for reefs remineralize the water in the holding tank. and manually (or maybe on another timer?) open a valve each morning so that the properly mineralized water drips all day into the system. Then close the valve at night, the RO fills the tank, doser remineralizes, and next morning do it all again.

Other idea... have your RO dripping into the holding tank, and also have normal tap water dripping in at a slower rate. Then from the tank into the system. Downside is you are using tap water instead of pure remineralized RO. Which may be fine depending what you want to keep.

Maybe somebody else has a better idea on how to go about it?

I know they do make remineralization add-ons to RO systems for drinking, but I am not sure if they would be appropriate for aquarium use. If there was one, you could drip straight into your system with no problem. If there isn't one... somebody should run with the idea, would be very useful in the hobby.
 
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If problem is kh I would just consider adding crushed coral into the filtration system and bot going the ro route. I agree with upping the drip rate instead. Crushed coral along with proper maintenance of your media will help alot if your tap is bad
 
DRUKENMUNKY said:
If problem is kh I would just consider adding crushed coral into the filtration system and bot going the ro route. I agree with upping the drip rate instead. Crushed coral along with proper maintenance of your media will help alot if your tap is bad
Click to expand...

I would much prefer not to go the RO route, but I thought crushed coral raises KH? Does it not? The only thing I've really found to lower KH is with peat. I don't want to deal with the tannis that peat puts off.

I
 
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