Blackwater Drip System (RO?)

[JK47]

Does anyone currently combine RO with their drip system? Premixing water is hell. I am going to have to seriously soften my water but would like to combine with drip if possible. I am doing a blackwater system on the 125g so the goal is to hit PH 5.0-6.0 and <1 Kh/Gh without having to reconsitute the water.

How do I soften my water to that degree while on drip? I have read I cannot use pure RO water without reconstituting it (eliminating drip system) because of trace element depletion. Anyone have any experience with this? I am not knowledgable when it comes to RO, Kh, Gh and the constant reasearching is leaving me still confused as to if this is even possible? Any knowledgable advice is appreciated.

Details:
Tank 125 gallons
PH 7.6 out of the tap
Kh/Gh do not know, test kit comes in Saturday.

 

[JK47]

No opinions or advice at all?

 

[Conner]

I just have a bunch of driftwood in my amazon setup. Between that, a deep sand bed, and some of the detritus build up in my sump, my pH is hovering around 5. I've actually been trying to slowly bump it up. (nitrates never been above 20ppm)

I'm not sure how to combine with a drip system... you don't necessarily need RO, but you could use www.thefilterguys.com setup for chlorine/chloramine, and add a water softener to a third chamber.

 

[JK47]

I just have a bunch of driftwood in my amazon setup. Between that, a deep sand bed, and some of the detritus build up in my sump, my pH is hovering around 5. I've actually been trying to slowly bump it up. (nitrates never been above 20ppm)

I'm not sure how to combine with a drip system... you don't necessarily need RO, but you could use www.thefilterguys.com setup for chlorine/chloramine, and add a water softener to a third chamber.

Thanks Conner, you mind my asking what your PH out of the tap?

 

[Conner]

It's like 7.2 or 7.4 out of the tap (haven't tested in like 6 months though).

When I do a water change, it will hang out around 6-6.5 for a day or so, but then immediately starts dropping back down, and settles around 5. Assuming my electronic pH meter is accurate (I recently recalibrated it to make sure), my pH actually dropped down to about 3.5 once!! That's what got me into cleaning out all by biomedia, and that's helped a lot. But with all the aged driftwood, and the sand, there's no hope of getting it much higher than about 6, without a complete overhaul of the tank.

 

[Conner]

With all that being said, I never lost a single fish, or had any show any stress from the low pH. I actually had two pairs of angelfish and a pair of geo. brasiliensis spawning regularly at a pH of 4.5.

 

[epond83]

RO water and more so RODI with be pure water, it will have almost no Kh or Gh but will be around 7.0pH after it sits. At first it can be a bit lower.