I have just bought an RO filter and am wondering what is required when using RO water in aquariums. Do you still require water conditioner? is anything needed to be done to the water before using it in the next waterchange?
thanks
thanks
RO Questions
- Thread starter Kitiara
- Start date
You are going to want to some minerals/trace elements back into the water. Look into some premade buffers from companies like Kent. (I personally use Kents Cichlid Buffer). Or some others use crushed coral, works just as well. Make sure that the new RO water does not deviate much from the water your fish were previously accustomed to. Try to maintain a relatively close pH as well as gH/kH. As for the dechlorinator question, yes you will still need to add some to the water.
tapeworm;1733695; said:
Good info, except for the dechlor, NOT needed if your R/O has a carbon block.
Why did you buy this? You don't seem to know what they do to your water...
Our water is to H20 like our air is to O2. Yeah, it's go it in there, but a ton of other stuff. RO uses several different levels of filtration (chemical, mechanical, etc) to get out most everything. It will have a TDS (total dissolved solids) of 4-5 (if it's working right). Also, true RO/Di water will not have a pH, due to the lack of free floating hydrogen ions. In reality it will be about neutral. Chlorine/Chloramine should be filtered out, so no conditioner is needed.
The only problem is that fish don't really like this kind of water (well, their gills don't at least). Depending on what you have there are tons of different mineral buffers. For planted tanks SeaChem makes a product call equilibrium, works well on raising gH too.
Personally, I think it isn't worth it and only use it to prepare SW/BW or to top off tanks.
The only problem is that fish don't really like this kind of water (well, their gills don't at least). Depending on what you have there are tons of different mineral buffers. For planted tanks SeaChem makes a product call equilibrium, works well on raising gH too.
Personally, I think it isn't worth it and only use it to prepare SW/BW or to top off tanks.
The tap water where I am is extemely hard, treated with chloramine and has a nitrate level of 30 it also occasionally has a nitrite reading of .05. I was told an RO filter would get rid of the nitrates and chloramine, particularly for my small marine tank and my freshwater shrimp tank (which has been having regular deaths for unknown reasons)
My 3 main tanks are cichlid tanks and they appear fine, it's just the marine and the poor glass shrimp that are really having problems
My 3 main tanks are cichlid tanks and they appear fine, it's just the marine and the poor glass shrimp that are really having problems
Then it sounds like you are on the right track! Hook that baby up and in a month of two you might have enough water for a water change!
j/k, but these things are wicked slow.
j/k, but these things are wicked slow.