Salt people i need your help
- Thread starter studd muffin
- Start date
You might want to pick up a good saltwater book and take a read through it. You can find out a lot of information and answers to specific questions here, but the books will explain pretty thoroughly everything you need to get started. I would definitely make sure you get everything going well before starting on corals.
studd muffin;4470430; said:What is RO/DI?
Thank You PEVINE11
BlackShark11k said:
BlackShark11k got to your question before i could
it gives you 0TDS water. you can buy a system for your home. At some local pet stores they sell RO/DI water. (if you buy from LPS make sure its 0TDS!, buy a TDS meter!) i bought my own ststem after finding out i paid 50 cents a gallon for water with 61 tds........when it should be zero. i was buying that water for 3 months before i got a TDS meter and found out
0 tds will give you alot less problems then you need (cyano alage, ditoams alage etc.)
it will keep your tank alage free (throught cycle you will get some alage, but with RODI water with 0 TDS it wont last long)
heres the Reverse Osmosis & Deionization unit i just got and love it!:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/75-gpd-ro-di-5-stage-deluxe-system.html
OFF THE WEBSITE:
Using RO/DI water is essential to maintaining a healthy aquarium. City and well water are inherintaly full of contaminents that have an undesireable effect on the aquarium. An RO/DI system will provide the pure water necessary for the long term success of your tank.
- Benefits include:
- Contaminant free water
- A healthier reef
- Algae outbreak defense
- Faster easier water changes
- Zero trips to the store for water
- See below for more details and product features
_Jessica_;4470488; said:
Or try a google search on the basics. rather then buying a book (which i did not find helpful) they decribe EVERYTHING useful and not a webpage will go over the important topics
I have had salt water tanks for 15 years, never used RO/DI water. Just tap water.
pH buffers are as dangerous in salt water as they are in fresh water. I think anyone recommending the use of pH buffers is leading you down a path to an unstable tank. your pH is fine, leave it alone. The use of a crushed coral substrate will go a LONG ways towards giving you a well buffered and stable pH with out the instability of a chemically introduced pH.
pH buffers are as dangerous in salt water as they are in fresh water. I think anyone recommending the use of pH buffers is leading you down a path to an unstable tank. your pH is fine, leave it alone. The use of a crushed coral substrate will go a LONG ways towards giving you a well buffered and stable pH with out the instability of a chemically introduced pH.
kdrun76;4471308; said:
Tap water.......really. do you know what is in tap water? teribal thing to recomend to someone
if you know how to rean instructions PH buffer is fine. if your cant measure and just dump it in i see how it may be a bad idea
crushed coral substrate is great, ans will go a LONG way IF YOU WANT NITRATE PROBLEMS
PEVINE11;4471724; said:
I am sorry I don't know how to rean instructions. How does one do that?
In 15 years of keeping salt water tanks I have never had a nitrate problem, nor have I had a problem with my tap water used to mix salt. I have lived in 3 states and used the water from 3 municipalities and from a well for the 2 years I lived in Rhode Island.
Please tell me what is so "teribal" about tap water. It has served me so well for so long.
Just checked my nitrates, they are at 15ppm. How can crushed coral cause a nitrate problem? I can't wait to read this answer.
kdrun76;4471805; said:
I am sorry I don't know how to rean instructions. How does one do that?
funny..typo, im only human
i've been keeping salt water for 36 years
( im only 21 years old ) so apperntly have not been keeping for that long. But i have been for 6 years SUCCESSFULLY. thays key. you keep saying 15 years. but how succsuffful? of course you will will say very. but how do we know? for all i kno you brag about using tap water. seems to me you dont read much. or neglect good information. all im saying is RO/DI takes everything out of the water that's not suposed to be there in a marine tank (or even fresh).
Tap water. USE GOOGLE
heres some:
It is the removal of mineral ions by using the ion exchange process. Using a mixed bed of anion and cation resins; ions, salts and minerals can be entirely removed from water.
The RO membrane has a direct impact on the life-span of the DI. The RO membrane can remove about 95-99% of TDS (minerals) in your water. When a DI is used after the RO membrane, you can expect almost 100% removal of the TDS.
(from Air water ice)^
Chlorine and Chloramine.......i dont want that in my tank.......so i filter it out
i dont drink pond water ( i preffer fiji water ) so why shoul my fish and tank be filled with all these chemicals?
threw it in qoutes because it's been said many times before
The terrible things in tap water is really going to vary from source to source. My citys water isnt that bad at all, and used it untill a week ago with no real problems. The only reason why I got a rodi unit is because I like not having to use dechlorinator.
Even RO/DI water has its drawbacks though, like making the water too soft. Then there are people who mix rodi and tap 50/50, and a lot of them dont have any massive issues either. If tap is really that big of an issue, a mature refugium with an ATS or a macro setup will absorb most of the crap that comes out of your tap. Hell, macros will even absorb iron and copper. So rodi water isnt the only answer, its just one solution among many.
Crushed coral isnt a bad substrate. If it is causing problems with ammonia spikes or nitrite issues, then its nothing more then poor husbandry. Sure, its easier to just use "oolite" grade aragonite. Problems will stem from just about everywhere in this hobby where their is poor upkeep and maintence, so sand isnt into the clear.
Even RO/DI water has its drawbacks though, like making the water too soft. Then there are people who mix rodi and tap 50/50, and a lot of them dont have any massive issues either. If tap is really that big of an issue, a mature refugium with an ATS or a macro setup will absorb most of the crap that comes out of your tap. Hell, macros will even absorb iron and copper. So rodi water isnt the only answer, its just one solution among many.
Crushed coral isnt a bad substrate. If it is causing problems with ammonia spikes or nitrite issues, then its nothing more then poor husbandry. Sure, its easier to just use "oolite" grade aragonite. Problems will stem from just about everywhere in this hobby where their is poor upkeep and maintence, so sand isnt into the clear.
