I realize it cleans the water of bad stuff. I actually read somewhere it's not even recommended because it makes the water too clean so there's no buffer. It recommended using a mix of tap and ro/di if needed. It just waste so much water I don't see how anyone in good conscious do that. Even though I love fish keeping I think I think I might have to give it up if I had to use ro/di water. I could always see the fish in nature. That's why I keep fish because I like nature. I guess I just don't see how a person could care about nature or the environment if they're ok with that much waste.
Why do people use ro/di water?
- Thread starter aaronb
- Start date
ro/di water gives a "clean slate" so to speak for establishing the correct environment for aquatic creatures. True it doesn't have anything in it and you have to add trace elements, buffers, etc. Just think of it as tap water is an artist trying to paint over news print and ro/di is having a nice clean canvas. Both can work, but the clean start is easier to get where you want to go.
If you're fortunate enough to have tap water with pH and hardness close to what the fish you want to keep desire, then you don't need to use ro/di. If you don't, you can either keep other fish that are suited for your pH/hardness or choose to use ro/di.
The ro/di waste water can be used for other purposes, so any conscientious environmentalist can reuse the waste water and still use ro/di for his/her fish.
If you're fortunate enough to have tap water with pH and hardness close to what the fish you want to keep desire, then you don't need to use ro/di. If you don't, you can either keep other fish that are suited for your pH/hardness or choose to use ro/di.
The ro/di waste water can be used for other purposes, so any conscientious environmentalist can reuse the waste water and still use ro/di for his/her fish.
Reef tanks require RO water to thrive. Corals are sensitive to trace elements found in normal tapwater. And for many RO users, the rejected (waste) water is put to good use, such as watering the garden, washing of clothes.
That's not so bad if it's getting used. The systems I've seen the waste water went down the drain. I would wonder how well the waste water would work for clothes washing or garden watering if the "bad stuff" is more concentrated then in the waste water. I don't know how someone could use the waste water for clothes washing though. Are they washing by hand with a wash board? If not theyd have to be pumping the waste water into a storage tank above their washer and have a point of use water heater on the hot water line from the tank to the washer. If someone has such a system I'd love to see it. Probably the best use would be the lawn since it's kind of a waste to water a lawn. That way there would be no worries about to much stuff getting absorbed into the plants in your garden if you're going to eat it. Flower water would be good too.
Waste Water goes right into the drain....
and I water my Lawn 3x a day
and I take hour long showers.
and I water my Lawn 3x a day
and I take hour long showers.
At least you're honest. lol. My wife stays in the shower till the hot water runs out. I'm in and out in 5 minutes. I always tell her there is too many fun things to do for me to be in the shower longer than it takes to get clean.
Rev_Jim_Jones;5127738; said:
Same here. What these so called environmentalists dont understand is that the problem is on a macro level and their efforts at micro-managing environmental problems amount to sticking one's finger in a leaking dyke.
I'm actually not a environmentalists. Just don't understand being wasteful or frivolous. I just thought people that kept fish would be into nature. I know there are those people that just want to do stuff or have it so they can pat themselves on the back.
Because my tap water has a yummy 30ppm of nitrate and I use R/O (specifically deionization) to lower nitrate in the new water i put in my tank... I usually add in a mixture of salt and R/O replacement minerals when i add the water in too
aaronb;5127777; said:
Its not necessarily being wasteful. If the fish need ro water, then it s reasonable to provide it for them. The excess water isnt wasted even if it goes down the drain, but I guess thats just a matter of perspective and priorities.