# do you use reverse osmosis water for your saltwater tank



## times9

do you use reverse osmosis water for your reef saltwater tank or regular tap water. just wondering


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## Big Ray

U gotta see the difference it makes over a couple of weeks to actually believe

never believed it, till I started using it, and a month later I bought a 400 dollars unit


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## times9

what difference did t make?? arte your corals doing better because of it


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## hojimoe

i use ro/di water, better than just ro..... 


i too have a $400 unit


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## aaronc

its pure water compared to tap water. its easier to control what goes into the tank, keeping control on the desirable additives rather than unaccounted mix found in tap water. 

sadly i buy mine....can't afford a $400 unit


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## Big Ray

Well I used to use tap water, till I got algae problems in my 30 G reef tank. so Started testing the tap water. High PO4, no NO3, and also considerable amount of calcium and magnesium and ... 
so I started buying RO water, and my algae ISsues which usually last long were gone in nomore than 2 weeks (I think RO water was the source, there could have been other sources as well, I'm still new)

RO/DI water has TDS of zero, compared to 170 for tap water ! 

lastly, RO/DI water is pure H2O, PH of 7.0 and KH of zero meaning it is ready to accept any additives, ions or cathodes. hence mixing with the salt much better and ....

the way I thoght of it was to get a glass of water, add sugar in it and make it sweat water, now try mixing salt in there, there is no more room for the salt particles to resolve in ...

as of the unit, it makes its money in less than a year. I have 2 tanks now, and 2 of my friends have tanks as well, so I give them water as well and make for myself, so in less than 3 months, we would have spent more than 400 on buying water. Plus, its right there now, dont have to drive to the store and ... another plus is that I know and can see the TDS readings to replace the media, many places like Big al dont, and I have bought water from there and tested it and there was alot of PO4 in it.


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## UnderTheSea

Have a look around in classifieds, I've seen quiet a few going for $50 to $100 over the last month. I paid $200 with 2yrs worth of filters from AquaSafe.

Here is another great article by Randy.


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## ameekplec.

+1 on classifieds. There's a few systems up for grabs now. 

Mine isn't a $400 unit either...I got mine from BWI plumbing for under $200, and it works like a champ.


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## Big Ray

ameekplec. said:


> +1 on classifieds. There's a few systems up for grabs now.
> 
> Mine isn't a $400 unit either...I got mine from BWI plumbing for under $200, and it works like a champ.


I was told that the pressure pump that came on mine is supposed to make the life of the media(memberance) longer, also since I live high in a condo the water pressure isnt much, so to get 100GPD I kinda needed the pressure pump ... so I kinda calculated if I Get a pump it would be 120, and another 60 for the TDS meter and ... so just got the complete system.

could I have been lied to ? possible lol


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## UnderTheSea

Give Tyler a call at BWI.

I have been told that the pump will extend the memberane as well.


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## ameekplec.

The pump extends the life of the membrane as working at higher pressures ensures that the membrane doesn't clog as the crud gets washed away in the waste water.


Ray, I use a booster pump too - got mine for $60 new though from Tyler when he was selling stuff off. I live on the 17th floor of our condo, so out of the tap I get about 45psi, and with the booster I get up to 80psi - makes water really quickly 

+1 to calling Tyler though. I think I paid $20 for my dual inline TDS meter.


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## NorthernReefer

Hey guys, new to the site, a couple months into the hobby. I picked up a used Kent Marine Maxxima Hi-S RO / DI unit. I need to replace the filters before i use it, does anyone have any tips where i could get a good deal on these replacement filters?

I had gone into Big Al's to check the replacement cost for just one of the filters and it was $120+. Looking to save a buck without comprimising qualirty.

Thanks!


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## ameekplec.

go to BWI. Free shipping promo on now


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## ozi

I've been using Toronto tap water + Prime since March last year, when I started my 20G. So far, so good  but I have mostly easy corals like mushrooms & zoas, green-stars, finger leathers, hammer, a BTA and a turban coral (T. peltata) 
Every 2-3 days I add a gallon, because of evaporation.
And every week or 2 I do a 20% water change. When I do the WC, I first fill up a 5G bucket with tap water, add Prime and then put an AC20 with carbon on it. After a few minutes I add the salt and then leave it for 3-5hours to mix. 
I have just the common glass algae that comes off with the algae-magnet (1-2 times a week), never had any hairy or slime. And hope I never will 
By the way, I don't use a protein skimmer either...


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## cablemike

tap water and prime for me.


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## BBOSS

Can anyone confirm that Richmond Hill's tap water contains 0.5 ppm phosphate? I have been use the tap water for my new Biocube 29. the tank has been in cycle for six weeks, but phosphate level does not come down after few water changes. So I decided to test the tap water and got 0.5PPM reading.


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## ozi

BBOSS said:


> Can anyone confirm that Richmond Hill's tap water contains 0.5 ppm phosphate? I have been use the tap water for my new Biocube 29. the tank has been in cycle for six weeks, but phosphate level does not come down after few water changes. So I decided to test the tap water and got 0.5PPM reading.


You should try Boyd Chemi-Pure Elite:
http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5812/c151229/p16863409.html
just remove the bioballs (they're almost useless) and put a bag in there.
cablemike told me about it, he also uses tap water and has an amazing reef tank. Since I've used it I don't even bother measuring for phosphates. This stuff works a lot better than just carbon.


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## BBOSS

Thanks, Ozi. 
Boyd Chemi-Pure Elite seems will do verything that I need. I'll certainly give it a try.


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## KnaveTO

I too use RO/DI water to fill my tank.

Remember... water out of the tap has lost of impurities and elements. When you dechlor or remove phosphates with other chemicals you are still leaving other trace minerals and the like in the water. When mixing saltwater, the salt you buy for that process has all the minerals and trace element added to the salt mix. Therefor you are placing saltwater into your tank that is not properly balanced to the conditions required in a Salt set-up


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## Big Ray

Ocean PO4 is 0.005 or less
tap water is 0.05

that is 10 times more and chemi pure does not bring it down that much. 

also you have to consider the fact that you are topping off with tap water ! which is adding po4 again. 
another source of PO$ is feeding ure fish ! chemi pure would work to get the PO4 out caused by feeding, but not all

I had them in my old 30G reef tank, and didnt do much with regards to PO4
great carbon though.

also, with a RO unit, you can set up all automated system, make water in a bucket, stop it with a float valve, and a pump to pump it in the Sump or DT when the water level goes lower than the marked ... 

I share mine with 3 friends in the area, so the cost wasnt too, too, too bad.


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## times9

*ro water*

this may sound like a stupid question but you know the fridges that dispense water, it is a kitchenaid fridge that has one basic filter on it would that be considered ro water, i am thinking it is not but just want to make sure??


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## TBemba

times9 said:


> this may sound like a stupid question but you know the fridges that dispense water, it is a kitchenaid fridge that has one basic filter on it would that be considered ro water, i am thinking it is not but just want to make sure??


you are correct it wouldn't be RO But you can buy it cheap enough from the Grocery store or any where they sell 5 gallon bottled water / Water cooler water


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## aquanutt

*Ro/di*

I have used RO/DI water.
Hopefully it works well and I didnt just waste $320 bux for nothing...

cheers
sly


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## 50seven

RO all the way...save yourself a lot of grief and worry- you know your water is never the problem.

I lucked out and got a free unit that my in-laws bought, used for 6 months, and then renovated their kitchen and never put it back in. I asked, hey, I'll install it for you if I can use the water; they said I could have it because they couldn't stand the taste of the water...


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