Buying DISTILLED water for aquarium?

[Ocean In A Box]

Any reefers or chemists out there?
Until I get my RODI water unit, I'm wondering if I can start with buying the gallon jugs of DISTILLED water from grocery store?
Please anyone let me know...

THANK YOU!
Matt

 

[seapug]

it's a good alternative, just expensive.

 

[Aquarist007]

the breakdown is like this
distilled water has 90 percent of total dissolved substances removed
ro water has 95 per cent
and ro/di has 100 per cent of tds's removed

 

[Aerowen]

ive been buying distilled at about $ 1.75 a gallon until i decide on a R/O unit ( so many choices!!) but it does get expensive even with a nano tank like mine.

 

[viceversabrd]

I don't know bout $1.75 a gallon, wal-mart has distilled water for 67 cents a gallon where I live

 

[KB2202]

Used distilled for several months until I got an RO/DI unit without any bad results. I got tired of hauling jugs of water from Wal-Mart to my house.

 

[Aquarist007]

If any doubt purchase a pocket TDS meter--about 20 bucks and you can test it yourself

 

[Ricky1066]

I buy it at key food for 99cents a gallon I have a ro/di machine but it takes so long to make I just go buy it

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12346672#post12346672 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ricky1066
I buy it at key food for 99cents a gallon I have a ro/di machine but it takes so long to make I just go buy it

want to sell your ro/di Ricky

 

[D to the P]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12346672#post12346672 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ricky1066
I buy it at key food for 99cents a gallon I have a ro/di machine but it takes so long to make I just go buy it

haha, thats why you let it run all day and store it in a big trash can or other container. there is no reason someone would need more than 30 gallons a day unless you have like three one hundred gallon tanks that need water changes all at the same time.

 

[Flipper62]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12346567#post12346567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
If any doubt purchase a pocket TDS meter--about 20 bucks and you can test it yourself

Ya...Capn's right. You can get a COM-100 from the filter guys for $50.00. But this way you can be sure of the TDS readings. I'm sure you have more invested in the tank then $50.00.

Ricky1066, if you want to sell your RO/DI unit..I'm interested in it. I will even come pick it up so you dont have to ship it. :lol: :bum:

 

[willper]

I tried to keep up with water changes and top offs by buying the RO machine at my local store. It became a burden. Even with only a 24 gal tank, I knew that I needed a better way to get RO-DI water. Check out Melevsreef.com:

http://www.melevsreef.com/ro_di.html

Bill

 

[Ocean In A Box]

Thanks for all the quick replies! So I gues the answer to this is that YES you can buy cheap DISTILLED water from where=ever and it is perfectly SAFE for the aquarium.

Beyond that, I am already planning an RODI, just don't have it yet and was planning on setting up a tank this weekend.

Thanks again everyone...
Matt

 

[ludnix]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12348013#post12348013 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ocean In A Box
Thanks for all the quick replies! So I gues the answer to this is that YES you can buy cheap DISTILLED water from where=ever and it is perfectly SAFE for the aquarium.

Beyond that, I am already planning an RODI, just don't have it yet and was planning on setting up a tank this weekend.

Thanks again everyone...
Matt

That's what I did with my 30gallon cube for serveral months until I finally decided to get a RO/DI unit.

 

[Playa-1]

You can usually get seawater or RO water ready to go at the Local Fish Stores. They usually keep it in bulk and it's usually very reasonable in price.

 

[SSpiro]

I buy my salt water from a LFS, and buy distilled at the grocery store.

RODI en route.. but not here, so I'm working with what I've got.

Distilled is definitely better then tap.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12348745#post12348745 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SSpiro
I buy my salt water from a LFS, and buy distilled at the grocery store.

RODI en route.. but not here, so I'm working with what I've got.

Distilled is definitely better then tap.

why would you buy salt water----make up your own with the distilled---I would think it would be cheaper in the long run?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12347312#post12347312 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Flipper62
Ya...Capn's right. You can get a COM-100 from the filter guys for $50.00. But this way you can be sure of the TDS readings. I'm sure you have more invested in the tank then $50.00.

Ricky1066, if you want to sell your RO/DI unit..I'm interested in it. I will even come pick it up so you dont have to ship it. :lol: :bum:

I only paid 25 and its been great

Ricky take flipper up on his offer but have him give you a half decent protein skimmer as trade---and that will fix up your nitrate problems:smokin:

 

[SSpiro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12348878#post12348878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
why would you buy salt water----make up your own with the distilled---I would think it would be cheaper in the long run?

Probably is.. just how i've always done it, and i'm used to it..

I plan on stopping by Lowes this weekend or next week and getting two trashcans and materials to make a rolling platform for each so I can keep pre-mixed salt and regular fresh water ready to go, once the RODI is installed.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12349014#post12349014 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SSpiro
Probably is.. just how i've always done it, and i'm used to it..

I plan on stopping by Lowes this weekend or next week and getting two trashcans and materials to make a rolling platform for each so I can keep pre-mixed salt and regular fresh water ready to go, once the RODI is installed.

good idea--take this example

yesterday I went out for two hours returned to find the koralias sucking in alot of air---went down to the basement---15 gal of salt water all over the floor.
In the pvc breathing tube between the lines going from one refugium to the other a snail had lodged itself in there and backed up the flow
now what are the chances of that happening

luckly I have 20 gal of ro water on stock, but it would have been better to have also had 20 gal of salt prepared too