Do you use pre-mixed, or mix yourself?
- Thread starter DragKnee
- Start date
Stepho725
New member
I just found the whole tone of it as rude.
Obviously many people have success without a RODI system and i just dont see a reason for one when all im running is a 29 biocube.
I felt tons more anxiety mixing my water than i ever have using premixed water.
If there's anything ive learned so far in this hobby its that theres many ways to keep a healthy reef system and you just need to find the one which works best for you.
Obviously many people have success without a RODI system and i just dont see a reason for one when all im running is a 29 biocube.
I felt tons more anxiety mixing my water than i ever have using premixed water.
If there's anything ive learned so far in this hobby its that theres many ways to keep a healthy reef system and you just need to find the one which works best for you.
I apologize as well. I didn't mean to come off that way. If I had to measure according to my water bill, I pay about 10 cents per gallon (factoring in waste) of RODI made. That's easily 90 cents saved. Not counting gas/mileage/time, you should be able to pay for an RODI in less than a year!
smatter
Active member
How is your tap water? Have you tried using it? The bottled water industry is self-regulated so you have no idea what you are getting if you buy jugs of distilled/purified. Your water utility is required by law to test multiple times daily so get a report and check it out. I make RO water at home but it is incredibly wasteful. Unfortunately the water in my area isn't suitable for mixing up salt water. The natural seawater in jugs is far to costly for me.
Stepho725
New member
I also apologize for becoming so defensive. I took something personally that wasnt even directed at me. I just didnt want anyone to be scared away from the hobby or to feel inadequate because they cant afford certain equipment that while highly convenient and money saving in the long run, is not 100% necessary.
fewskillz
New member
That's hilarious! ...and 100% true.
Cloudburst2000
Active member
I like the peace of mind that I get from mixing my own SW. I have heard stories of ppl buying premixed SW from their LFS that turned out to have ammonia, nitrates, phosphates, etc. One poster couldn't figure out where his ammonia in the tank was coming from. He mentioned using premixed SW. Someone suggested testing it before adding anymore to his tank. Sure enough, the premixed SW was the ammonia culprit. However, I would definitely trust a LFS' premixed SW over Walmart's RO water though. Someone did a TDS test on Walmart's RO water and the TDS were pretty high which would lead to algae issues. Your TDS for pure water should ideally be 0ppm to avoid algae problems. Of course, you can't test TDS on premixed SW since it has salt in it. The test is for pure water prior to adding salt.
And even if you bought premixed SW, you still need pure top-off water. So either you are also buying pure RO or RO/DI water for top off in addition to the premixed SW or you are doing a major no-no and adding tap water. Or you have an RO/DI system to make top off water but still buy premixed SW for some reason. Anyhoo, an RO/DI system will pay for itself over time. No lugging buckets full of water around with the possibility of spills in the car, etc. You know exactly where your water came from and how old your filters are. You can make a bucket while watching TV or fooling around on the internet. A win/win situation, IMHO. And it is fairly easy to get a good RO/DI system cheap. I see used systems for sale frquently in the Lexington area from ppl who are leaving the hobby. Lots of these ppl were only in the hobby a short time so pretty new RO/DI systems are often being sold for major bargains.
And even if you bought premixed SW, you still need pure top-off water. So either you are also buying pure RO or RO/DI water for top off in addition to the premixed SW or you are doing a major no-no and adding tap water. Or you have an RO/DI system to make top off water but still buy premixed SW for some reason. Anyhoo, an RO/DI system will pay for itself over time. No lugging buckets full of water around with the possibility of spills in the car, etc. You know exactly where your water came from and how old your filters are. You can make a bucket while watching TV or fooling around on the internet. A win/win situation, IMHO. And it is fairly easy to get a good RO/DI system cheap. I see used systems for sale frquently in the Lexington area from ppl who are leaving the hobby. Lots of these ppl were only in the hobby a short time so pretty new RO/DI systems are often being sold for major bargains.
Similar threads
