Is RO/DI necessary?

[srb]

Just wondering if you guys think RO/DI water is necessary, I know several people who have been using tap water and adding chlorine remover for years and they have not had any problems. I'm debating whether or not to get a RO/DI unit and I just wanted some good opinions. Thanks

 

[Anemonebuff]

It all depends on your tap water's quality.

 

[spidey07]

My tank didn't really start getting "happy" until I got my own RO/DI unit. And I was getting my water from a reef store.

Look at it this way...with one you know exactly what is in your water (hopefully you'll get a TDS meter).

 

[skylsdale]

I live in a highly agricultural area. My city pulls 90% of it's water from the local rivers, and with the seepage from orchards and whatnot...it's loaded with nitrates and phosphates straight out of the tap, which resulted in nothing but fueling diatoms and hair algae. Doing water changes didn't help because I was just adding MORE of the very thing I wanted to get rid of through the water change...and just increasing the growth of algae.

 

[onefin]

I believe if you want quality water for your fish and corals ro/di is the only way to go.

 

[Sk8r]

I'd tend to go RODI, since if you have a problem, it can end up costing you more in specimans than the RODI unit will.
We had our local water tested down in Oklahoma and found it contained a plastic compound which is quite bad, and arsenic, from the ground water. We tested distilled water we bought, and we found out that the company (a well-reputed company) was not careful in preventing what they distilled out from running back in during the bottling process; and on another occasion, we had a gasoline smell from a bottle of delivered drinking water: they had taken a bottle back from a customer that had been used, probably, to hold lawnmower fuel.

 

[vessxpress1]

Just tested my tap water recently. It has a TDS of 275. RO/DI water is pretty much 0. RO water alone has a TDS about 10. And 275 is considered low for tap water. It also contains 2 ppm of phosphates (algae fuel). A lot of people flip out on here if they test their tank water at .5 ppm of phosphates. So I figure I could do more harm than good over time changing water with tap water.

For now, I just go through the hastle of buying RO water because I think it's worth it. Just because you can get by using tap water, doesn't mean you should. I will have an RO/DI unit soon.

 

[vessxpress1]

I won't even use tap water for top off anymore, which I use to do a lot.

 

[mr pink floyd]

i would buy a RODI but my tank is 29 gallons, i heard it wa not worth it, i might buy a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and hit up a reef store...

my tap water could explain the diatom problem im havign on my new sand

 

[sherm71tank]

My tap water is loaded with phosphates. After the RO/DI none. Totally worth it and it is really inexpensive compared to the overall cost.

 

[srb]

Thanks for the great feedback. It looks like I will be getting a RO/DI unit.

 

[BadOleRoss]

Might I suggest the Typhoon III. I recently purchased one and it came with everything you need to get going. Very easy to install and operate. Even comes with a TDS meter.

 

[sherm71tank]

The units from airwaterice are great and so is the service if you need it.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

my tap has 3ppm of phosphates. My city adds it on purpose for somthing.

 

[starseed]

San Francisco only has about 130 ppm in tap, but high phosphates.

RO/DI is importiant IMOP - worthy investment - and will prevent future problems that might not show for years.