No RO/DI water confessions!

[crabbyjoe]

Just wondering who out there ISNT using RO/DI water for whatever reasons and how's it working out for you?

I havent been using it for the last 3 years. my rodi unit was smashed during my move to this house and i never replaced it. tank isnt pristine by any means but its not garbage either. phosphates are present in my tap but come down to close to 0 soon after water changes. definitely not the best system but its what i have right now.

sooooo....... who else wants to come clean about no rodi and what you're doing to make it work?

 

[hollister]

Really depends on your setup and not all tap water is created equal. Some citys have very good tap.

I do use tap every so often if im in a hurry and cant run to corner water mill.

 

[Beandawg]

Tap here. 10+ years strong in the same tank. I must have good tap water. I've never tested TDS etc. Never have algae trouble unless I overfeed for a few weeks. If I start seeing diatoms or red slime I stop feeding until they go away. I also rarely do water changes, but thats another topic altogether. My tank has never been anything to brag about, but I enjoy it. I suppose that's all that matters.

 

[Reefahholic]

I can't understand why any reefer would not just buy an ro/di.

To me it's like going to the beach and asking somebody to barrow some lawn chairs when you get there. Why would you do it?

It's like buying a car without tires! You can drive it, but come on man...let's just be honest here, it's just not ideal at all and a hassle/headache without one.

It's like having a 50" 1080p flatscreen without HD or a remote control.

What.....lol....no disrespect guys, but come on man...spend the $200!

 

[Ron Reefman]

I can't understand why any reefer would not just buy an ro/di.
To me it's like going to the beach and asking somebody to barrow some lawn chairs when you get there. Why would you do it?
It's like buying a car without tires! You can drive it, but come on man...let's just be honest here, it's just not ideal at all and a hassle/headache without one.
It's like having a 50" 1080p flatscreen without HD or a remote control.
What.....lol....no disrespect guys, but come on man...spend the $200!

A bit over the top, don't you think?

I have a new friend who uses well water that has been softened and his TDS runs around 100-120. He has a 120g and a 55g. Both tanks have MH lighting and he has nice zoas, softies, lps 4 RBTA and lots of fish. No algae issues. He has had the 120g system running for about 7 years.

 

[Collinrb]

+1 to what Ron said. I have around the same TDS in my softened well water. I also kind of have a weird habit where I mix the saltwater for two full days instead of one. But that's probably just me and has no real effect on anything. If it ain't broke, don't fix it

 

[KendallC]

Using RO/DI is very IMPORTANT becuase there is a type of alge called red slime. If you don't use RO water sooner or later you might a red slime carpet show up in your tank overnight.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you use tap water, be sure to let the water run for several minutes before collecting it as exposure to your homes copper pipes can the the source of the worst nasties in tap water (copper). The water that sits in them overnight can easily get quite high.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Using RO/DI is very IMPORTANT becuase there is a type of alge called red slime. If you don't use RO water sooner or later you might a red slime carpet show up in your tank overnight.

Then how do you explain 7 years of well water use with a TDS between 100-120 and never an algae or bacteria issue after the start up cycle? If there isn't phosphate or nitrate or both it the well water, this isn't an issue. The point is, you can have water with a TDS of 10, and if it's copper, you have serious problems. You can have water with a TDS of 100, and if it isn't harmful stuff like heavy metals, or toxic like clorine, or food for algae like phosphate or nitrate, then it probably isn't an issue.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying tap water is OK. I use an RO/DI and my TDS is between 5-10. It works for me. But a hihh TDS reading is ALWAYS a bad thing.

 

[ezerasurfr]

Then how do you explain 7 years of well water use with a TDS between 100-120 and never an algae or bacteria issue after the start up cycle? If there isn't phosphate or nitrate or both it the well water, this isn't an issue. The point is, you can have water with a TDS of 10, and if it's copper, you have serious problems. You can have water with a TDS of 100, and if it isn't harmful stuff like heavy metals, or toxic like clorine, or food for algae like phosphate or nitrate, then it probably isn't an issue.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying tap water is OK. I use an RO/DI and my TDS is between 5-10. It works for me. But a hihh TDS reading is ALWAYS a bad thing.

Whenever someone post an issue on this or any forum, whats the first response from the people trying to help?

"What are your parameters?" - this is asked because of how vital water is to our tanks.

There may not be a problem with running a tank for 7 years on tap, but the issue is - tap water may be stable for a time, but your locality can change that at anytime or a mishap can change that at anytime. There is no control over it, and all it takes is a little bit of copper or other abnormality in the water to create a disaster.

Since ultimately as reefers our job is to keep water (not fish, not corals, not inverts - water). With good water comes good, sustained life in our tanks. Not having clean starting water is (IMO) irresponsible for the hobby we're in. Tap water is just too risky, and for all the money we spend on our tanks, the <$200 US for a good unit is nothing.

Screw the tang police, where are the water police at??!!

 

[Misled]

Whenever someone post an issue on this or any forum, whats the first response from the people trying to help?

"What are your parameters?" - this is asked because of how vital water is to our tanks.

There may not be a problem with running a tank for 7 years on tap, but the issue is - tap water may be stable for a time, but your locality can change that at anytime or a mishap can change that at anytime. There is no control over it, and all it takes is a little bit of copper or other abnormality in the water to create a disaster.

Since ultimately as reefers our job is to keep water (not fish, not corals, not inverts - water). With good water comes good, sustained life in our tanks. Not having clean starting water is (IMO) irresponsible for the hobby we're in. Tap water is just too risky, and for all the money we spend on our tanks, the <$200 US for a good unit is nothing.

^^^ That there. Minus the police crap. I know what I put in my tank at any given moment. Not knowing would be a problem for me.

 

[billdogg]

I have been successfully keeping marine aquaria for about 25 years. When I started, nobody had even heard of ro/di. My tanks have never had anything other than good old Columbus, Ohio TAP WATER the entire time. I havve never had a problem where I could say "It must be the TAP water" Over the years I have kept pretty much everything available.

To the poster who claims that not using ro/di will doom your tank to outbreaks of red slime (cyanobacteria, actually) I say nonsense. Cyanobacteria, diatoms, hair algea, etc will come and go in ANY system kept for a long period of time. Your system is in a constant state of change - as are any and all living things.

 

[hotrodolds]

Using RO/DI is very IMPORTANT becuase there is a type of alge called red slime. If you don't use RO water sooner or later you might a red slime carpet show up in your tank overnight.

I have my own rodi set up and just got done battling red slime, so things arent that simple

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Then how do you explain 7 years of well water use with a TDS between 100-120 and never an algae or bacteria issue after the start up cycle?

Just to be clear, TDS is in no way a measure of the suitability of water for a reef tank. It is only useful in this context as a way to know if you were successful in purifying water of a known starting TDS.

 

[lordofthereef]

Then how do you explain 7 years of well water use with a TDS between 100-120 and never an algae or bacteria issue after the start up cycle?

Just to be clear, TDS is in no way a measure of the suitability of water for a reef tank. It is only useful in this context as a way to know if you were successful in purifying water of a known starting TDS.

Randy, it may help if you could tell us some of the common dissolved solids in tap/well water that are not harmful to our tanks. Some that I can think of might be calcium and perhaps various salts?

 

[Reefahholic]

I'm still scratching my head here. Why risk algae problems or any water problems when we have the technology that prevents most of it.

Would you buy a car without seatbelts, radio, or speedometer?

Of course you wouldn't! Why, cause the technology is available and makes life easier.

Same with an RO/DI unit, it's fairly inexpensive, available, and makes reefing a lot easier. Let's face it, keeping great water is one of the biggest aspects of this hobby. Why not take advantage of a good RO/DI unit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, it may help if you could tell us some of the common dissolved solids in tap/well water that are not harmful to our tanks. Some that I can think of might be calcium and perhaps various salts?

By far the main things contributing to TDS in tap water are the same as contribute to salinity in seawater: sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, bicarbonate, etc.

I discuss tap water here:


Tap Water in Reef Aquaria
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm


and TDS here:

What is TDS?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/rhf/feature/index.htm

 

[Bushman]

I used RO/DI exclusively in my former 125. Had horrible algae issues, got frustrated, tore it down and quit....

Fast forward a couple years later, got a 90 gallon reef, set it up with tap water and a GFO reactor. Not thread of algae. Never, not a single thread. I am no expert, but I will continue to use tap and GFO reactor and this tank is nearing 3 years old. I subscribe to the theory that "there's more than one way to skin a cat". My RO/DI is stored away collecting dust. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[Reefahholic]

Randy...does anybody here have more than 75,000 posts?

Remind me to never question your opinions!

Man, you got to have a head full of knowledge if you have 75,000 posts on RC!

 

[Misled]

He won't say it, but I believe he has way more than that. At some point in time a few years back, he broke the system.