ro/di alternatives

[Flipper62]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12574790#post12574790 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by meco65
Flipper62 no not for you, it’s just I know how he feels as I am budget challenged as well. And it’s not nice to throw that up in other peoples faces.

No...Iam not putting anything in anyones face. I DONT know where anyone is getting this.....Iam defending this guy.

If you look ... I said I used Distilled water at the start & used it for a long time....My tank was fine. NOW this goes back 8 years when I used the distilled water. BUT every thing went ok.

That was MY point to that guy......On a buget.Do what you can afford.....If the money is there...Get a RO/DI unit.

????? LOOK back....where did I dis anyone ???

 

[didjman89]

all i was asking is are there alternatives. i didnt need to hear that i dont care about my fish. its not like i abuse them or go all michael vick on them lol there still alive and thriving

thank you all for your advice

 

[meco65]

Flipper62 Im not talking about you, you have been nothing but nice, and a big help here and in many other replys. Sorry for the mix up.

 

[didjman89]

and thank you Flipper62 and meco65

 

[Flipper62]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12574908#post12574908 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by didjman89
all i was asking is are there alternatives. i didnt need to hear that i dont care about my fish. its not like i abuse them or go all michael vick on them lol there still alive and thriving

thank you all for your advice

Thank you for knowing I was trying to help...

YES...there are water options

1 - RO/DO water from your LFS

2 - Distilled Water from your local store

3 - When you can get the money...Buy a RO/DI unit

But dont let anyone tell you...you cant have a reef tank if you cant afford a RO/DI unit......thats wacked

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12574993#post12574993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Flipper62

But dont let anyone tell you...you cant have a reef tank if you cant afford a RO/DI unit......thats wacked

I think your logic is what's a little wacked.

I never said he couldn't have a reef tank without RO/DI... There are plenty of people who use even tapwater for their reef and do it successfully.

But how do you honestly figure people who can't afford a RO/DI unit are going to be able to afford the thousands of dollars it costs to start/maintain a reef tank? .... Magic? .... The lottery? .... Government assistance?

 

[meco65]

Lets see you can run a good SW tank on low level lighting you can build a low level set up for $25 say four GE true daylight 6500k bulbs, that will let you keep low light corals such as, xenia, star polyps, mushrooms, leathers. And a few others. While you would be limited on what you can have it can and is feasible. For flow in a 20gal nano you can use OTB filter with carbon, and one good power head. You can get a Jebo OB skimmer (Sea clone-clone) for about $40 that will work ok, and add more flow, while pulling out a lot of nasty stuff, maybe not like a $250 one but we are talking on a small scale here. Distilled water from Wal-Mart, and a heater. Get a good used tank out of your local paper cheep. And you are in business. And if you take your time and go slow you can put together a cheep set up. It may not win TOTM, but it will be a reef. IMHO.

 

[mixed_reefer]

I couldnt afford a rodi on top of all the other setup costs at first, your not alone in this at all. I went the lfs route till i got a tds meter and my tap had lower tds than what they were selling me. Then i went to wallyworld and got the distilled water with the purple cap till i could get the unit. Every time i tested the distilled water with the purple cap the tds was 0. I may not know alot, but 0 is pretty much 0 and it will work just fine. Its actually RO water that was then distilled from the way i read it.

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12575247#post12575247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by meco65
Lets see you can run a good SW tank on low level lighting you can build a low level set up for $25 say four GE true daylight 6500k bulbs, that will let you keep low light corals such as, xenia, star polyps, mushrooms, leathers. And a few others. While you would be limited on what you can have it can and is feasible. For flow in a 20gal nano you can use OTB filter with carbon, and one good power head. You can get a Jebo OB skimmer (Sea clone-clone) for about $40 that will work ok, and add more flow, while pulling out a lot of nasty stuff, maybe not like a $250 one but we are talking on a small scale here. Distilled water from Wal-Mart, and a heater. Get a good used tank out of your local paper cheep. And you are in business. And if you take your time and go slow you can put together a cheep set up. It may not win TOTM, but it will be a reef. IMHO.

So basically... You're saying that you can build a tank going against EVERY piece of advice on RC and "be in business"?

You expect to have long-term success with a tank running OTB filters and no live rock? And where is the sand? This sounds more like a quarantine tank than a reef tank.

Even with just what you mentioned buying it new would cost you upwards of $300-400. Oh and shipping? Yeah, tack on another $100 at least, because we definitely can't get those prices at our local fish store... And Xenia? Add another $55-65 on top of that. Let's not forget the salt you seem to have forgotten about. Which is a recurring cost along with the water and the electricity. Also can't forget the cost of the yellow tangs or mandarins you're undoubtedly going to add.

Factor all of that in and you're in for quite an expensive project just to build a substandard reef tank and probably end up with some unhappy, unhealthy, or dead fish within a few days or weeks.

Sounds like my kind of tank.

 

[Flipper62]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12575043#post12575043 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
I think your logic is what's a little wacked.

I never said he couldn't have a reef tank without RO/DI... There are plenty of people who use even tapwater for their reef and do it successfully.

But how do you honestly figure people who can't afford a RO/DI unit are going to be able to afford the thousands of dollars it costs to start/maintain a reef tank? .... Magic? .... The lottery? .... Government assistance?

Like I said before....When I started 8 years ago I used Distilled water at 80 cents a gallon. I still know people that use Distilled water because they have the $4.00 a week but not $ 200.00 for a RO/DI unit. Yes...thats not the best.......but its all they have.

NOW FOR YOU.......talking about...Keeping a reef tank, Magic... the Lottery...Government assistance...

You just sound like an Idiot. You may have the money to have a tank. But then I Think people should have to have a licence to have a saltwater tank......In my opinion....you wouldn't get yours.

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12575347#post12575347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Flipper62
In my opinion....you wouldn't get yours.

I know, because it's simply terrible that I bought an RO/DI unit for my fish so they don't have to swim in their own filth while waiting for me to go to Wal-mart to buy 4 gallons of distilled water (which, by the way, wouldn't even cut it for my weekly water change, let alone all the top off water I use)...

Simply terrible!

 

[meco65]

(rjsilvers) You must be Wile E Coyote Super Genius or something, 273 posts you must have been in saltwater tanks for 50 or 60 years now. I suppose you have a degree as a reefer big wig or do you just smoke alot of it.

 

[meco65]

Oh by the way it has been fun getting people going tonight LOL.
Reef on dude.

 

[meco65]

Oh again sand and rock for a 20gal tank 11/2" sand and 20 lb base rock about $35 to $40 might even find some one taking down a tank and get LR at this price. And a local reef club has people that like to help most of the time and you can get frags cheep and some times free.

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12575392#post12575392 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by meco65
(rjsilvers) You must be Wile E Coyote Super Genius or something, 273 posts you must have been in saltwater tanks for 50 or 60 years now. I suppose you have a degree as a reefer big wig or do you just smoke alot of it.

Yeah, only 273 posts and can you believe that I'm not the one giving bad advice on how to set up a tank?

I'm almost flabbergasted. Almost.

 

[Flipper62]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12575358#post12575358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
I know, because it's simply terrible that I bought an RO/DI unit for my fish so they don't have to swim in their own filth while waiting for me to go to Wal-mart to buy 4 gallons of distilled water (which, by the way, wouldn't even cut it for my 10% weekly water change, let alone all the top off water I use)...

Simply terrible!

Well when doing a water change, Its best to mix the water for 8 to 12 hours before using it. This will make sure that the salt is all mixed...plus the water is oxgenized. This is the best way when doing a water change.

OH Sorry....I have been only doing this for 8 years....Maybe you should get the right way to do it from a newbie.

By the way...have you ever heard..... its better to keep your mouth shut to keep from sounding like an IDIOT....rathor then opening it & removing all dought......I believe its too late for you


Some people should just shut thier Pie hole & maybe they will learn something.

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12575407#post12575407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Flipper62
Well when doing a water change, Its best to mix the water for 8 to 12 hours before using it. This will make sure that the salt is all mixed...plus the water is oxgenized. This is the best way when doing a water change.

OH Sorry....I have been only doing this for 8 years....Maybe you should get the right way to do it from a newbie.

By the way...have you ever heard..... its better to keep your mouth shut to keep from sounding like an IDIOT....rathor then opening it & removing all dought......I believe its too late for you


Some people should just shut thier Pie hole & maybe they will learn something.

Sorry... But.... What?

What does aging the WC water have to do with anything? When did I say that I did not know how to change water? Are you lost or something?

You said I shouldn't be allowed to keep fish because I actually use RO/DI water... And then you say I have to age my water 8-12 hours and somehow using distilled water from Wal-mart is the only way I can do that? Seriously... What gives man?

For doing this for 8 years your point is about as clear as mud.

 

[Flipper62]

rjsilvers,

WOW....Just tonight you have already have new PM's going out about you...Were all getting PM's telling us to just ignore you..Good job...

 

[meco65]

Wow flabbergasted that’s a big word you must be really proud. There are many ways to run a successful reef tank. And I have not seen any thing in this hobby written in stone.

 

[meco65]

This has gotten a little off topic.