ro/di what the purpose?
- Thread starter tbettis
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Pandora
Premium Member
It depends on what area you are in, but in most places, if you have tap water, municipalities add additives which can be potentially harmful to reef animals. This can include compounds such as chlorine, chloramarine, phosphates, nitrates, trace metals, etc. RO is short for reverse osmosis, DI short for deionization. The multiple step process forces water through a membrane and other steps which bind everything except pure H2O, taking them out of the equation, so that when you add salt, you are making the purest product possible.
The quality of your water will differ depending onwhich area you live in, and there are also people who depend on well water (which can still have impurities from the water table, depending on geography, but will have fewer artificial additives), so YMMV (your mileage may vary). Check with your water company if you have questions about how your water tests out.
The quality of your water will differ depending onwhich area you live in, and there are also people who depend on well water (which can still have impurities from the water table, depending on geography, but will have fewer artificial additives), so YMMV (your mileage may vary). Check with your water company if you have questions about how your water tests out.
Hi Telly,
In addition to what Pandora said, there is another problem associated with using tap water. Every time you top-off your tank due to evaporation the contaminants in that water remain behind. Overtime, even with water changes, low concentrations of materials in the tap water may accumulate and reach toxic levels somewhere down the line. See [rodifaq] for more info.
In addition to what Pandora said, there is another problem associated with using tap water. Every time you top-off your tank due to evaporation the contaminants in that water remain behind. Overtime, even with water changes, low concentrations of materials in the tap water may accumulate and reach toxic levels somewhere down the line. See [rodifaq] for more info.
Pandora
Premium Member
It *can*, if your main problem is you are using tap water, and the tap contains nitrates and phosphates (the major food for algae). However, keep in mind that these organic waste products can also be formed inside the tank, such as from fish waste or decomposition. Do you have a tank set up now that has a problem?
Pandora
Premium Member
I see you live in Columbus Ohio. Maybe consider scrolling down to the main forums page, to where there are local reef clubs listed (blue area by Buy/Sell forums)... I'm pretty sure there's at least one in Ohio. You could ask them there about your local water quality, though chances are, since Columbus is a pretty big city... you'll need an RO/DI unit.
Good to see someone planning things out rather than having problems and then asking, though! Not that RC won't be here for you either way...
Good to see someone planning things out rather than having problems and then asking, though! Not that RC won't be here for you either way...
aquaman67
Active member
RO works as a mechanical filter to strain out roughly anything larger than a water molecule.
Some molecules will pass through a RO so the DI uses the ion's electrical charge to remove almost everything but pure H2O.
Why do you want this?
It takes out the guessing.
Some people have successful reef tanks using tap water.
Some people have wasted hundreds if not thousands of dollars by using tap water that fed algae and ruined their tanks.
Using RO/DI is not a magic bullet though. Overfeeding is just as bad, for example and can pollute your water even more than tap water.
Some molecules will pass through a RO so the DI uses the ion's electrical charge to remove almost everything but pure H2O.
Why do you want this?
It takes out the guessing.
Some people have successful reef tanks using tap water.
Some people have wasted hundreds if not thousands of dollars by using tap water that fed algae and ruined their tanks.
Using RO/DI is not a magic bullet though. Overfeeding is just as bad, for example and can pollute your water even more than tap water.
LoneStar45
New member
I found out the hard way about using tap water. My water and live rock went completely green and algae blooms out the wazoo. I had to start all over. R/O-DI is a must. I dont even rinse my hands in tap water anymore.
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