I m using walmart distilled water right now. I recently bought a MH light. I m getting the diatom algae like crazy. I was thinking of getting a RO/DI unit. I was told buy my LFS that RO/DI water is not as good as distilled water. My LFS store does not have a tds meter to measure the tds in the distilled tanls. All his water is tap water. He told me RO units and making the water would cost a lot and is a waste of money. So can someone clear this up for me
walmart distilled water vs RO/DI water
- Thread starter newreef06
- Start date
I don't see how distilled is better than RO/DI, as long as the RO/DI system is maintained properly. Either will be way better than tap water. If you are worried about your source water quality, you should consider buying a tds meter yourself ($20-25)
Over the lifetime of the filters in an RO/DI system , I think each gallon made wouldn't average out to more than a few cents, depending on your tap water quality (worse water, filters wont last as long)
Over the lifetime of the filters in an RO/DI system , I think each gallon made wouldn't average out to more than a few cents, depending on your tap water quality (worse water, filters wont last as long)
J. Montgomery
Mouth Pipetting
RO/DI water is the way to go. Distilling water is a totally different treatment process from reverse osmosis and deionization. I would argue that RO/DI water is cleaner than distilled.
You can get an adequate RO/DI unit for just a little over $100. Over time, the RO/DI will be cheaper than buying distilled water.
You can get an adequate RO/DI unit for just a little over $100. Over time, the RO/DI will be cheaper than buying distilled water.
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
Both have good points, RO/DI will be cheaper than buying up distilled, if the tap water you're using for the ro/di isn't really really bad. I spent over $100 on my RO/DI unit, now it sit in the corner unused since my source water here is so bad, new filters every couple months isn't worth it, I buy up DI water from a LFS here instead. It's cheaper for me. I'd recommend getting a TDS meter either way first. That way you can check the tap and make sure it's not going to be a waste of money to get an ro/di unit. If you wind up having to keep purchasing water, you'll have a TDS meter to test it and make sure you're not getting constantly changing water from the same source. (buying water is only more effective if the retailer is changing their cartridges properly, I havn't bought "bad" water from LFS yet, but i could see it happening)
Oh, and RO is much better than Distilled. And DI is even better than RO. And if the LFS is using just tap, it's probably not so much from the idea that it's just as good, but more for the reason that it's cheaper on the store. That or they think they know more than they do, which I run across in alot of LFS.
Oh, and RO is much better than Distilled. And DI is even better than RO. And if the LFS is using just tap, it's probably not so much from the idea that it's just as good, but more for the reason that it's cheaper on the store. That or they think they know more than they do, which I run across in alot of LFS.
rollnheavy
New member
what about the wal-mart drinking water it is ro,it has the green top not blue?
THEMANTISMAN
New member
the ebay rodi suck....try www.buckeyefieldsupply.com Russ there will take care of you, he uses premium stuff and it is very reasonable
saltman123
New member
I am currently using the Wal-Mart GREEN TOP which is R/O and Ozonation at .64 cents a gallon. It works for now 
rodgod20
New member
newreefer....I have used walmart distilled water the whole time on the 6-gallon. It reads 0 on the tds. I have 0 phos and no algea. I agree that RO/DI is cheaper over the long run, and in fact I am buying one in the next coming weeks. But I really don't see it being better than RO/DI. I see it being the same.....
just my opinion
just my opinion
Re: walmart distilled water vs RO/DI water
Technically this is accurate. Freshly distilled water is the purest form of water. For aquaria purposes I don't think there is much benefit, if any, over using water from a good AND properly maintained RO/DI system. Also in the long run your cost per gallon should be much lower with a RO/DI system at home.
You may want to post the RO/DI vs distilled water question in the Reef Chemistry Forum and let some of the experts there chime in.
Technically this is accurate. Freshly distilled water is the purest form of water. For aquaria purposes I don't think there is much benefit, if any, over using water from a good AND properly maintained RO/DI system. Also in the long run your cost per gallon should be much lower with a RO/DI system at home.
You may want to post the RO/DI vs distilled water question in the Reef Chemistry Forum and let some of the experts there chime in.
Sorry, don't mean to start a fight but RO is not more pure than distilled. Theoritically distilled is absolutly pure HOH. Nothing is as pure as distilled water.
I agree with logan0171 about its benifits in an aquarium. Distilling is an expensive process probably not worth its added benifits. I used distilled water untill I bought a RO/DI unit from ebay that I am very happy with. Just be prepaired to buy some fittings and adapters.
tkeracer619
New member
If your water is bad get a booster pump and run an addtional pre-filter stage on your ro/di. you can get it pretty clean before it gets to carbon blocks and ro membranes.
RO in house is golden
RO in house is golden
I've used distilled with no problems. I agree with meche that distilled at least can be purer than RO/DI, but that depends entirely upon the distillation process. I'm guessing what you get at the supermarket isn't lab grade distilled water, so it may in fact be even less pure than RO. I've never tested it, so I really have no idea. You'll find it's pretty much phosphate free, though.
I used wallmart distilled water for about 6 months with no problems then all of a sudden diatoms went crazy whole tank went brown said forget it and went and bought a RO/DI unit had for 2 years now and have not had brown algae since personally the best 150.00 I spent in this hobby and no more trips to the store for 30 jugs of water
As mentioned above, distilled water can be less pure then RO/DI.... depends on the process used to produce it
I was on a nuclear sub and ran our steam distilling plant--- we needed DI water too (for our O2 generator and chemistry lab)-- our steam distilled water was run through a DI resin bed to achieve the desired purity.
If you can get 0 TDS distilled water, by all means use it... but I would not use it without knowing this... get a TDS meter... a very inexpensive piece of equipment (when compared with the amount of time and money invested in our tanks)...
IMO RO/DI is a cheaper alternative for most of us-- really depends on the amount of water you use and how much your time is worth--- for smaller tanks lugging jugs could be cheaper as it would take longer to recoup the initial cost of the RO/DI unit....
my 2 cents anyway..
Happy reefing....
I was on a nuclear sub and ran our steam distilling plant--- we needed DI water too (for our O2 generator and chemistry lab)-- our steam distilled water was run through a DI resin bed to achieve the desired purity.
If you can get 0 TDS distilled water, by all means use it... but I would not use it without knowing this... get a TDS meter... a very inexpensive piece of equipment (when compared with the amount of time and money invested in our tanks)...
IMO RO/DI is a cheaper alternative for most of us-- really depends on the amount of water you use and how much your time is worth--- for smaller tanks lugging jugs could be cheaper as it would take longer to recoup the initial cost of the RO/DI unit....
my 2 cents anyway..
Happy reefing....
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