Is RO/DI necessary?

srb · 03/04/2006, 11:11 AM

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 · 03/04/2006, 11:15 AM

It all depends on your tap water's quality.

spidey07 · 03/04/2006, 11:29 AM

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 · 03/04/2006, 02:19 PM

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 · 03/04/2006, 03:02 PM

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

Sk8r · 03/04/2006, 06:27 PM

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 · 03/04/2006, 06:53 PM

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 · 03/04/2006, 06:54 PM

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

mr pink floyd · 03/04/2006, 06:56 PM

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 · 03/04/2006, 07:05 PM

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 · 03/04/2006, 08:33 PM

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

BadOleRoss · 03/04/2006, 08:38 PM

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 · 03/04/2006, 08:46 PM

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

boxfishpooalot · 03/04/2006, 08:58 PM

my tap has 3ppm of phosphates.

My city adds it on purpose for somthing.

starseed · 03/04/2006, 10:20 PM

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.

03/04/2006, 11:11 AM	#1
srb Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 8	Is RO/DI necessary? 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

03/04/2006, 03:02 PM	#5
onefin Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Hurricane Alley Posts: 1,621	I believe if you want quality water for your fish and corals ro/di is the only way to go. __________________ "Click my little red house to visit my Lagoon" Current Tank Info: 125 gallon /40gallon Ecosystem

03/04/2006, 06:27 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	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. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/04/2006, 08:58 PM	#14
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	my tap has 3ppm of phosphates. My city adds it on purpose for somthing. __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.

03/04/2006, 11:15 AM	#2
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	It all depends on your tap water's quality.

03/04/2006, 11:29 AM	#3
spidey07 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 562	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).

03/04/2006, 02:19 PM	#4
skylsdale Reefer Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Central WA Posts: 2,220	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.

03/04/2006, 06:53 PM	#7
vessxpress1 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NW IL Posts: 1,603	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.

03/04/2006, 06:54 PM	#8
vessxpress1 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NW IL Posts: 1,603	I won't even use tap water for top off anymore, which I use to do a lot.

03/04/2006, 06:56 PM	#9
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	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

03/04/2006, 07:05 PM	#10
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	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.

03/04/2006, 08:33 PM	#11
srb Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 8	Thanks for the great feedback. It looks like I will be getting a RO/DI unit.

03/04/2006, 08:38 PM	#12
BadOleRoss Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lynchburg VA Posts: 381	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.

03/04/2006, 08:46 PM	#13
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	The units from airwaterice are great and so is the service if you need it.

03/04/2006, 10:20 PM	#15
starseed Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Francisco Posts: 275	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.