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To RO or not to RO

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Danielm

Member
Joined
15 Mar 2018
Messages
55
Location
London/essex
now, I know the answer I want to hear but also want to make sure I start my tank in the right direction and in a way I have the time to maintain.

Having spent a good few hours reading yesterday I am concluding that for most species of fish and plants, my Hard (essex and Suffolk) tap water is going to be fine.

I don’t think I will be able to run enough RO for waterchanges on a consistent basis. Would there be any benefits to using RO to top off (estimate I am going to have 20ltrs a week and have ATU in place). I could do an additional 25litres every other week or something, but at this point think the benefits would be marginal if anything...

Thoughts please guys.
 
Danielm said:
now, I know the answer I want to hear but also want to make sure I start my tank in the right direction and in a way I have the time to maintain.

Having spent a good few hours reading yesterday I am concluding that for most species of fish and plants, my Hard (essex and Suffolk) tap water is going to be fine.

I don’t think I will be able to run enough RO for waterchanges on a consistent basis. Would there be any benefits to using RO to top off (estimate I am going to have 20ltrs a week and have ATU in place). I could do an additional 25litres every other week or something, but at this point think the benefits would be marginal if anything...

Thoughts please guys.
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I would simply say don’t bother it’s not worth the hassle. Water is water. Plants and fish will quickly adapt to it, thanks to millions of years of evolution and good old Mother Nature.


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It depends, if you are changing 50% of water per week (for example), it doesn't matter if you top off with tap as it will even out. If you are doing small, infrequent changes then topping off with RO will keep your water more stable.
 
tam said:
It depends, if you are changing 50% of water per week (for example), it doesn't matter if you top off with tap as it will even out. If you are doing small, infrequent changes then topping off with RO will keep your water more stable.
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Would be the other way round. Top off with RO - water changes with tap.

I get the point though and in the 250 litres, presumably the benefit (if any) of 20 litres of top-off is going to be marginal at best
 
Depends on the amount of water loss though evaporation also. My 500l tank with glass covers loses very little water gets 100ml a day EI ferts that's it. My water is pretty hard but not too bad. If your tank is opentop the water loss will be much greater, so dependant on how much water is lost thought evaporation and the livestock it my be worth topping up with RO water as it won't contribute to the total amount of Disolved solids, where as if your water is very hard and the water loss is high adding more tapwater will increase the TDS over any given period compared to a tank with little to no water loss for the same given period.

So using RO for top-up may be beneficial dependant on livestock
 
Zeus. said:
Depends on the amount of water loss though evaporation also. My 500l tank with glass covers loses very little water gets 100ml a day EI ferts that's it. My water is pretty hard but not too bad. If your tank is opentop the water loss will be much greater, so dependant on how much water is lost thought evaporation and the livestock it my be worth topping up with RO water as it won't contribute to the total amount of Disolved solids, where as if your water is very hard and the water loss is high adding more tapwater will increase the TDS over any given period compared to a tank with little to no water loss for the same given period.

So using RO for top-up may be beneficial dependant on livestock
Click to expand...

Thanks Zeus. Guessing by the time I cover the sump my open top 3 footer is going to lose about 20litres.... I have the unit so nothing to be lost by giving it a go. Thanks
 
Personally I’ve never had as much success since I started using RODI, that goes for both fish and plants.

Then again tap here in Denmark is GH KH 20+
 
Just installed my first RO today, I will have a small pond pump in the sump which is plugged in to a timer, it’ll run for 1-2 minuets per day to drain a few gallons, RO will be linked to a ball valve for auto top up.

Go live will be in a few days.
 
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