RO or DI?

I always thought RO was better than DI. I trust you, but was just wondering why you say this is all. I honestly am thinking that the OP is talking about distilled water and DI water as well.

 

RO is not 100% effective so will always have some TDS in the effluent.

DI, with fresh resin and given the correct contact time will remove almost everything down to extremely low levels. The keys are good resin and contact time.

This is why many systems place carbon and RO in front of DI, to extend its life and allow it to work its best. For practical purposes it takes all three to work efficiently and for any length of time. To extend it even further, all membrane manufacturers recommend, in fact they will not warranty a RO membrane unless you are using softened water. This is another form of "pretreatment".

My choices in order:
RO/DI
Distilled
DI only
RO only

 

Thanks for the information, until I purchase my own filtration I will start using DI water instead of RO from my local grocery store! It's only 1.99 for 5gal

 

I'd still advise grabbing a TDS meter to check that water, or seeing if LFS can do it for you. There is no guarentee that the DI at the source is maintained . Other than that is a good plan.

 

Depending on your tank size. You should really consider getting an RO/DI unit ASAP. If it doesn;t save you money in the long run, it will def. make your life a bit easier.

 

Only have a 29g tank in my college apartment, not a big deal at the moment

 

If you have corals and fish, live inhabitants it is a big deal. You have a responsibility to provide the best environment you can for the inhabitants or you have no business in this hobby.
I know thats harsh but its reality. Too many people get into this hobby with no idea of the requirements and its a sad sight. I have some of the very same corals I started with almost 30 years ago to this day and have an anemone I bought in 1990 and its still doing fine. I'm lazy myself and not steady about water changes and maintenance but water quality is the number one priority.

 

You don't need to start raging out on me when I say owning my own filtration isn't a big deal at the moment. Lol I have not lost anything yet and I am on top of my game. It's not a big deal for me because I am able to go get clean fresh water at a moments notice with no problems. Water quality is very important to me - along with the health and happiness of my system.

 

Agreed. I think AZ might have gotten the wrong idea about what you actually meant.

 

You statement that you only have a 29 gallon tank and its no big deal was the basis for my comments. It does not matter how large or small or how many, few of the diversity of your inhabitants, they are all important and deserve the best care we can provide them. Too many hobbyists don't take it seriously and take losses in stride which is not the attitude to start this hobby with.