Tap Water Chemistry Values - Now Questions

Hello fellow reefers!

Let me start out by saying that I KNOW the best thing to do is to get an RO water system for tank water. I just wanted to see what my current conditioned water values were at and if they are proper so that I do not need to invest in an RO unit.

Nitrate: 2.5
Nitrite: 1.0
PH: 7.4
Carbonate Hardness: 89.5
Phosphate: 0.12
Calcium: under 20ppm
Alkalinity: Normal

What values would I expect from RO water?

Thanks again to all!

Joe

 

You are aware that theres more in water than just those 7 tests you did right?

What if, for example, you have a TDS of 300/ppm and yet your 7 tests you did yield results within range of reef keeping? Does this indicate you can then keep corals with no problem? No, there are other things in the water you're not testing for. You could have really high traces of Iron or Beryllium or something of that nature and without testing for it how do you know?

In the area I live in, thankfully, I can use straight TAP water for my FRESHWATER Cichlid tank. Attempts to use my TAP water for SALTWATER yielded tons of algae blooms, actually uncontrollable algae blooms, and various other problems in my 10gal test tank. I then invested in a 75GPD RO/DI Unit and it came with a TDS meter. My TDS was at 36ppm, and after a quick google search the national average is 325ppm right now. As you can see although I had REALLY low TDS it still was a problem. Yes there was no chlorine, etc but it still caused me a headache with algae issues.

I originally did not find the value in RO/DI until after my algae headaches, dead fish, and now I have no issues with water as long as I keep up on my cartridge replacement. I even use the thing to produce my household drinking water.

BTW if you're really curious whats in your tap water there should be a local water facility that can give you a 19+ test panel against your water. You'd be suprised what you drink

 

With quality cartridges, membrane and resin you will get 0's across the board.

 

Yeah, and then you know whatever you're testing positive for is something you introduced not your local water treatment plant. BTW Water treatment facilities change their methods from time to time. Mine has changed their use of fluoride now twice in the last 5 years for example.

With a RO/DI unit you know that whatever they put in there is getting stripped out. And whatever you're testing for is what you put in or what tagged along from the fish store ;D

 

Yep try to invest in a Ro/Di unit. It may be one of the best investments for your reef tank.
Ideally, your basic levels in a SW tank should read:
Ammonia-0
Nitrate-0-10ppm
Nitrite-0
pH-8.0-8.3
Alkalinity-9-12dKH
Phosphate-0
Calcium-420-480
S.G.-1.023-1.025
Your Total Dissolved Solids should be at 0

 

RO/DI is not good for drinking water. As little as a gallon a day can put you in the hospital with serious ionic imbalances in your body chemistry.

Your colon is an osmotic membrane, when ultra pure water passes through it will leech calcium, potassium, sodium, and other live giving minerals and elemental ionic compounds from your blood.

I know there are people who will debate this, and that's welcome, but I suggest if you're in doubt do your own research and ask a doctor.

It's great for the coffee maker, tea, and cooking... it's not good to drink straight.

... oh and Albuquerque just published it's tap water analysis, got mine in the mail today. the EPA requires all public drinking water utilities to publish an annual report. Levels that are "safe" for human consumption are toxic to reef life, i.e 1.3 ppm copper is allowed - that would cripple most inverts.

RO/DI for reefs. FO you can probably use conditioned tap water with no problem.

just my 2¢

-Doug

 

Definitely invest in a good RO/DI unit and save yourself the headache constant algae outbreaks, unexplained livestock losses and other issues.

 

I would definatly get the RO. IME tap water is more convienent and cheap but in the long wrong it will hurt you with algae blooms which are a headache and a half. I would say to a beginner "invest in the best" and don't skip out on getting something because of money. Get what you NEED before what you WANT. The RO would definatly fit in that NEED catagory.

 

agree....everything you read states that RO/DI is not good to drink. Lacks the stuff that we need....fluoride for one.

Biggest thing that RO/DI filters do is removes trace elements that are not good for corals. Copper being one big one. Phosphates is also something to be concerned about. Depending on your local water supply, you will have higher/lower levels of these things in your water, but for most people it is best to not use tap water.

You dont have to buy a filter. Many LFS sell RO/DI water, and depending on the size of your tank it might be more economical to just buy the stores water. You do want to ask though when they changed their filters and membranes. I have had to buy water recently and we even went as far as tested their water RIGHT there! They did not mind at all (actually we did the test ourself...they know us that well) I trusted this owner when he said he just changed everything, but I have seen bad things with store RO/DI water in past...and you cant be too safe.

 

weird.. last summer, I drank 2 gallons of RO a day, during the day, for months on a research vessel and felt great?? Am I some kind of superman or something??