Adding Minerals To Ro Water

[gale]

I am using RO water for my tank so I'm adding Seachem Flourish for minerals (as recommended in another thread here). As of right now I have no fish and no live plants in the tank. Only a silk plant and a filter. I'm doing a fishless cycle and am hoping to shop for live plants this week sometime. My question-do I need to keep adding the minerals while I'm doing the cycle or only the one time? I haven't done any water changes or anything yet - just topping off from a jug of water that has been treated with water conditioner. In the future I'll add the minerals to the water when I add the water conditioners (right now I'm using Amquel/Novaqua but will probably switch to Prime when my current supply is gone). 

 

[Byron]

First, Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Supplement is a plant additive.  Yes, it contains certain minerals (iron, copper, manganese, etc) but this is not going to have much if any impact on the hardness level of your RO water unless you way overdose it and that will cause other issues.  I would only add the Flourish Comp once you have live plants.  You may not need much, even less than the suggested dose on the label, depending what plants, how many, and the light.
 
Seachem do not advise using Flourish with Prime, at the same time that is.  Prime detoxifies heavy metals, some of which are plant nutrients found in Flourish Comp, and when I asked Seachem about this they advised that Flourish Comp should be added 24-48 hours after a water change using Prime.  I apply this to any conditioner that detoxifies metals (most, but not all, do), so I have stopped using plant additives the day of water changes.  I've been doing this for over a year now, and the plants have certainly not been harmed, though it is difficult to tell if they are responding better than previously.  Anyway, I mention it for what it's worth.
 
Byron.

 

[gale]

I was told in this thread that the bacteria need phosphorus to grow and that it's not in RO water. Thus the flourish. I am planning to get plants (hopefully later today) and I didn't add the flourish at the same time as the water conditioners. 

 

[thrujenseyes]

I was told in this thread that the bacteria need phosphorus to grow and that it's not in RO water. Thus the flourish. I am planning to get plants (hopefully later today) and I didn't add the flourish at the same time as the water conditioners. 

Hi there.
 
I was just stalking this post along with the one you linked above because I've been dealing with similar issues and considering (and started using) RO due to well water issues.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/442430-help-reading-this-ph-and-loss-of-fish-after-water-changes/  
 
This was the thread that I started a few weeks back...it's now really full of awesome information...
you might want to give it a read over (when you have like 78 hours to spare).
 
I was curious as to where you lived because it sounded much like where I am but nope...not even close.  But I'm super rural also with many farmlands and wooded areas and no shopping for at least 30 minutes.  
 
Just wanted to say hi and let you know there's some great reading in my thread also.

 

[Byron]

I was told in this thread that the bacteria need phosphorus to grow and that it's not in RO water. Thus the flourish. I am planning to get plants (hopefully later today) and I didn't add the flourish at the same time as the water conditioners. 

 
That's true, but I'm not going any further as I don't want to get in another discussion over cycling, best you stay with whatever you're doing.  Good luck.