Do I need a RO unit?

[Sean_Buckley]

Do I need a RO unit? I plan on keeping corals, soft, and possibly a few hard corals. I live away from the city, and the town that is a mile away doesn't chlorinate the water or anything. I have been using safe well water for almost 3 years on a number of FW tanks, and everything has thrived, including plants and invertabrates, such as shrimp and crayfish. I don't need a RO unit, do I?
And about the LR question, I'm not sure if my LFS carries much, if any, but I have a place I can order it from. Its about 3 hours away, and it would be sent on the bus, so would I need to recure it or anything? Would everything on the LR die? If it would, could I request that water be added to the bag, would that help? So many new challenges associated with SW!
Sean

 

[amstar15]

i tried and tried to use non-cholorinated water from the tap for a reef tank. I kept having algae outbreaks. I switched to distilled water from the market. however the wife got sick of having all of these empty gallons of water every week. I bought an r/o unit, best thing I could of done. water changes are quick, easy, and good for my tank. much better than tap. especially when talking about corals (soft and hard) plus the lighting that goes with these corals. if you water is not almost perfect.. BAMMM algae blooms.

Live rock, I would still cure it. with that short of a distance it may take only a few days to get it were it needs to be. a small amount of die will occur. upon adding water... im not sure if they would do that, plus think of the shipping costs it will add. take a look at liveaquaria.com for ideas about live rock

 

[Salt Freak]

You don't have top get a RO unit but it comes highly recomended as the local water company puts stuff in there water to kill shrimps out of the water lines without notice and this will kill you shrimps and other invertabrates without notice and tap water usually has high amounts of phosphates which is the number one cause of algea blooms. Everybody on this forum who has used tap water and then bought a RO unit says that it was the best purchase they have ever made. And if you are going to have thousands of dollars in corals and inverts you don't want them living in tap water you want them living in very clean water.

 

[StingrayKid]

You dont absolutely need a R/O unit, although as said above, its reccomended. Some people dont have the room to set up the whole system and such. If you get your water from a city or a town, these algae problems can occur. If you have well water and you have a water filter (most of the time its in your basement) it will most likely lower the risks. My water filter i have takes care of hard and soft metals along with chlorine, which most water filters do. Of course, these are more expensive than R/O units, and probably not as effective, but this was built in our house. So if you have one, IMO, you dont need a R/O unit, but again, its always god to have one if you can.

 

[Sean_Buckley]

If it's the phosphates that are gonna mess me up, why don't I just get a phosphate remover? But what is the usual cost of an R/O unit? Any that I've seen around here are expensive, extremely expensive, like about $100 just for a replacement filter!
Sean

 

[Jedi]

Sucessfull Reef keeping depends on keeping the water as pure and contaminate free as possible.
That being said, I tried to keep my 90 reef without using RO/DI water. I constantly fought with Algea. I finnaly gave in and bought a RO/DI unit, and I can honestly say I have seen such an improvement I am mad that I didnt get it sooner.
The algea is almost all gone, and my corals are thriving.

As far as the cost. This hobby is expensive.Period.
The $100-$150 you will spend on an RO/DI unit is peanuts in comparison to the expense of all the additives, etc.. that you will have to continually buy in order to fight the problems associated with tap water. It is true that you can buy DI water from local supermarkets, and Wal marts, but @ $.50-$.75 per gallon, the cost for a unit will be offset in a matter of months.

Just my opinion...
Jedi

 

[Jedi]

And in responce to your LR question. If the rock is only going to be shipping for a few hours you will not need to recure the LR. Just make sure the LR is cured already when you buy. If not it will be great to cycle the tank with...

Jedi

 

[Salt Freak]

And the cost of that RO is pennies to how much livestock you are going to have in that tank that can die when local water company decides that they want to add stuff to kill the shrimps in the water lines will kill your 50 dollar inverts just as easily and there isn't really anything that can take those chemicals but a impentrible membrane.

just my opinion.

 

[Salt Freak]

and its just not phosphates its NitrAtes, Silicates, Diatoms, Ammonia, Heavy metals, pesticides, nitrItes, Minerals, posphates, And tons of other stuff I have already pulled out the membrane out of mine and its not even 1/4 done with its life spand yet and it is already looking pretty bad but it still has good flow. and when i flush the membrane the water is as dark orand and brown as you can imagine and to know that is what you are drinking are thats what your fish are swimming in. Its pretty stomach upsetting.

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Cichlid freak, there will be no water company. We don't deal with a water company. We get our water right from the ground, with the nearest water treatment plant being about 30 kms away.
Sean

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Would this work well?Tap water filter
Sean

 

[Salt Freak]

Ok well then I don't know anything about well water but I do no stuff about that filter the only thing if you look how much water that makes with one cartridge it only makes about fifty gallons depending on mineral content in the water you would be replacing the cartridge a lot more than an RO unit So you could very easily spend hundreds of dollars on replacement cartridges in one year and an RO you don't have to replace the membrane but every 2-3 years.

 

[StingrayKid]

Having a Well is much better than city water IMO. Depending if you get your water from a supplier or not, it has much lass contaminants and such in the water. Again, if you have a water filter, it should take out those metals that cause Algae jumps.

 

[amstar15]

hey sean I got a 6 stage r/o DI kit with a 4 gallon storage unit off of ebay for 142. that includes shipping. this is a 100 gph system, it is awesome. if interested let me know and i will send the link to you so you can check it out.

 

[amstar15]

http/cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...4367715781&rd=1

here you go.. take a look at this one.