RO/DI questions...

[PheonixKingZ]

I have a few questions on RO/DI water:

1. Does this system truly remove all chlorine from the water? Or should I add dechlorinator just in case?
2. Should I start to add RO/DI water to my freshwater tanks as well? Do the fish benefit from it?
3. Do live plants benefit from RO/DI water?

@Byron

 

[Sgooosh]

live plants mostly don't there isn't much left in the water i think
fine for fish

 

[Byron]

Does this system truly remove all chlorine from the water? Or should I add dechlorinator just in case?

It depends upon the effectiveness of the RO unit/system, as others have noted (@Essjay has, in this thread or another).

Should I start to add RO/DI water to my freshwater tanks as well? Do the fish benefit from it?

Depends upon the state of the source water, and the fish species.

Do live plants benefit from RO/DI water?

Again, depends upon the source water and what the unit does to it, but plants are more tolerant than fish, generally.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It depends upon the effectiveness of the RO unit/system, as others have noted (@Essjay has, in this thread or another).

It’s the RO/DI Buddie, not sure if that helps. Would it be better to just go ahead and add the dechlorinator?

Depends upon the state of the source water, and the fish species.

I’m not sure if this helps? https://lawrenceburgky.org/wp-content/uploads/WQR-2019.pdf

Fish species: Betta, Harliquen Rasbora’s, Neon Tetras, False Julii Corydoras, and bristle nose Pleco. (Excluding shrimp and snails.)

Again, depends upon the source water and what the unit does to it, but plants are more tolerant than fish, generally.

Here is what it says the system does:

• ZERO TDS WATER- Produce up to 50 gallons of zero TDS water every 24 hours at an affordable price with the RO Buddie plus DI model, The RO Membrane will remove up to 98 percent of the TDS in water and the DI Mixed Bed Resin will remove the remaining TDS
• SEDIMENT REMOVAL - The five-micron sediment filter cartridge traps particulate matter like dirt, silt, and rust with will affect the taste and appearance of the water
• CARBON FILTRATION - The five-micron activated carbon reduces chlorine and conditions the water prior to the RO membrane
• MEMBRANE FILTRATION - The RO membrane reduces impurities known as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from the water down to a ratio of 1 out of 10,000 of a micron, reducing arsenic, lead, parasitic cysts, copper and more
• DEIONIZATION - The color-changing deionization mixed-bed resin removes the remaining TDS from the membrane filtered water

 

[Byron]

I’m not sure if this helps? https://lawrenceburgky.org/wp-content/uploads/WQR-2019.pdf

Fish species: Betta, Harliquen Rasbora’s, Neon Tetras, False Julii Corydoras, and bristle nose Pleco. (Excluding shrimp and snails.)

The link has nothing that would concern me, if I am reading the data correctly. Nitrates for example seem very low, not even an issue, at 0.7 ppm. TDS at that low a level is not a concern. TDS includes the GH calcium and magnesium salts along with any other dissolved solids, so worth knowing, but not a problem here. I would want to know the GH before deciding, if this were me. But that brings me to my comment, that I know nothing about RO units and I will not advise on this or that type.

Fish species are all soft water, but again depending upon the GH number, may have no issues here with the water as is.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The link has nothing that would concern me, if I am reading the data correctly. Nitrates for example seem very low, not even an issue, at 0.7 ppm. TDS at that low a level is not a concern. TDS includes the GH calcium and magnesium salts along with any other dissolved solids, so worth knowing, but not a problem here. I would want to know the GH before deciding, if this were me. But that brings me to my comment, that I know nothing about RO units and I will not advise on this or that type.

Fish species are all soft water, but again depending upon the GH number, may have no issues here with the water as is.

My water hardness is approximately 190ppm. (GH)

@Essjay, @Wills, do you have experience with RO/DI systems? (Specifically the RO Buddie?)

 

[hansgruber7]

I use the RO/DI buddie and it has been working great (though it wastes a lot of water and is slow). I don't add dechlorinator as I believe it takes care of the chlorine. Have not had any problems after several months of using. I find my fish have been healthier, and I have had less algae problems. If you add minerals like Seachem Equilibrium and Aquarium Co Ops Easy Green, my plants have been thriving. fwiw.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I use the RO/DI buddie and it has been working great (though it wastes a lot of water and is slow). I don't add dechlorinator as I believe it takes care of the chlorine. Have not had any problems after several months of using. I find my fish have been healthier, and I have had less algae problems. If you add minerals like Seachem Equilibrium and Aquarium Co Ops Easy Green, my plants have been thriving. fwiw.

Would it necessarily be unsafe to add water dechlorinator?

 

[Wills]

I’ve just got my unit working it’s not the same model you have. I got a direct unit as I don’t want to store the water in advance don’t have the space. You don’t need dechlorinator with it which is a perk all you get out of the RO units is pure h2o nothing else apart from when the units need replacing but even then if you work it out properly you are only talking about tiny ppms

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I’ve just got my unit working it’s not the same model you have. I got a direct unit as I don’t want to store the water in advance don’t have the space. You don’t need dechlorinator with it which is a perk all you get out of the RO units is pure h2o nothing else apart from when the units need replacing but even then if you work it out properly you are only talking about tiny ppms

Ok! I won’t use water dechlorinator.

After I get my saltwater nano setup with it, I’ll use it to cap off my freshwater tanks for a while. I’m hoping to see a change in plant growth and behavior.

 

[StevenF]

I use RO DI water and I never add a dechlorinator. However I do occasion.l check the TDS or my RO water to insure the system is running properly. If the RO system or membrane fails you probably should use a dechlorinator until you get the RO system repaired.

does RO water benefit fish and plants? The answer is Yes AND No. RO water in most cases is so clean that plants won't grow (no nutrients) and fish may also be less healthy for the same reason. So RO water in some cases can be too clean. Typically RO water needs to use a GH booster to increase calcium and magnesium levels to keep fish healthy. for pants you need to use GH booster and good fertilizer but even then it might be difficult to get plants to grow. Most fertilizers on the market assume your tap water will supply some nutrient. So in short fertilizers are balanced for typical tap water. But RO water if very different from Tap and in my tank I never found a commercial fertilizer that would work reliably and consistently. For me my solution was to make my own fertilzer. Not easy but doable. for many others they might get better results by simply mmixing tap water with RO water utile they achieve parameters close to what thaey want.

The main eason people use RO water is because they want to keep soft water fish while their tap water if very hard. Others may have a udesirably high PH and KH GH in their tap water. RO water is not the magic solution to all of your water issues. Instead it is just one more tool among others that could be used.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I use RO DI water and I never add a dechlorinator. However I do occasion.l check the TDS or my RO water to insure the system is running properly. If the RO system or membrane fails you probably should use a dechlorinator until you get the RO system repaired.

does RO water benefit fish and plants? The answer is Yes AND No. RO water in most cases is so clean that plants won't grow (no nutrients) and fish may also be less healthy for the same reason. So RO water in some cases can be too clean. Typically RO water needs to use a GH booster to increase calcium and magnesium levels to keep fish healthy. for pants you need to use GH booster and good fertilizer but even then it might be difficult to get plants to grow. Most fertilizers on the market assume your tap water will supply some nutrient. So in short fertilizers are balanced for typical tap water. But RO water if very different from Tap and in my tank I never found a commercial fertilizer that would work reliably and consistently. For me my solution was to make my own fertilzer. Not easy but doable. for many others they might get better results by simply mmixing tap water with RO water utile they achieve parameters close to what thaey want.

The main eason people use RO water is because they want to keep soft water fish while their tap water if very hard. Others may have a udesirably high PH and KH GH in their tap water. RO water is not the magic solution to all of your water issues. Instead it is just one more tool among others that could be used.

So would it be best to do a mix of tap and RO water in my freshwater tanks?

I just topped off the 5g, 10g, and 20g long with RO water - would this be a good idea when I need to replace evaporated water?

 

[Colin_T]

Have coverglass on the tanks and you shouldn't need to top up evaporated water. If you have to top up the tanks, do a water change while you're at it. That way you remove some bad water and fill the tank.

 

[hansgruber7]

I don't think dechlorinater is harmful but it's probably unnecessary. My plants and fish have been doing great with Seachem Equilibrium and Aquarium Co Op Easy Green. I also use Seachem PH stabilizers. Both are doing better than with tap water (my tap water is terrible).

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I don't think dechlorinater is harmful but it's probably unnecessary. My plants and fish have been doing great with Seachem Equilibrium and Aquarium Co Op Easy Green. I also use Seachem PH stabilizers. Both are doing better than with tap water (my tap water is terrible).

I just topped off the 5G, 10g, and 20g long. No issues so far! It’s so easy to just make the RO water and pour it in the tank! It will also be easier for making saltwater, because it doesn’t have that extra step.