I tested my tap with a tds meter and it came out at over 500 ppm. Even worse, my tanks were over 600! I am thinking about converting to ro or rodi water. I have a re mineralizer which I plan on using. If i use this with rodi will it effect my plants? Would using ro or rodi be the same if I’m using re mineralizer? All my tanks are heavily planted and the plants are doing amazing so this is what worries me the most.
🌟 Exclusive Amazon Black Friday Deals 2024 🌟
Don’t miss out on the best deals of the season! Shop now 🎁
Ro or rodi water
- Thread starter King puff
- Start date
The Lumpfish Guy
Fishaholic
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2018
- Messages
- 404
- Reaction score
- 230
As TDS is measuring everything dissolved in the water as a reading by it'self you cannot really tell much about it. Try taking a reading with the usual testing you might do eg Nitrate, Nitrite, Amonia, Ph Kh Gh ect. This will then be useful in informing your decisions of what is actually going on in your tap and aquarium water.
I have because i know those can show up water as well. Everything is zero. I do waterchanges weekly and my tanks are like jungles.
AbbeysDad
Fish Gatherer
I question reaching for a solution when there doesn't seem to be a problem! If your plants are doing great and your fish a doing fine, why upset the apple cart because of a high TDS. I think more likely than not, if your were to switch to RO or RODI water and remineralize, you'd create problems that didn't previously exist....and end up chasing yer tail for a solution(s) to real problems.
Worst case, you might merely 'dilute' your tap water with distilled or ro/rodi water. But first, as suggested, you need to get a test kit for gH/kH and then determine if your water really, really needs to be softer.
Worst case, you might merely 'dilute' your tap water with distilled or ro/rodi water. But first, as suggested, you need to get a test kit for gH/kH and then determine if your water really, really needs to be softer.
All the fish you listed come from soft water without much mineral content. They would do well in water with a GH below 250ppm.
You can buy GH and KH test kits from any pet shop or some pet shops will test the water for you. Some shops charge a small fee for this. You only need to test GH and KH a couple of times a year so I normally suggest getting a pet shop to do it for you.
You can buy GH and KH test kits from any pet shop or some pet shops will test the water for you. Some shops charge a small fee for this. You only need to test GH and KH a couple of times a year so I normally suggest getting a pet shop to do it for you.
I agree that you must find out the GH especially. Before spending money on a test kit you may only use once, can you get the GH and KH from your municipal water authority (assuming you are on city water)? Check their website, many post this in the water data.
I have never bothered with TDS so I don't know what it may be. My GH and KH are zero (tap water is 7 ppm GH) and the pH remains on the acidic side, varying according to the individual tanks' biology. I have wild caught soft water species that are thriving and spawning. I'm not saying TDS is not important, but the GH measures the "hard" minerals primarily calcium, and these block the kidneys of soft water species so this is thee critical area.
Depending upon the GH, you may not want to use any remineralizer. I went through this a few years ago using Seachem's Equilibrium for the plants; this certainly made a difference, but when I learned from a couple biologists how these additives get inside fish and affect them, I quit. There are other safer methods for adding minerals for plants without risking fish.
I have never bothered with TDS so I don't know what it may be. My GH and KH are zero (tap water is 7 ppm GH) and the pH remains on the acidic side, varying according to the individual tanks' biology. I have wild caught soft water species that are thriving and spawning. I'm not saying TDS is not important, but the GH measures the "hard" minerals primarily calcium, and these block the kidneys of soft water species so this is thee critical area.
Depending upon the GH, you may not want to use any remineralizer. I went through this a few years ago using Seachem's Equilibrium for the plants; this certainly made a difference, but when I learned from a couple biologists how these additives get inside fish and affect them, I quit. There are other safer methods for adding minerals for plants without risking fish.
I am so sorry for the late reply. I couldn’t get my hand on gh and kh test strips till today. Kh is 40 and gh is 30 according to the strips. Also, this is after I started using ro with re mineralizer for the tank.
Can we assume the unit of measurement here is ppm (parts per million)? As opposed to degrees (dGH)? The API liquid test uses degrees, but I've no idea what your test strips measure in, and there is a huge difference depending which unit.
There is nothing wrong with the GH/KH tests of the water for the fish mentioned; it is very soft. But earlier in this thread the suggestion was to test your source water on its own for GH and KH (and pH), to see if RO would be necessary or advisable.
TDS = total dissolved solids, which is anything and everything that is dissolved in the water.
GH is general hardness and normally consists of calcium and magnesium chloride.
KH is carbonate hardness and consists of calcium, magnesium & sodium carbonate and bicarbonates in the water.
There are other things dissolved in the water as well, including things like phosphates, sulphates, iron, copper, etc. They all make up the TDS.
GH is general hardness and normally consists of calcium and magnesium chloride.
KH is carbonate hardness and consists of calcium, magnesium & sodium carbonate and bicarbonates in the water.
There are other things dissolved in the water as well, including things like phosphates, sulphates, iron, copper, etc. They all make up the TDS.
Last edited:
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
271 -
263 -
178 -
167
-
158 -
153 -
144 -
133 -
129 -
108 -
93 -
87 -
84 -
81 -
81