Yep, thats a problem

[Sorrell]

So I tested my tap water today....my pH is sitting at 9.0 This is fish heaven for my cichlids, but the bettas ain't gonna like this

So I am going to order a R/O unit, but I don't really get it Do they hook up staright to your faucet or is it some sorta sump thing? If it hooks to the faucet, can you shut it on and off or is that all the water you get? I don't want to lower the pH of my cichlids, but I have to do something about the bettas and quick.


Here's what I am looking at units


Any help?

 

[jacblades]

im not sure but i am thinking it hooks right up to your faucet.
i heard for every 1 gallon of water those things produce, they waste 48...

at work, our ph is 8.4...not that its ideal or anyhting but the bettas dont seem to mind.

 

[Sorrell]

I don't think it's a huge problem shorterm, but I think it's affecting them longterm. I especially worry about spawn tank conditions and my kapuas

 

[GuppyDude]

im sure ph is very important, especially with picky fish but i find that messing with the ph by useing chemicals or differant water causes the fish greta stress, so i use my tap water i add conditioner of course thogh

 

[wuvmybetta]

Hmmm, I've never seen a home unit like that in person. But I would imagine that it goes under your sink and connects that way. I'll move this to TCC and maybe you'll get more help on the handy dan questions. Also clicking on 'more information' brought up some connection tips.

Are you planning on 50RO/50tap for your betta tanks? My kapuas are in straight RO. Yesterday I boiled peat and put it in their filter. Now they're nice and brown They seem satisfied.

 

[fishdudein]

Sorrell, the unit that I am familiar with hooked right up to the faucet. You would get so many gallons per day, depending on the brand/model I suppose, then you could shut the faucet off or use it for whatever else. I suppose most models are similar. The LFS that I worked at and became familiar with RO used 50 gal barrels to hold the water. Jacblades is right , you do lose a lot of water just to get 1 gallon, so your water bill will definitely go up...check different brands/models and see if any are more efficient than the others.

I only use RO for my saltwater tanks, so I buy mine. I was going to suggest this option to you and then remembered the size of some of your tanks!!!! If you are only planning on using it for your bettas, though, this may be a cheaper option for you.

 

[Sorrell]

Thanks for the info guys Yes, I just want this for the betta tanks, so I suppose I would need 50-75 gallons a week. When you buy the water and not the unit how do you go about that? I am completely clueless on this, but I really need to do something

 

[CFC]

R/O units cannot connect straight to the faucet/tap and will need to be permamently plumbed in to your water system by the use of a saddle valve, this should be done by someone who is competent with plumbing systems and will require a few basic plumbing tools. The unit must run 24/7 as allowing the membrane to dry out will seriously damage its filtering ability so as well as the unit you will need to buy a fish safe water storage container at least big enough to hold the daily ammount of R/O water processed, the smallest units available will usually produce around 24 gallons a day. Depending on the efficiency of the model you buy there will be between 5 and 10 gallons of waste water for every 1 gallon of R/O water produced.