Buying Salt Water from LFS

[Mike from TN]

I have a small tank (13.5 Evo) and I have an RO/DI system that I make my top off water with. I buy my sea water from the LFS ($2/gallon) 5 gallons at a time. It’s just easier for me to do it that way. Consistently reads 1.025 every time with a refractometer.

 

[Jedi1199]

It’s what I did to set it up. Just bought a RO/DI unit on Amazon. $60 and great reviews. It’s meant for aquariums as it only produces 50 gal a day. Perfect for me.

While you are on amazon, get yourself a TDS meter and refractometer. You are still going to want to know your water is as pure as possible, and going to need to test your Specific Gravity before you add it to your tank.

 

[Mike konesky]

I have a small tank (13.5 Evo) and I have an RO/DI system that I make my top off water with. I buy my sea water from the LFS ($2/gallon) 5 gallons at a time. It’s just easier for me to do it that way. Consistently reads 1.025 every time with a refractometer.

$2 a gallon? wowsers! we charge 75 cents for saltwater and give RODI away for free.

 

[Jeffcb]

Yep, for a 10 gallon tank it is the way to go.

 

[iMi]

While you are on amazon, get yourself a TDS meter and refractometer. You are still going to want to know your water is as pure as possible, and going to need to test your Specific Gravity before you add it to your tank.

Yup, already have both.

 

[slojim]

What's your plan? If you are going to change 20% every 2 weeks, that's $6/month. Or another way, you'll save ~ 75cents a gallon, or $3/month. You might want an RODI one day, but I'd spend my money elsewhere for the time being.

 

[Jedi1199]

Yup, already have both.

Ok good. I think in the long run you will be happy with your choice. I use my RODI for a lot of stuff. I fill up a couple gallon jugs for drinking, use it for my herb garden, give it to my cats for drinking... In all honesty, the system has already paid for itself a couple times over, and I haven't even used a single drop for the salt water tank yet!! lol

 

[JCTReefer]

If you are doing this because you think you will get better consistency etc then I would not do it for that reason, very easy for you to get far better consistent water quality doing it yourself.
Do a search on here and you will see many accounts of LFS selling high tds water, salt water you can not test for TDS so you will never know. Inconsistent salinity etc

If you are doing it to save time and hassle then again it may not, travelling to collect water will soon get old.

I would either go for distilled water and add your own salt, or buy a rodi unit, not the 20gpd one as that will be very slow, go for either 50 or better the 75, it’s only a few $$$ more for the higher 50 or 75 membrane.

Saying all that if you are 100% the LFS water is good then go for it, just don’t trust it because they are ‘nice guys’ etc all LFS have nice people working there generally or they wouldn’t be open, but as said some can’t be trusted to sell decent water, some even try and sell used water!

Plus 10 to everything said above!!!!!

 

[stanlalee]

Before I got a RODI I barely trusted LFSs RODI water much less to mix my salt. Didn't trust if they changed filters, contaminated etc. Finally couldn't take it any more, bought a RODI, 3tds meters (incoming, post membrane and outgoing) and feel MUCH better about making and mixing my own water.

 

[J_Gard88]

I've heard using distilled water ( store bought) isn't the best idea because its condensed mainly off copper coils which ultimately can have traces of copper which can effect inverts, corals etc over time.. Definitely just go for the RODI.

 

[Reef.]

Ok good. I think in the long run you will be happy with your choice. I use my RODI for a lot of stuff. I fill up a couple gallon jugs for drinking, use it for my herb garden, give it to my cats for drinking... In all honesty, the system has already paid for itself a couple times over, and I haven't even used a single drop for the salt water tank yet!! lol

Unless your rodi system says it’s suitable for human drinking then it isn’t.

 

[Reef.]

I've heard using distilled water ( store bought) isn't the best idea because its condensed mainly off copper coils which ultimately can have traces of copper which can effect inverts, corals etc over time.. Definitely just go for the RODI.

many on here use distilled water, I wouldn’t think Walmart would be selling distilled water containing copper.

 

[J_Gard88]

many on here use distilled water, I wouldn’t think Walmart would be selling distilled water containing copper.

True but just like city water, I would imagine they would not have to show any in depth information if it doesn't have a effect on a human drinking it. City water changes all the time with nothing in the mail letting us know what changed. I'm just saying I imagine there's a buffer even for store bought distilled.

 

[J_Gard88]

LOL I mean they allow so many insect parts in chocolate because no way of preventing this is manufacturing. Now that I'm thinking about it, Nothing is really pure if its manufactured.

 

[Jedi1199]

Unless your rodi system says it’s suitable for human drinking then it isn’t.

What are you basing this comment from? Source material please? I have been drinking RODI water for YEARS and never once heard of this.

 

[Reef.]

What are you basing this comment from? Source material please? I have been drinking RODI water for YEARS and never once heard of this.

“Source material please”...easy enough to do a search mate.

It says on my own system, and others I have seen, you only have to do a basic search on google to see for yourself if it’s a good idea.

 

[Mike konesky]

What are you basing this comment from? Source material please? I have been drinking RODI water for YEARS and never once heard of this.

"Warning Spectrapure does not recommend drinking water produced by deionization (DI) as DI resins are typically not made of food grade material" quote from Spectrapure. There is also quite a bit of information about this subject on the forum. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/is-rodi-water-safe-to-drink.661030/

 

[Mike konesky]

RO is fine, RODI is not.

 

[J_Gard88]

Well it says on my cigarette pack that ( Could cause cancer ) we cant believe everything we hear!

 

[I’m Batman]

salt water you can not test for TDS so you will never know. Inconsistent salinity etc

Agreed, also need to test for Po4 of the LFS RO/DI water. Had my own issues with the LFS getting lazy on media changes. Just get Walmart purple cap distilled and mix your own. For a 10g nano you can use a 5gal bucket and a small power head, go get a scale from the local bodega, 176g/gal of salt mix up two gallons and let sit over night.