How do YOU make your water?

[BrokenMarrow]

So I normally just buy gigs of pre-made water or distilled water for my 13.5 gallon tank, but I'm updating to a 32.5 gallon and I have salt to make my own water. But I dont think buying 32 individual jugs of distilled water is the best way of making it. I need advice on how to make my own saltwater without so much waste. How do you all do it?

 

[wonroc]

I think the easiest and cheapest in the long run is to buy a rodi, 2 brute garbage cans and a bucket of salt.

 

[Alanna102499]

Do a little rain dance! Oh yeah and my BRS 5 stage RO/DI with Red Sea Coral Salt!

 

[Rjukan]

Mine are low tech, 5g bucket mixed with a long plastic spoon lol. Keeps it easy to manage and makes me more likely to keep up with water changes every other week.

 

[highest_tides]

Rodi unit in my basement. Currently hauling/mixing 5gallons at a time. Trying to get a mixing station together.

 

[Aqua Man]

Step one is researching your water quality. Well or city? What’s your starting TDS?

Then look at RODI units. Spectrapure and BRS units are good. There others too.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Evo? I started with an aquatic life rodi 50 GPD before upgrading for my 40 breeder. I would upgrade from distilled bottles to either LFS RODI or purchase your own RODI unit.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I need advice on how to make my own saltwater without so much waste.

What do you mean by waste?

 

[Aqua Man]

Fish store is also an option.

I recommend getting a TDS meter to check any water you make or purchase. Some stores water can be loaded with TDS.

 

[A sea K]

For my 80 gal display I change 4 gal weekly. RO/DI in a 5 gallon pail, weigh out salt and add to water with a maxi jet pump for circulation, give it about 45mins to an hour and its done.

 

[BrokenMarrow]

What do you mean by waste?

The only distilled bottled water near me are in 1 gallon jugs. I dont want to end up buying 30ish individual jugs, but don't wanna spend a fortune on pre-made salt water either.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

The only distilled bottled water near me are in 1 gallon jugs. I dont want to end up buying 30ish individual jugs, but don't wanna spend a fortune on pre-made salt water either.

Understood. Getting a reverse osmosis system is going to be the cheapest route. The up front cost is significant and there are filters to replace, but the cost of a gallon of purified water totals about a penny for most people. Cheap salt mixes like Instant Ocean end up costing about $0.32 per gallon of saltwater made. So total you're looking at spending $0.33 per gallon of saltwater made. Most fish stores charge three times that or more.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

The only distilled bottled water near me are in 1 gallon jugs. I dont want to end up buying 30ish individual jugs, but don't wanna spend a fortune on pre-made salt water either.

Not that it helps you a huge amount but I did find distilled at my local Martins in 2.5G jugs. Long term it is cheaper to make it yourself.

 

[Pistol Peet]

Straight from my Rodi unit to the bin it mixes and fills the tanks

 

[Adamantium]

I have well water which has high CO2 content, so I have an RO unit in my basement that feeds into a brute. That ends up giving me about 5 TDS water. I aerate that overnight to offgas the CO2 and then pump it through the DI with an aqua lifter into another brute. Then mix with NeoMarine in 5 gallon buckets for 24 hours.

I use two 5 gallon buckets to water change my 40 breeder about once a week.

 

[Mical]

I make RODI water in my laundry room - 30gals at a time. BRS 6 stage with water saver kit & booster pump - we get dang near a 1:1 ratio of RODI vs waste water.

We reuse waste water for plants and laundry (dark water in jugs lower left is fertilizer mixed w/waste water for house plants)

 

[BrokenMarrow]

Thanks everyone for the info. Its really helpful.

 

[ScubaFish802]

So I normally just buy gigs of pre-made water or distilled water for my 13.5 gallon tank, but I'm updating to a 32.5 gallon and I have salt to make my own water. But I dont think buying 32 individual jugs of distilled water is the best way of making it. I need advice on how to make my own saltwater without so much waste. How do you all do it?

You are 100% right, it is not the easiest way. I also have a 32.5 and have been buying the pink cap gallons of water from Walmart and mixing with Instant Ocean in a 5 gallon bucket.
Finally couldn’t do it anymore and ordered a 5 stage RODI from BRS yesterday. In the long run it will save money as well (especially in your case since you were buying pre-made saltwater).

 

[KorD]

I have an RO buddy (about $50 for the full system)
44 gal Brute container
salt and refractometer
circulation pump or powerhead.

Just make water, mix salt, and test until you get the SG where you want it. It's that simple really.

 

[mattgsa]

Get a RODI system, worth every penny. Here is a video from BRS that help explain, if you haven't seen it already.