Sean Hartnett
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I just bought an ato for my 25 gallon IM. What kind of water would someone suggest using?
Just Bought an ATO. Distilled water?
- Thread starter Sean Hartnett
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Not RO since that is only part of the treatment.
With a 25G buying distilled or RO/DI water can get expensive. You could pay for your own RO/DI system in less than a year and have ultimate control of your water quality since you would be making it.
In the meantime though RO/DI from a trusted LFS or distilled such as in the purple capped gallon jugs at Walmart.
With a 25G buying distilled or RO/DI water can get expensive. You could pay for your own RO/DI system in less than a year and have ultimate control of your water quality since you would be making it.
In the meantime though RO/DI from a trusted LFS or distilled such as in the purple capped gallon jugs at Walmart.
FlyinBryan
Well-Known Member
Distilled water is mostly purified, but, I don't think reaches the level of purity necessary to be used in SW tanks. You'll just open yourself or your tank to many problems down the road.
Stick with rodi water.
Stick with rodi water.
Distilled is normally identical to RO/DI. It's just a different treatment method.
OP
OP
Sean Hartnett
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Also the tank is already cycled and has live stock. My parameters are almost where I want them. Is this a factor?
Not really. You need to account for evaporation and water changes either way.
Hunter S Thompson
Community Member
Distilled should theoretically be superior to RO/DI and it's much easier to find at stores. RO/DI could have Chloramimes or any number of other things in it including prescription drugs if you've seen the horror stories.
Some have speculated however, that Distilled could have copper in it from the copper cooling worms commonly used. I have no idea if this is true. I have also heard that most now use other metals or enamel lining to prevent this.
Short answer: it probably doesn't matter.
Some have speculated however, that Distilled could have copper in it from the copper cooling worms commonly used. I have no idea if this is true. I have also heard that most now use other metals or enamel lining to prevent this.
Short answer: it probably doesn't matter.
Since every company that produces water has a slightly (or hugely) different process, I can only share my experience and let you decide...
In a previous life, I ran nuclear reactors on Navy aircraft carriers.
We made lots of water, of varying degree of quality, for various purposes.
The lowest quality water we made came from our four '10-K' units. Called a 10K because they produced 10,000 gallons of once-distilled water per day. The water was used for washing planes, doing dishes, and human consumption. I forget the permissible conductivity on this water (using electrical conductivity as a measure of the water's tds), but it was quite high. These were essentially desalination plants. (and if they went down for maintenance, plane washes took precedence over thirsty crew members!)
Next in purity came from our Day Tanks...these were giant vats of twice-distilled water, that was then constantly heated to drive any dissolved gasses out of solution. This rather pure water was used in the steam plant and to operate the steam catapults.
Then there was the reactor plant water. This water was also pulled from the day tank, and then routed through an ion exchanger about the size of a phone booth. This was reactor plant DI water. Zero conductivity...you drop an electric toaster in a tank full, reach in and pull it out with your bare hands and not get shocked.
I guess my point it...there are degrees of "distilled". A once-distilled water will still be high in dissolved impurities because of carryover, but the manufacturer could still call it 'distilled' because...well...it IS distilled. Do some homework and a little testing on the eater you use...it's not all equal.
In a previous life, I ran nuclear reactors on Navy aircraft carriers.
We made lots of water, of varying degree of quality, for various purposes.
The lowest quality water we made came from our four '10-K' units. Called a 10K because they produced 10,000 gallons of once-distilled water per day. The water was used for washing planes, doing dishes, and human consumption. I forget the permissible conductivity on this water (using electrical conductivity as a measure of the water's tds), but it was quite high. These were essentially desalination plants. (and if they went down for maintenance, plane washes took precedence over thirsty crew members!)
Next in purity came from our Day Tanks...these were giant vats of twice-distilled water, that was then constantly heated to drive any dissolved gasses out of solution. This rather pure water was used in the steam plant and to operate the steam catapults.
Then there was the reactor plant water. This water was also pulled from the day tank, and then routed through an ion exchanger about the size of a phone booth. This was reactor plant DI water. Zero conductivity...you drop an electric toaster in a tank full, reach in and pull it out with your bare hands and not get shocked.
I guess my point it...there are degrees of "distilled". A once-distilled water will still be high in dissolved impurities because of carryover, but the manufacturer could still call it 'distilled' because...well...it IS distilled. Do some homework and a little testing on the eater you use...it's not all equal.
Salt It Away
Community Member
Copper still used by moonshiners, but distilled water either steam distilled or stainless runs.
