RO/DI needed?

[AZDesertRat]

I have over 25,000 posts just on the topic of RO/DI spread between the 4 or 5 most popular reef forums. If you have a question on the subject usually a quick Search using the subject in question and my user name will bring up many many threads on the particular subject or question. I can't think of many parts of RO/DI I have not answered or addressed over the last 15 years. Water treatment has been my profession for 40 years.

 

[legomaheggos]

RO/DI water has very low ions and will adsorb dust and everything from the air; it is best to keep it covered with no light also. Before running RO/DI water I flush the membrane for a minute then fill the garbage can all the way up. The in line shut off valve is to shut off the RO/DI unit until I'm ready to run it again; you don't want TDS creep by letting the RO/DI run a little at a time. If I'm going to mix a lot of water I have brute cans on wheels that I mix the saltwater in. You should store RO/DI water in a separate container than you use to mix saltwater.

Looking at all this makes me worry I'm going to kill my tank heh. Ultimately I would do 20 gallon changes at a time. Should I just put the water directly in mixing buckets and then mix it or should I use some sort of large jugs? I'm picturing in my head something larger but similiar design to a detergent dispenser? Not sure what the best ways to do this would be or what container would be easiest. I don't have a spare pump right now to pump it out of a large container, so I need an efficient setup. I have a 30 gallon rubber maid tote that I used to mix my salt in for the first water change and pumped it directly from the container into the tank.

 

[Mike J.]

You can go to Lowe's or whatever and buy a small pond pump cheaply to do the job.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Many of us buy our salt in buckets so after a few years you end u with a lot of buckets and tight fitting lids that can be used to store RO/DI, mix new saltwater or to siphon old tank water out and dump it. If you don't have buckets Lowes and HD sell them very cheap and even have lids for them. You can make your RO/DI 5 gallons at a time, plce a lid on it and stack a couple in a corner somewhere ready to add salt to when it comes time for a water change. If you have room, the trash can on wheels is nice to have to either mix larger batches in or to drain the old water into and roll outside to dump it. My Rubbermaid Roughneck is over 20 years old and still going strong and the Rubbermaid Brutes are even stronger.

 

[legomaheggos]

Many of us buy our salt in buckets so after a few years you end u with a lot of buckets and tight fitting lids that can be used to store RO/DI, mix new saltwater or to siphon old tank water out and dump it. If you don't have buckets Lowes and HD sell them very cheap and even have lids for them. You can make your RO/DI 5 gallons at a time, plce a lid on it and stack a couple in a corner somewhere ready to add salt to when it comes time for a water change. If you have room, the trash can on wheels is nice to have to either mix larger batches in or to drain the old water into and roll outside to dump it. My Rubbermaid Roughneck is over 20 years old and still going strong and the Rubbermaid Brutes are even stronger.

My first round I just bought a bag from Amazon Prime. Only thing fish related I have here is Petsmart and their marine selection is crap.

Do I need to let it all set for the night? I think I'd like to make it all before hand and let it set til I need it so its room temp and ready to be added to the tank other than salt.

If I'm asking too much just tell me. I Just dont want to mess this up!

 

[AZDesertRat]

You can use the new saltwater as soon as the salinity, pH and temperature are close to the display tank's levels. I never let my water mix for more than an hour unless one of the parameters is not in range, usually the temperature in winter months. I bring my jugs of water inside the night before mixing the salt so they are at least room temperature before mixing. To mix the salt I start with a large plastic kitchen spoon or my long handled algae brush to stir it in then throw in an old Mag pump I have laying around so it gets mixed real well and the Mag runs so hot I don't need a heater to warm the new water in winter months.
You might check around your vicinity for a fellow reef hobbyist to help guide or mentor you. I often help out local newbies and even served as the President of my local reef club for 3 years. They usually have an old pump or two laying around they can loan or give you to mix water and transfer it to the display with a short piece of hose on the pump discharge, even a MaxiJet 1200 powerhead makes a great transfer pump with a piece of 1/2" tubing on it.

I don't keep premixed waltwater around more thana day or two, I find it gets slimy and takes on a musty smell and there is no need to keep it since I can have 50 gallons made up in less than 30 minutes if needed in a hurry. Plain RO/DI I keep for months as long as it is capped or sealed with a lid.

 

[legomaheggos]

You can use the new saltwater as soon as the salinity, pH and temperature are close to the display tank's levels. I never let my water mix for more than an hour unless one of the parameters is not in range, usually the temperature in winter months. I bring my jugs of water inside the night before mixing the salt so they are at least room temperature before mixing. To mix the salt I start with a large plastic kitchen spoon or my long handled algae brush to stir it in then throw in an old Mag pump I have laying around so it gets mixed real well and the Mag runs so hot I don't need a heater to warm the new water in winter months.
You might check around your vicinity for a fellow reef hobbyist to help guide or mentor you. I often help out local newbies and even served as the President of my local reef club for 3 years. They usually have an old pump or two laying around they can loan or give you to mix water and transfer it to the display with a short piece of hose on the pump discharge, even a MaxiJet 1200 powerhead makes a great transfer pump with a piece of 1/2" tubing on it.

I don't keep premixed waltwater around more thana day or two, I find it gets slimy and takes on a musty smell and there is no need to keep it since I can have 50 gallons made up in less than 30 minutes if needed in a hurry. Plain RO/DI I keep for months as long as it is capped or sealed with a lid.

Thanks again for all the well written responses. Certainly clarified quite a bit. I think my only other questions are, do I still need to use Prime to treat the chlorine, and can I keep the water stored in a container without mixing it until ready to mix, so its already at room temp when I am ready?

 

[AZDesertRat]

No Prime. The carbon block of the RO/DI system removes all traces of chlorine so it does not damage the RO membrane. Yes, I keep sealed jugs of RO/DI for months before mixing and using it.

 

[legomaheggos]

No Prime. The carbon block of the RO/DI system removes all traces of chlorine so it does not damage the RO membrane. Yes, I keep sealed jugs of RO/DI for months before mixing and using it.

Seems very useful, even for my freshwater aquariums.

I know my wife is getting frustrated lol. Every time we think we're set, we need more equipment!

 

[AZDesertRat]

For your freshwater tanks use RO only before the DI or RO/DI and add something like RO Right to the treated water to add some of the freshwater minerals back in at the correct levels.

 

[legomaheggos]

For your freshwater tanks use RO only before the DI or RO/DI and add something like RO Right to the treated water to add some of the freshwater minerals back in at the correct levels.

If I may ask, what is the difference in using tap water with my freshwater tanks vs saltwater? Why is it okay for one and not the other? I never would have thought we would need the RO/DI for it is all.

 

[AZDesertRat]

I would not use tap water in either one, fresh or salt.
You have no control over your tap water quality.
By using RO/DI in the saltwater tanks then adding a good name brand salt mix you have control over which substances are in the water and at the correct levels for good coral growth. When you use RO and especialy RO/DI for the freshwater systems then add RO Right or one of the other similar additives again you know what is in the water and at what levels.

 

[legomaheggos]

Fair enough. I've just never heard of this and been doing freshwater for about 10 years. Only had salt for about 2 months, so still learning plenty and seems like I am finding more out every day. Thanks for all your time sharing this knowledge with me

 

[AZDesertRat]

Normally with freshwater you have fish only or maybe some plants that can tolerate many contaminants at higher levels.
With a saltwater fish only system this is also somewhat true as most of the fish are pretty hardy. When you get into reefkeeping though many corals and inhabitants are very sensitive to contaminants so a good source of water is critical.
My thoughts are, I already own the RO or RO/DI system and as a hobbyist I have a duty to provide the best environment I possibly can for my livestock so it can live out its entire life, whatever that may be, so why not use the best wate rsince I already have it? I have had saltwater fish live past 13 years (I sold the entire reef system so don't know after that), anemones live past 20 years and currently have soft corals I have owned since 1990 and still going strong and believe providing good water and a good environment has a lot to do with that. We are stewards of the environment and have a duty to protect what we are keeping in our systems. Enough of a rant but you get the idea, it is all about quality and stability.

 

[legomaheggos]

Absolutely agree. I am just ignorant on the subject. Not trying to find a way out of it, just want to understand better to provide a better life and help my fish live as long as they can. We haven't had these long, but we adore them and do not want anything to happen to them!

 

[legomaheggos]

Normally with freshwater you have fish only or maybe some plants that can tolerate many contaminants at higher levels.
With a saltwater fish only system this is also somewhat true as most of the fish are pretty hardy. When you get into reefkeeping though many corals and inhabitants are very sensitive to contaminants so a good source of water is critical.
My thoughts are, I already own the RO or RO/DI system and as a hobbyist I have a duty to provide the best environment I possibly can for my livestock so it can live out its entire life, whatever that may be, so why not use the best wate rsince I already have it? I have had saltwater fish live past 13 years (I sold the entire reef system so don't know after that), anemones live past 20 years and currently have soft corals I have owned since 1990 and still going strong and believe providing good water and a good environment has a lot to do with that. We are stewards of the environment and have a duty to protect what we are keeping in our systems. Enough of a rant but you get the idea, it is all about quality and stability.

Purchased the RO/DI unit. Hopefully get a TDS meter soon. What will I need to do if the TDS reads more than 0-1?

 

[AZDesertRat]

You should be taking 3 TDS readings on a regular basis, tap water, RO only before the DI nd final RO/DI. When the RO/DI starts getting above 0 it is time for new DI resin. When the RO only is no longer 96-98% less than the tap water then it is time for a new RO membranebt that should be 5-7 years or longer down the road as long as you keep up with the regular filte rreplacemenst and annual disinfection.

 

[legomaheggos]

How often do filters need replaced and how pricey is that? We have fairly hard water here

 

[AZDesertRat]

It is all spelled out here in the FAQ section:
Technical Info