RODI water big hype??

[Hsg]

Hello all, I'm new to reefing with a 125 gal setup for two months now. I was at my LFS and asked the owner what he thought about using RODI water. He said that he has never used it. All his water comes straight from the faucet at the store. His display tanks are all thriving. So I'm wondering if DI is needed at all? One benefit I can see from using DI is that it already has some ca and magnesium and of course it'll be a little alkaline too. Any thoughts? I know a lot of people use it to prevent algae blooms but he doesn't have issues related to this.

 

[JMSKI333]

I think it depends on your water source. Everyone's tap water is different. I personally think it is nuts not to use RODI water and I would never recommend otherwise.

 

[NanaReefer]

I'd like to know what his TDS is coming from the tap. I'd never put water into my tank that hasn't come out of an RO/DI unit.

 

[phillrodrigo]

The thing that made a ton of sense to me was when you start having issues have pure water and knowing that it is pure makes one less thing to have to consider as a issue. You may battle a algae issue and it could be a few things that cause it but if you are using rodi water you know for sure it's not the water. For the $130 it's worth it.

 

[vic67]

I used to use tap water treated with Prime when I first started. I didn't have any problems with nuisance algae but tap water and the TDS in it is different for everyone. I did finally buy a used RODI unit bc it was super cheap and everyone said that's what I should be doing. I used the unit for a few years before I realized I was supposed the change the filters on it occasion. lol I have more HA now than when I ran tap water. hah

 

[AZDesertRat]

Water quality changes and you have absolutely zero control over it other than a RO or RO/DI. What is afe for human consumption may not be safe for reef inhabitants which are extremely sensitive to things like copper. Just because it looks good today doesn't mean it will be tomorrow. What happens when Joe Contractor digs up the water main down the street and causes a cross connection bween the adjacent sewer main? Or when your neighbor lays his garden hose in a tree well full of fertilizer or in the horse trough and the water is shut off to make that repair down the street? It can leave the well or treatment plant in good shape but thy have no control once it leaves the plant.

Water is the single largest ingredient in a reef system and everything depends on its quality and its stability. For the small cost or a RO/DI and the average 5 cents a gallon it takes to filter it why not provide the best you can? Just because your LFS is foolish doesn't mean you need to be the same.

 

[mike007]

+1 Not to mention all the additives most city municipalities put in there water.

 

[DRThompson]

I think it depends on your water source. Everyone's tap water is different. I personally think it is nuts not to use RODI water and I would never recommend otherwise.

+1, chlorine, chloramine, ammonia are all used by water treatment plants to make sure the water is safe for humans. ALL are bad for your aquarium

Also, Most household piping is copper!! If old enough it might also have lead.

EPA says a TDS under 250 is safe for human consumption. My incoming water tests at 150+ TDS.

 

[AZDesertRat]

EPA has a "guideline" TDS of 500 but it is not regulated and really has no health effect. TDS is considered asthetics or a nuisance not a health hazard since it is not a measurement of anything specific. Mine varies between 550 and 850 and while perfectly safe to drink I won't put it in my aquariums. Here in the Phoenix area it gets as high as 1600+ and most of us are still pretty normal despite that.

Chlorine, ammonia and chloramines are minor issues, it is things like the phosphates they add for corrosion control that can cause issues.

 

[Reef Pets]

Pictures are worth a 1000 words. If you are using tap water in your reef please post pictures. Water is the single most important factor in keeping a healthy reef tank. I wouldn't consider drinking tap water due to pollutants such as chlorine therefore I don't see how that would benefit reef inhabitants.

 

[vlangel]

I use tap water treated with stress coat. This is a pic of my juvenile seahorses that were born in my tank and are now 9 weeks old. Seahorses in general are very sensitive to water quality and fry are very difficult to raise but I have had success. Even with seahorses that are very dirty I do not have algae issues. I would never make a blanket statement that all tap water is safe but neither should it be assume that all tap water is not safe.

 

[vlangel]

This is a pic of my reef tank. I also have a 2 year old clam and hammers, frogspawn, that you can not see in this pic. It does show how healthy my welso brain is and RBTA.

 

[Hsg]

Wow, that's a beautiful setup. Thanks for sharing. I think our water here in chattanooga, tn is pretty clean. I can see how it would be a problem in larger, more densely populated cites. Also, cities that have very limited water resources..caugh Atlanta,ga..would have more pollutants in the water because its recycled at a much faster rate. I have two LFS that use tap water and they both have display tanks that look healthy. That leads me to believe tap water is a possibility for me.

 

[vlangel]

Yes, my LFS also uses tap water, ( I used to work there) and has since the 1970s. Their tanks are also healthy. One precaution I take is I do bi-weekly smaller water changes rather than less frequent large changes, just in case of a lapse in quality. In the 30 years that we have lived here I have never had a problem.