Using RODI water only to top off Tank

[vjl501tech]

New to RODI water and wondering if a successful reef tank can be maintained using RODI water
only to top off the water level. My logic (or illogic) goes that if the tap water used for water
changes is fairly low in TDS, you will not be adding additional TDS by using RODI water
for top offs. So the level of TDS in the tank will never change. Does this make sense?
Does anyone do this? Thank you for your patience.

VJ

 

[sharpimage]

Most will recommend using only RODI for top off, water changes, and the initial fill. Even though your tap water may be low in TDS, it will probably have chlorine or chloramines as well as copper. All bad for a reef

 

[AcroNem]

It is correct that by using DI water to top off you will not be adding anything else to the system, as DI water is basically 100% pure, but the goal is to never add anything that isn't "water" when mixing salt or topping off. You should use RODI water for everything, tap water can have some nasty stuff in it and shouldn't be used.

 

[mfinn]

Use rodi water.
Even if you have low tds in your tapwater, whatever that is registering as tds, stays in the tank. It doesn't evaporate like water does.
Don't try and measure tds in saltwater. It'll make you think the tds meter is broken. ( and may just mess up it up. IDK)

 

[AcroNem]

Many TDS meters won't go that high. If I measure salt water it gives me an error message, TDS of seawater is around 30,000-40,000

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Use only RODI water in an aquarium.