RO question

[Krugar]

Hi all,

I'm currently cycling a nano tank & I'm using RO water purchased from Loblaws. Has anyone tried that or should I get back to you on how it works out?

Cheers!

[tang_man_montreal]

I used to use the RO/DI water from Loblaws with no ill effects. I have since purchased my own RO/DI unit as buying 20 gallons of water every 10 days was getting expensive.

Another thing is that you don't know the quality of the water that you're getting from there. You don't know when it was last serviced and had it's filters changed.

AquariaCanada carries some very inexpensive RO/DI units that will eventually pay for itself compared to buying water at Loblaws.

[Krugar]

Thanks!

If I was working with a bigger tank I'd agree completely, but this is a tiny nano & it would take some time to break even.

I'll likely convert my 85g over & then I'll look at getting my own RO unit.

Cheers!

[ALRHA]

you are runninng an 85g tank? if you are changing 10 gal every 2 weeks @ $1/gallon, then in about 6 months you would have likey paid for your RO unit (depending obviously on other factors). plus if you are planning on upgrading your tank, you will end up buying one anyway, so why not get it now and save yourself that extra money.

[Krugar]

No I have an 85g Discus tank that I'm thinking of converting to reef. I'm just as likely to buy a new kit and sell off the planted discus tank. Jury's still out.

I'm cycling up a Nano and I spent more on coffee today than the RO water this tank requires weekly.

Cheers!

[ALRHA]

oh, ok then i would suggest you buy a coffee maker instead - :coffee:
if you are planning to use the same tank, just make sure you never treated it with anything that may leach into your reef water (such as copper or the like).

[Krugar]

I used to dose copper to treat heximita when I had Oscars in the tank, but it's been at least 5 years since I've done that and the discus set up is completely bio filtered.

I do however have a problem keeping snails alive. Shrimp love the tank, snails die in a matter of days. I've always wondered if there was still some residual copper killing them.

Is that possible after so long? Maybe I will get a completely new kit once the hardwood floors are in then.

Cheers!

[tang_man_montreal]

Copper does actually leech into the silicone used along the seams in the tank. Whether it becomes inert after 5 years is another thing. I'm not sure, but it could be the cause of the snail deaths.

[ALRHA]

i wouldnt be able to tell you for sure either, but what i will say is that youll need snails in your reef, and i dont think you are planning to run an experiment to prove whether or not copper can still kill your reef even after 5 years. play it safe or risk regretting that you didnt.

[Krugar]

Yeah I ran a quick guestimate on the cost of buying a new tank vs, replacing everything in it once.

New tank it is. It's been on the list for a while, but I must appease my wife with new flooring before I can spend that much on the fish again lol :)

Cheers!

[ALRHA]

appeasement, its the only way to survive in this business. (I somehow managed to convince my wife that the tank is for HER to make HER house so much nicer. when she is good, i buy her a coral as a gift)

[reefmutt]

Man, if that worked on my wife, I'd have the ocean lapping up on our night tables and an sps garden surrounding the house!! Unfortunately, she prefers if I just clean the bathroom!! :)

[ALRHA]

he he, the trick was convincing her it was HER idea. after snorkeling on our honeymood, she loved it and wished she could see it every day. of course i took the opportunity and romantically replied "Honey, if you like it that much, I will build you a reef in your living room you can watch all you want" since then i have always shown her pictured of beautiful tanks till one day she said "I wish we would have such a big tank, we would be able to have so many more corals!" Hence my upgrade now. She has caught onto my little scheme, but she's already hooked (as long as she doesnt see the price tags). Another great thing is that she appreciates the interesting stuff too (not just fish with pretty colors).

[reefmutt]

Albert......YOU DA MAN!!!!!

[ALRHA]

he he, i thank god ofr it every day!