Mixing RO water with tap

bud29 · 02-05-2013, 10:05 PM

Well, my betta is a bit nicer now (thank the heavens) so he has gone into my community tank, leaving my 5 gallon tank open. Naturally, I want to make it a shrimp tank

Since I've been breeding easy shrimp with great success, I think I want to graduate to some easy caridinas. My initial thought was CRS/CBS, but, I would probably have to do full RO water for them, which means remineralization, which is kind of expensive (for me lol). My next thought is tiger shrimp. I have two questions:

1. What pH should I get the water for Tiger Shrimp?
2. At what point, when mixing RO water with tap water, do I have to remineralize? Could I do 25% tap 75% RO without having to buy remineralizer?

**Soothing Shrimp** · 02-05-2013, 10:17 PM

I don't keep tigers atm, however I imagine your answer depends on the params of your tap.

PuddlesAqua · 02-05-2013, 10:21 PM

Depends completely on your tap water. What are the gh, kh, ph, tds of your tap water?

Dx3Bash · 02-05-2013, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuddlesAqua

Depends completely on your tap water. What are the gh, kh, ph, tds of your tap water?

+1 to statement above. All relative to your tap water. When I was mixing RO w/tap I used a ratio of 3:1, which worked. However I now only use GLA GH Booster and Baking Soda so I consistently know exactly what goes into my tank.

bud29 · 02-05-2013, 10:45 PM

pH - 8.2
gh/kh -don't have test kit, but, I do have a test strip that show "total hardness" and my total hardness is 200 ppm.
TDS - don't have a meter

**Soothing Shrimp** · 02-05-2013, 10:51 PM

TDS will be pretty important for ya to decide on what mixture.

bud29 · 02-05-2013, 10:58 PM

OK. Well, I scoured the web for water reports, and the most recent report I found said that my TDS is 780 mg/l.

I have redneck water

Dx3Bash · 02-05-2013, 11:24 PM

Ok then....1 drop of tap per 5 gallons of RO. Kidding of course. Consider GH Booster and Baking Soda.

bud29 · 02-05-2013, 11:35 PM

lol OK. So the tap/RO mix probably wouldn't work?

Looking at GLA's gH booster, that price tag looks much better than other remineralizers

aznartist34 · 02-06-2013, 01:08 AM

It's probably easier and cheaper to get all the tests required and test the mixture of tap and ro. You will need the tests anyways to make sure the parameters are in the right range after remineralizing ro water.

rodcuda · 02-06-2013, 01:35 AM

I use the GLA with my Neos and CRS and I like it. One teaspoon rounded in 5 gallons makes about 170 tds in Pure RO water.

02-05-2013, 10:05 PM	#1
bud29 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kansas Posts: 219	Mixing RO water with tap Well, my betta is a bit nicer now (thank the heavens) so he has gone into my community tank, leaving my 5 gallon tank open. Naturally, I want to make it a shrimp tank Since I've been breeding easy shrimp with great success, I think I want to graduate to some easy caridinas. My initial thought was CRS/CBS, but, I would probably have to do full RO water for them, which means remineralization, which is kind of expensive (for me lol). My next thought is tiger shrimp. I have two questions: 1. What pH should I get the water for Tiger Shrimp? 2. At what point, when mixing RO water with tap water, do I have to remineralize? Could I do 25% tap 75% RO without having to buy remineralizer? __________________ The few. The proud. The shrimpkeepers RAOK Club Member #82

02-05-2013, 10:17 PM	#2
Soothing Shrimp Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (83/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,626	I don't keep tigers atm, however I imagine your answer depends on the params of your tap. __________________ DBP Club! My thinking has been invert-ed!

02-05-2013, 10:45 PM	#5
bud29 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kansas Posts: 219	pH - 8.2 gh/kh -don't have test kit, but, I do have a test strip that show "total hardness" and my total hardness is 200 ppm. TDS - don't have a meter __________________ The few. The proud. The shrimpkeepers RAOK Club Member #82

02-05-2013, 10:51 PM	#6
Soothing Shrimp Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (83/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,626	TDS will be pretty important for ya to decide on what mixture. __________________ DBP Club! My thinking has been invert-ed!

02-05-2013, 10:58 PM	#7
bud29 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kansas Posts: 219	OK. Well, I scoured the web for water reports, and the most recent report I found said that my TDS is 780 mg/l. I have redneck water __________________ The few. The proud. The shrimpkeepers RAOK Club Member #82

02-05-2013, 10:21 PM	#3
PuddlesAqua Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (7/100%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 442	Depends completely on your tap water. What are the gh, kh, ph, tds of your tap water?

02-05-2013, 11:24 PM	#8
Dx3Bash Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Minnesota Posts: 364	Ok then....1 drop of tap per 5 gallons of RO. Kidding of course. Consider GH Booster and Baking Soda. __________________ Vids of my 75 & 120 Gallon Last edited by Dx3Bash; 02-05-2013 at 11:24 PM.. Reason: Edit

02-05-2013, 11:35 PM	#9
bud29 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kansas Posts: 219	lol OK. So the tap/RO mix probably wouldn't work? Looking at GLA's gH booster, that price tag looks much better than other remineralizers __________________ The few. The proud. The shrimpkeepers RAOK Club Member #82

02-06-2013, 01:08 AM	#10
aznartist34 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 382	It's probably easier and cheaper to get all the tests required and test the mixture of tap and ro. You will need the tests anyways to make sure the parameters are in the right range after remineralizing ro water.

02-06-2013, 01:35 AM	#11
rodcuda Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (14/100%) Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Central Florida Posts: 843	I use the GLA with my Neos and CRS and I like it. One teaspoon rounded in 5 gallons makes about 170 tds in Pure RO water. __________________ Rod

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