[piffy]

Hi all,

I'm quite poor at the moment, and am planning to get a RO/DI system for my shrimp when I get a little bit more money. However, in the meantime, could I use the water they sell outside supermarkets for my top offs?

Someone mentioned to me that the water there is filtered the same way.

Also, since I'm new to the whole RO/DI water, can someone explain to me what I would need to add to the water to make it suitable for shrimp?

Thank you

kH = 3
gH = 3
pH = 6.4 (7.5 out of tap)

 

[DerangedCorgi]

Yeah you can use the water that they sell in those dispensers or aqua stores.

 

[wkndracer]

Rather than using water from those machines which may shift with the age of the filter assembly I used bottled distilled water for almost a year before installing my RO unit.

 

[HolyAngel]

I use the RO purified drinking water from the glacier/glacial water dispensers at my local grocery stores. They have to be checked every two months or so and you can see the last time it was certified(there should be a sticker somewhere). I've used it exclusively for my shrimp tanks and have had no issues with it.

 

[RandomMan]

My suggestion would be to spend $20 for a TDS meter and test the water you buy. The amount of maintenance/upkeep on the filters used in these supermarket dispensers can vary widely. At one you might get 5 TDS, at another 90 or higher.

 

[GeToChKn]

ARe you talking about the big jugs of "spring" water, or the fill-it-yourself RO/DI water? There is a big difference in the 2. Most of our bottled water isn't anything special and may be loaded with stuff. I just looked at the bottle of water I'm drinking and it contain nitrates in it from the start. Small amount mind you, but they all have different minerals and stuff in them. Distilled or RO will give you the purest water to start with. Right now, being poor myself I take a 5 gal water jug, fill it about 4 gallons with tap water, 1 gal of distilled water, treat with prime, aerate for 48hours with an air stone, then use that for my shrimp tank top offs. Least a little bit of distilled water will dilute the TDS down and make it easier for my different shrimp soils to buffer the pH and last longer. Aerating removes some of the disolved gases as well. Seems to be working. My tap water is 7.6, my Netlea soil is holding steady at 6.2 and my crystals are breeding and I have babies, so I'm sticking with it. lol.

 

[piffy]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! It's good to hear there's an alternative to buying the expensive RO/DI system I have some amazon credit, so I probably could get a TDS meter.

I think I'm going to try mixing the RO water half-half with tap water. Is there anything else I need to add to the water, like minerals and such?

 

[fresh.salty]

I think the only thing the law requires them to test for is bacterial levels in the water. Storing dechlorinated water can lead to higher counts than the source water.

 

[GeToChKn]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! It's good to hear there's an alternative to buying the expensive RO/DI system I have some amazon credit, so I probably could get a TDS meter.

I think I'm going to try mixing the RO water half-half with tap water. Is there anything else I need to add to the water, like minerals and such?

If you're mixing tap and ro, shouldn't need to add anything to it, it will just be like diluted and softer tap water.

 

[Higher Thinking]

What is wrong with using your tap water? Why is everyone so eager to jump on the RO band wagon?

 

[MRoss]

What is wrong with using your tap water? Why is everyone so eager to jump on the RO band wagon?

I started using RO water when I noticed that water that had dried on the white surfaces in my shower was pink. I didn't (and still don't) know that that was, but pink stuff in my water kinda bothered me, so I got an RO unit. The water company couldn't, or wouldn't, tell me, either. Oh, and sometimes when I take a shower I can smell the chlorine (or chloramine). I know I can combat that, but RO still seemed the way to go for me.

FWIW,

Mike

 

[Jeffww]

I started using RO water when I noticed that water that had dried on the white surfaces in my shower was pink. I didn't (and still don't) know that that was, but pink stuff in my water kinda bothered me, so I got an RO unit. The water company couldn't, or wouldn't, tell me, either. Oh, and sometimes when I take a shower I can smell the chlorine (or chloramine). I know I can combat that, but RO still seemed the way to go for me.

FWIW,

Mike

Nothing with having chlorine in your water. It's not that dangerous...But as for the pink stuff it could have been a variety of minerals although that's still pretty unsavory.