rodi vs dechlorinated tap

[iceshade]

now i need to ask this, please don't freak out at me, i am well aware about rodi water being a massive plus and "required for salt water tanks, but here is my issue.

 

a rodi unit is out of the question for me right now, so i was going to buy 5 gallon bottles for 10$ each at least 4 of them, if not 6 to start off filling my 20 gallon and for the first few water changes and top offs, thing is thats like 50-60$ right there which i'd love to spend on equipment instead, what if i did this, started my tank with dechlorinated tap water, get the cycle going with live rock and live sand, and around when i start adding my CUC and first few fish one by one, THEN i buy big bottles and start buying rodi water at the LFS, and start doing top offs and water changes with that, and continue with only RODI water from there on.

 

would that work? would it mess up my parameters and such?

 

let me know

[tibbsy07]

You could technically use dechlorinated tap water every time you changed water/topped off/etc. It just has more stuff in it than we want, so you are likely to get nuisance algae and/or cyanobacteria. That's all. If you cycle with it, but keep your lights off, the bacteria required for cycling don't care. They'll grow and do their thing. Keep your lights off and the algae/cyano won't grow. Then you can switch over to RO/DI and start taking care of removing algae problems.

[HM3105]

now i need to ask this, please don't freak out at me, i am well aware about rodi water being a massive plus and "required for salt water tanks, but here is my issue.

 

a rodi unit is out of the question for me right now, so i was going to buy 5 gallon bottles for 10$ each at least 4 of them, if not 6 to start off filling my 20 gallon and for the first few water changes and top offs, thing is thats like 50-60$ right there which i'd love to spend on equipment instead, what if i did this, started my tank with dechlorinated tap water, get the cycle going with live rock and live sand, and around when i start adding my CUC and first few fish one by one, THEN i buy big bottles and start buying rodi water at the LFS, and start doing top offs and water changes with that, and continue with only RODI water from there on.

 

would that work? would it mess up my parameters and such?

 

let me know

 

Why wouldn't you just buy it from your LFS or use distilled to fill it up? I bought water from my LFS for a year before getting my RO/DI unit.

 

The problem with tap water, among other things, is the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) which is a measure of all the other "stuff" in the water which the dechlorinator isn't going to remove. Most people attribute a high TDS to causing algae blooms and so the higher that number the more algae you're going to be dealing with from the get go. Plus all your rock, sand, etc is going to absorb that causing problems later on I'd imagine.

 

Now, some people do use tap water because their water has exceptionally low TDS and it works just fine for them. If you want to use tap water consider at least getting a TDS meter to understand how high it may be before using it.

[AZDesertRat]

Not a good idea. There will be things in the tap water that will never be removed no matter how many or how large of water changes you do from then on.

 

I have said this a million times, "If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right the first time." Since water is the single largest ingredient in a reef system and everything depends on its quality and its stability why risk it. Never be impatient, thats the worst thing you can do in this hobby, only BAD things happen quickly in this hobby, ALL GOOD things take time. You may one day have hundreds or thousands of $$ worth of corals and livestock so don't risk it.

 

Go to WalMart and pick up a couple of the 5-8 gallon blue cube water containers in the camping/outdoors aisle then get them filled with RO/DI from a trusted local fish store or from a friend with a RO/DI. It may take a couple trips to fill it the first time but you will be much better off that way. There will never be a lingering doubt in your mind if something that happens in the future was water related or not since you know you used the best source you could from day one.

[iceshade]

thanks guys, thing is i'd need to buy minimum 4 of those 5 gallon machine jugs, 10$ each, and thats just to fill the tank initially, plus maybe 1 or 2 more at the same time for the first few water changes and some top offs.

 

I figured I can just get the tank going that way i can spend that 50 or 60 that i would spend on bottles on equipment, and as the cycle goes on (first few weeks) literally that is when ill buy 1 or 2 of those jugs instead and start bringing home rodi water. I saw a guy on here talking about setting up his tank and being so strict with rodi water, and he talked about having a ton of algae.

 

it's just easier for me this way, i know a lot of people say salt water tanks are "a rich mans game" or so ive been told. but i am doing this on a budget, ive been scared away from getting a salt water tank for over 10 years, i've researched for so long yet always stuck with fresh water, I finally decided no more games, i'm doing salt water no matter what. I just have to be careful with money as i do it, don't worry i'm not buying cheap used crap, or skimping on anything, it's just the idea of buying a bunch of 10$ water jugs interferes with money used for equipment, if i can buy the equipment first, set up the tank, start cycling, and THEN boom within the first few weeks here comes the rodi water from the lfs..

 

i've wanted this for over 10 years, i'm not being a chicken anymore.

[VW_TDI_02]

I don't see why you can't just save a bit more money and spend $100 on a RODI unit instead of wasting those $50-$60. Below is the one I got and I get 0 TDS for $100. It just doesn't make sense that you're so worried about not wasting money and then you're going to blow $50-$60 for no reason.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Reverse-Osmosis-Water-Filtration-RQ-6BB-100/dp/B00EGGRE6C

 

Oh, and don't be so quick to discount "cheap used crap." This is an expensive hobby and like computers, there is new equipment coming out constantly and people are always going to want to upgrade. Just because it's used does not by any means make it crap. Some of us may just want to save some money on a great product. I bought all of the stuff below used and I'm still using it all.

 

Reef Keeper Lite

2 extra PC4s

Eshopps P300 Overflow

BRS Dual Reactor

Sump

[Mojado]

now i need to ask this, please don't freak out at me, i am well aware about rodi water being a massive plus and "required for salt water tanks, but here is my issue.

 

a rodi unit is out of the question for me right now, so i was going to buy 5 gallon bottles for 10$ each at least 4 of them, if not 6 to start off filling my 20 gallon and for the first few water changes and top offs, thing is thats like 50-60$ right there which i'd love to spend on equipment instead, what if i did this, started my tank with dechlorinated tap water, get the cycle going with live rock and live sand, and around when i start adding my CUC and first few fish one by one, THEN i buy big bottles and start buying rodi water at the LFS, and start doing top offs and water changes with that, and continue with only RODI water from there on.

 

would that work? would it mess up my parameters and such?

 

let me know

 

If bottles are the issue, just ask your LFS to borrow some for the initial fill. That way you just buy what you need to keep two week's worth of water changes and some RODI for top off. That's what I did when I first filled my 40B. LFS was cool with it.

 

With a 20L, two weeks worth of water changes amounts to less than 5 gallons. Two weeks worth of RODI top off should be the same. So you only need buy two 5 gallon jugs (one for fresh, one for salt water) and ask the LFS to borrow the rest for your initial fill.

 

There's a over/under when it comes to tank size when buying your own RODI unit makes sense. IMO, its well north of 20 gallons. Even at a 40B, I'm OK without one and just buying from LFS.

[iceshade]

Actually I made a big mistake saying the term cheap and used. Very sorry about that what I should have said was I wasn't skimping meaning buying the lowest quality of something when I can get a better one for 10$ more, I made that mistake getting a tank for fw a while ago. Got one of those tank kits. And regretted it the next day so I exchanged it for a seperate tabk of better quality, better hood, way better light.

 

Also like i said a rodi unit is out of the question right now trust me. Personal reasons. In reality I'd rather go to the LFS with a bunch of empty 8L bottles for rodi water lol which is what I might do, question though those 4L and 8L bottles of "distilled" water at grocery stores, are they better to start off than tap water? Would I have to dechlorinate them before use? I was just grocery shopping and I grabbed a few lol.

[gulfsurfer101]

One of the most important factors of this hobby is prevention rather than treatment! If you can avoid a problem before rather than after the fact you will be successful in this hobby.

[Angel<3Nanos]

You are saying that you are saving up for equipment. Right? Well, a RODI unit IS equipment. And imo the most important of all.

 

You also stated that you saw some guy who had rodi and yet he had algae issues. Well algae issues are usually because of high nutrients. With or without rodi you can still have algae issues.

 

And last, please be patient. Nothing good comes out of rushing things. If you don't have the money, then wait til you do. Start things the right way. I think you have seen many opinions already about not using tap. If we are telling you not to is because we already have been there and done it. We are trying to prevent you from a mistake.

 

But at the end of the day it's your choice. So feel free to do whatever you please. Just don't expect answers when you are having issues after tap lol

[iceshade]

I see what you mean. It's still pretty much out of the question, but I found online in canada about 150$ total for an aquarium 2 aquasafe rodi, 100gpd.

 

It's a bit much to spend that when all I have is a 20 gallon tank for now. Once I move in the future and get a bigger tank maybe. And I don't see how it's easy to install, don't you have to alter your plumbing under your sink or something? Not sure I am capable of that lol.

 

And last thing again, what about those 8L jugs of distilled water at a grocery store? I just bought a few of them today for fun, and can get the rest required for initial fill up later today. And once they are used I'd just take a few to the LFS for rodi water every few weeks. It's only 0.50 a gallon.

[SchnauzerFace]

I haven't read every post here, but I imagine I'm echoing everyone else when I say this: it's significantly, significantly better to wait and start this the right way than to rush in and pay for your mistakes later. Save a few months and get an RODI. You're going to introduce phosphates and other garbage into your tank, and it's not terribly easy to undo that later. I'd strongly suggest looking around and trying to find a cheap or gently used RODI. Or, just get RODI from your LFS, or possibly Wal-mart. I've used distilled water before, but that adds up so fast that you might as well just bite the bullet and buy the RODI up front.

 

Also, you're more likely to do regular water changes if you can just make clean saltwater in your bathroom. You're going to save money in the long run, too. And there's no guarantee that your LFS is using TDS 0 water in their salt. My LFS is cheap and they always mix their salt to 1.018. If you do it yourself, yo know it's clean, mixed properly, and at the right specific gravity.

 

nd I don't see how it's easy to install, don't you have to alter your plumbing under your sink or something? Not sure I am capable of that lol.

 

Most come with adapters to fit the faucet in your bathroom/kitchen, and some even come standard with attachments to hook to your garden hose. There are some really good how-to videos on BRS TV (youtube). They show you three ways to do it -- how to attach it to a faucet, how to install a simple addition to your under-sink plumbing, and how to permanently altar your plumbing by piercing a pipe. I have no idea how most people do it, but a simple faucet attachment takes like 15 seconds.

[VW_TDI_02]

It's actually incredibly simple to hook up a RODI system. Most sinks have those metal hoses that come out of the valve and connect to the faucet. You take a wrench, unscrew that hose and put the new valve in between. Below is the pretty much the same thing I bought. I bought mine locally.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Angle-Adapter-Valve-Connect-Fitting/dp/B00CF452QG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0C7YXMHMPS7Z4VCMCEPW

 

If you want to use those jugs then you can. While it's .50 per gallon, just remember that you're looking at 20 gallons for the initial fill, ~4-5 every week for water changes, and whatever else you need for the top off. While cost wise it may not be very much, having to store all that water would be rather annoying for me. I don't have a large place and it's far easier to hook up my RODI unit (can/will be removed when I move) and toss the hose in a bucket where I mix a fresh batch.

[iceshade]

Yeah that's what I'm gonna do, initial fill will be all big distilled water bottles, but like I said once they are empty I will probably bring about 10 gallons worth of empty bottles (3 I think) to the LFS every now and then for .50 cents a gallon it's not bad. And for water changes 10% is only 2.5 gallons so it's not bad.

 

Guys I know everyone automatically says to buy your own rodi unit, but you have to understand it doesn't always work that way, but hey at least I quickly changed my mind about tap water. It will be bottled distilled for initial fill, and then rodi from LFS for everything after that. In the future yes I will have an rodi unit because I will have a bigger tank also, maybe more than 1 because I've always loved tangs and angels, and always wanted a snowflake eel.

[SchnauzerFace]

i know a lot of people say salt water tanks are "a rich mans game"

 

This is not true at all. This hobby isn't dirt cheap, but it CAN be done on a budget with careful planning and saving. There's a whole thread somewhere on this forum called "College Nanos" or something. Unless all those reefers are living the good life on trust funds, they're making this hobby work on a college student budget.

 

Take it from a public high school teacher with two saltwater tanks -- it can be done! But here's the irony -- the best way to do this hobby cheaply is to spend as much as possible up front. Otherwise, you'll end up buying products to fix problems caused by cheap/faulty/no equipment. And it's worth it to spend the extra money to buy a product that will last rather than buying cheap and having to rebuy later. Just like buying a car. Save a little now and have it in the shop every 6 months before it clunks out in a few years, or buy something with some longevity.

 

But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

those 4L and 8L bottles of "distilled" water at grocery stores, are they better to start off than tap water

 

 

My understanding is that distilled water should be TDS 0 so it can be used in place of RODI. But the 1gallon jugs are $1 each over here, which will add up fast when you combine top-off water and home-made salt water.

[VW_TDI_02]

 

This is not true at all. This hobby isn't dirt cheap, but it CAN be done on a budget with careful planning and saving. There's a whole thread somewhere on this forum called "College Nanos" or something. Unless all those reefers are living the good life on trust funds, they're making this hobby work on a college student budget.

 

Take it from a public high school teacher with two saltwater tanks -- it can be done! But here's the irony -- the best way to do this hobby cheaply is to spend as much as possible up front. Otherwise, you'll end up buying products to fix problems caused by cheap/faulty/no equipment. And it's worth it to spend the extra money to buy a product that will last rather than buying cheap and having to rebuy later. Just like buying a car. Save a little now and have it in the shop every 6 months before it clunks out in a few years, or buy something with some longevity.

 

But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

Yup. I regret not getting an aquarium controller from the start. I now have a Reef Keeper Lite that I got used and it's been a huge help. Just being able to control all of those outlets makes everything neater and just easier. I hate having a bunch of timers and they actually get rather expensive when you add them up. Definitely not bad for $75 shipped.

[MikeTR]

If you burn 5 gallons a week between water changes and top offs you'll pay for an RO/DI unit in a year.

 

52 * (5 * .50) = $130

[AZDesertRat]

I usually tell people a RO/DI system should be the first thing they purchase, even before the tank, rock and lights. That way there is no temptation to get in a hurry and fill it from the tap. If your system is 20 gallons or larger its an easy decision, below that it takes a little longer to pay for itself but it will still return your investment in the first year or two plus give you peace of mind since you alone control your water quality and no one else.

[iceshade]

Yeah again, I'm starting with bottles of distilled water. And then bringing those empty bottles about 10 gallons at a time to the LFS for rodi water at .50 a gallon. In the future I will get a rodi when I get a bigger tank. The main thing I wanted to know was if distilled water is better than tap to start off. And do I have to dechlorinate distilled water?

[AZDesertRat]

Good distilled water is basically the same as RO/DI. I would rate it second with RO/DI first and RO only third. Tap is way down the list, even the Britta, Pur and Zero Water pitchers are better than tap but cost a small fortune to produce and maintain. No you don't have to dechlor it, it has been through a carbon prefilter and often nano filter or RO before the distillation.

 

One thing I would recommend is buy a good handheld TDS meter and check whatever wate ryou purchase, especially the LFS RO/DI as many are lax in their maintenance and filter replacements. I often see LFS employees dipping buckets in their uncovered RO/DI storage tank which contaminates the water, especially if those buckets have been used to siphon tanks which you know they have been.

[iceshade]

Hmm ok I'll look into tdi meters. Yeah I see bottles of distilled water either 4 or 8L everywhere for cheap. Ideally they would only be used for initial fill up. And I think my LFS is trust worthy as its a huge aquarium store with the best salt water stock I've ever seen, they have a massive tank with a big shark, big puffer, etc.

[Thomas898]

Just buy distilled water until you can get an RODI unit. When I started out, I made the mistake of starting my tank with tap water based some bad from a local store. It's just a PIA to deal with the excessive algae blooms that result from it. If I could do it again, the RODI unit would be the very first thing I'd purchase. I can understand wanting to put the money towards better equipment.. But a good RODI unit is going to be the most important piece of equipment you'll own.

[ndrobey]

Tap water commonly has copper from copper pipes, and lead from the pipe connections. Dechlorinating the tap water isn't going to get rid of any of that. The copper and lead will get into the live rock and sand, then leach out over time. Bad news for any inverts in the tank.

[VW_TDI_02]

Tap water commonly has copper from copper pipes, and lead from the pipe connections. Dechlorinating the tap water isn't going to get rid of any of that. The copper and lead will get into the live rock and sand, then leach out over time. Bad news for any inverts in the tank.

I think that's a bit of a stretch in most cases. Most people with freshwater tanks don't use RODI units and keep inverts just as well.

[jlangtree]

Out the back of some of the stores here in Australia (Coles, Woolworths, IGS etc.) they have the RO Drinking water dispensers.

 

The one I go to for RO water costs approx $5 AUD ( $3.88 USD) for close to 4Gal. Is there anything close to you like that where you bring your own jugs and simply fill it?

 

Its more expensive than the LFS, but it may work out cheaper and more convenient for you if there is one close by.