Is RO water from different places the same?

[Rathje70]

I have bought RO water for my 29g biocube from several different places and was making sure that it is the same in each place, or if it would hurt my tank to add RO from different places. I did not know if I should continually use one source or if it matters?

 

Any answers will help! Thanks!

[Scott Riemer]

I'd recommend investing in a TDS meter. I used to buy water and found out one place was selling me water that was worse than from my tap at home.

[Rathje70]

How can RO water be worse than tap water. I thought that it all went through the same process making all of the water virtually the same?

[Mr. Fosi]

Not all tapwater is the same and the place you buy your RO may have tapwater "worse" than yours. RO systems don't make pure water for the first few or the last few gallons either.

[Rathje70]

Not all tapwater is the same and the place you buy your RO may have tapwater "worse" than yours. RO systems don't make pure water for the first few or the last few gallons either.

Okay, I have not had any problems with the RO water i have been using, should I worry about anything and keep using it from the same source? I recently about a month ago switched over to RO water from tap water.

[reefdan]

it can definitely be different when your water store milks the RO filters for all they're worth. the store near my house has all this "beeping" coming from the filter area -that can't be good

[filefish949]

Not all tapwater is the same and the place you buy your RO may have tapwater "worse" than yours. RO systems don't make pure water for the first few or the last few gallons either.

 

fosi is spot on, tap tds in my area is over 600ppm, so with a 98% rejection rate, my RO is 14ppm which makes for me buying a lot of DI resin, if your tds is 250ppm, a 98% rate will give you 5ppm, and you can get away without a DI stage

[Scott Riemer]

How can RO water be worse than tap water. I thought that it all went through the same process making all of the water virtually the same?

That's the point, they never changed the filters and were still selling it as RO water. Without a TDS meter, you have no idea what you are buying.

[Rathje70]

That's the point, they never changed the filters and were still selling it as RO water. Without a TDS meter, you have no idea what you are buying.

If I am not seeing any ill effects, should I worry about testing the RO water? Everything seems fine and there are not algae blooms. If you tihnk I should test it, where do I buy a meter and how much do they cost?

[Scott Riemer]

If I am not seeing any ill effects, should I worry about testing the RO water? Everything seems fine and there are not algae blooms. If you tihnk I should test it, where do I buy a meter and how much do they cost?

If you're not seeing a problem, I wouldn't worry too much. But, since you're talking about purchasing from multiple sources, if you do have a problem, you may not know which source caused it. If you ever buy your own RO/DI unit, you'll definitely want a TDS meter. If you want one for piece of mind, you can get them at a decent price on ebay around $20.

[Rathje70]

If you're not seeing a problem, I wouldn't worry too much. But, since you're talking about purchasing from multiple sources, if you do have a problem, you may not know which source caused it. If you ever buy your own RO/DI unit, you'll definitely want a TDS meter. If you want one for piece of mind, you can get them at a decent price on ebay around $20.

Alright, I really appreciate your help, what kind of tank do you have?

[Scott Riemer]

Alright, I really appreciate your help, what kind of tank do you have?

I have an AquaPod 24. It's been running for 2 years now.

[Mr. Fosi]

20L a little over a year old. Soon to be traded out for a 20H.

[Scott Riemer]

20L a little over a year old. Soon to be traded out for a 20H.

What's the reason for the swap Mr. Fosi?

[HankB]

fosi is spot on, tap tds in my area is over 600ppm, so with a 98% rejection rate, my RO is 14ppm which makes for me buying a lot of DI resin, if your tds is 250ppm, a 98% rate will give you 5ppm, and you can get away without a DI stage

 

In addition, there are different membranes with different rejection rates. If memory serves, some are as low as 90%. With 600 ppm input water, that would still result in 60 ppm RO output even when everything is performing to specification.

 

I still suspect that not performing to specification is more likely to lead to differences from day to day and location to location.

 

-hank

[Mr. Fosi]

I've never really been happy with this tank, Scott. Zoas and shrooms have always had issues in it while other softies were fine. I've struggles with LPS as well but that was mostly due to the myriad equipment or tanksitter malfunctions.

 

Plus, I didn't put in enough sand when I started so my sand bed never really developed the detritovores that it should have. Coupled with a poor flow regime, the inadequate sandbed has lead to hard-to-remove detrital accumulation and persistent nutrient problems (read: algae growth).

 

Finally, I wanted a sump but was initially too scared to drill the 20L after the first one cracked so I just went without. That has lead to a preponderance of equipment in the display and the general unhappiness of my mangrove pod (not enough light). Plus, even if I could afford a quality HOB skimmer, I wouldn't have the room to hang it!

 

The new system is drilled, has in in-tank overflow leading to a 10g sump. It also has a Mag5 (hopefully to soon be Mag7) closed loop with a modded SCWD that splits to four outlets. I think the new flow regime will help eliminate detritus problems, so long as I arrange my rock smartly and have a sandbed at least 1" deep. I am also toying with the idea of getting a controller to help automate some of the tank, which would hopefully reduce my dependence on tanksitters when I am out of town.