Wal Mart Water?

[bamackc]

Just like you,I'm a Woman.

u mad at me?

[Katara]

Thanks MB..

 

I sold my ro/di and just don't find it cost effective to buy another for a 2.5 pico.Though,I'd love to try distilled as the Arrowhead is running $10/per 5 gallons.

 

Thank you for the information.

[HideMe]

Thank you for an informative post, masterbuilder. For Pete's sake, what a thread that was folks trying to get helpful information...

[o0xerog0o]

I'm glad I came across this thread.... I've been using the Wal-Mart RO water out of one of those water dispensing units for a couple of months now, but after reading this thread, I'm going to stop. I'll have to check out the distilled water method now, it may be a little more expensive, but if it's better for the tank, then it's worth it. Thanks for the info

[Acerone]

I went with the Mighty Mite like the one pictured here.

 

[robpardee]

I've used walmart RO/DI water for 9 months and I've never had any trouble ever with it. But also walmart doesn't upkeep their own systems the company that makes the machine upkeeps it and they even put a stamp every month on the machine at my walmart when they come and change the filters.

[Deanintemp]

The purple capped gallons of distilled water from Walmart has been working very well for me. I just pick up 6-gallons a week for top-off and water changes on my BC29.

 

Distilled water is as close to pure water as you can get. The water is boiled, the steam caught and bottled. Try this, go out and get the nastiest water from a nearby pond, boil it over the stove in such a way as to collect the steam in a cup - presto, pure water you can drink! Many campers and outfitters use this method for drinking water...it can also be used to convert salt water to pure water...you don't necessarily have to boil it, just collect the condensation.

 

The only downside of distilled water, and why people typically don't have distillers for home aquariums, is their cost of operation. The energy required to boil and collect the water is not cost effective on a small scale. Too much heat and energy loss in the process.

[The Propagator]

Fellas I think the major point thats being missed here ( or not received ) on why NOT to use RO Machine water is this...

 

City tap water ( at ANY TIME ) can become quite funky. Laden with heavy minerals and other funky stuff due to any number of reasons. This fouls the filters faster, clogs the works up, and spews out nasty high TDS water. The folks who maintain those big store RO machines only go by a set date to change the filters. They don't test it every use, every week or even every month.

Now do you get it ?

 

The filter could be funky and spewing out crap water at any time and you would have no idea until you put it in your tank and discover an algae bloom the next day. By then its to late. You've done the damage.

Use distilled or buy an RO/DI machine if you really want to protect what you have just spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars to build and maintain.

 

I can tell you this.. If you think I would trust wall mart machine water to put in my frag systems you be crazah !

[Laura6686]

I have used purple cap walmart distilled for over a year. It has been 100% perfect. But recently in my area it went from $0.69 cents a gallon to $0.89 cents a gallon. Now I am looking at a crazy spectrapure setup as our water quality is horrid here in az. So bad I can smell a glass of tap water from 3 feet away.

 

I hate to tell you how much I pay for distilled - ok I will it is 1.39 a gallon. Cheapest I can find that is local to me. I have no target/walmart etc near me. RATS.

 

That being said, I will only used distilled or RO. RO I will eventually get but in the meantime I buy about 5 gallons a week. To my friends who buy starbucks that is two cups of coffee. LOL

 

City tap water ( at ANY TIME ) can become quite funky. Laden with heavy minerals and other funky stuff due to any number of reasons. This fouls the filters faster, clogs the works up, and spews out nasty high TDS water.

 

 

 

 

Yes, my tap has a ton of chlorine. YUCK - you should see what it does to your hair.

[johnmaloney]

isn't it funny we put better water in our tanks then in our body?

 

on that note I usually use water straight from the ocean. mixing is for the birds! But....since ocean water isn't always available, (rain, water releases, etc...the ocean by me is brown now instead of clear...thanks army corps of engineers!), i have to go do some mixing today.

[Burks]

I used distilled water from Kroger's, never had an issue.

 

Got tired of lugging jug after jug around and just bought an RO unit.

[Japsican]

I use to use the Walmart distilled water...the one with the purple label and cap. It worked great for as long as I used it. I think I use to pay like 60 something cents per gallon.

[Acerone]

What's the name of the company that supplies the water sold at those machines found at Wal Mart, Target etc.

[w1dude]

What's the name of the company that supplies the water sold at those machines found at Wal Mart, Target etc.

Cullegen

[realeyezsoul]

I use the distilled (purple cap) from wal-mart as well. Never once had a problem and been using for 2 years in both my salt tanks. 1 reef and 1 fowlr

 

I just throw some dechlorinator in it and go

Ive been using the dist from wally world for 3 years no problems here

[o0xerog0o]

I am glad to see that there are so many reefers other than myself that don't have an R/O unit... I thought I was in the minority.

[Deanintemp]

I am glad to see that there are so many reefers other than myself that don't have an R/O unit... I thought I was in the minority.

I have an R/O unit that I used when I was running my 55-gal. However, since I have gone to a BC29 it is much more convenient and not too costly to use Wallys purple capped distilled water.

[o0xerog0o]

That's where I'm at now, well, with a 30 gallon... It just doesn't seem too cost effective and worth the hassle to get an R/O unit right now. Once I upgrade, for sure though

[bagoegg]

My ALbertsons has a RO machine that I have been using. It has a "last inspected date" that scrolls on the LCD panel. Its never been more than a week. Now the only question is do I trust the LCD?

[masterbuilder]

My ALbertsons has a RO machine that I have been using. It has a "last inspected date" that scrolls on the LCD panel. Its never been more than a week. Now the only question is do I trust the LCD?

 

 

My question is not WHEN it was inspected but WHEN do they think the water is bad enough to service the thing?

[bagoegg]

My question is not WHEN it was inspected but WHEN do they think the water is bad enough to service the thing?

 

I know. I have wondered too.

[fsu1dolfan]

Just a question,

 

So basically boiling water the vapors/condensation is the actually distilled part? I always thought you boil water for a few minutes and let it cool and presto you have clean water??? I guess it makes more sense to boil the entire pot and the condensation creates the new clean/pure water....interesting...correct me if i am wrong!

[bdare]

Just a question,

 

So basically boiling water the vapors/condensation is the actually distilled part? I always thought you boil water for a few minutes and let it cool and presto you have clean water??? I guess it makes more sense to boil the entire pot and the condensation creates the new clean/pure water....interesting...correct me if i am wrong!

 

No... you boil water at home to kill the bacteria that might otherwise make you sick. All the minerals etc are still in the water.

 

I have only one comment about this thread. If you don't want to spring for the RO/DI unit at home and buy bottled water that's fine, but at LEAST get yourself a TDS meter so you can check the water before you add it to your tank!

[bagoegg]

I got my TDS meter the other day and tested the RO water that I used to get from the machine in front of Albertsons and it was 0 TDS. For what its worth.

[bdare]

I got my TDS meter the other day and tested the RO water that I used to get from the machine in front of Albertsons and it was 0 TDS. For what its worth.

 

That's AWESOME! Just keep checking it!