LFS saltwater or DIY?

[jackflak]

I have a LFS that sells SW. For a brand new tank would it be wise to use the pre-made SW or mix it myself? They're selling it for $1/gallon.

[Ocho Cinco]

I have a LFS that sells SW. For a brand new tank would it be wise to use the pre-made SW or mix it myself? They're selling it for $1/gallon.

Is it fresh SW or SW from their reef?

[jackflak]

Is it fresh SW or SW from their reef?

 

Fresh SW.

[lakshwadeep]

It's cheaper to mix your own water, and you could easily put freshwater and salt into the tank directly itself.

[disaster999]

mix it yourself

 

you never know what kind of water they used, what salt and any other additives they used. you can control all those things when you mix it yourself

[jackflak]

mix it yourself

 

you never know what kind of water they used, what salt and any other additives they used. you can control all those things when you mix it yourself

 

will do. thanks

[hazmat]

I recently moved my tank to a new house. Used ALL new SW and RO from LFS for time reasons. Once I got everything settled I tested the RO and it had a TDS of 66! I'm assuming they use the same RO to mix their SW

[DCG1286]

It's cheaper to mix your own water, and you could easily put freshwater and salt into the tank directly itself.

 

+1

 

You have an RO/DI unit? if not buy one ... best investment for your reef tank

[Atari]

You have an RO/DI unit? if not buy one ... best investment for your reef tank

 

I was buying RO/DI water from my LFS for a long time. I just got a unit and I'm confused as to why it was a good investment. $0.45/gal at the LFS $200 for the unit, I don't see any ROI for over a year and then I need to replace the filters for another $100. Are there benefits that I’m missing other than saving me a short trip to the LFS every other week?

[clifford513]

I was buying RO/DI water from my LFS for a long time. I just got a unit and I'm confused as to why it was a good investment. $0.45/gal at the LFS $200 for the unit, I don't see any ROI for over a year and then I need to replace the filters for another $100. Are there benefits that I’m missing other than saving me a short trip to the LFS every other week?

You just need more tanks so you can make full use of the capacity of the unit.

[smedge]

Mix it yourself.

 

1) cheaper

2) you know the exact salinity since you mixed it

3) you get to choose the mix

 

Use RO/DI either from the store or from a unit of your own. I purchase mine for about a buck per 5 gallon jug. Mix it to the correct salinity using a refractomer. Heat and circulate it for 12 hours. Place in tank.

[Atari]

You just need more tanks so you can make full use of the capacity of the unit.

I keep getting things much bigger then what i need in hopes the girl will give and let me get a much bigger tank to go with all the other equipment.

 

Mix it yourself.

 

1) cheaper

2) you know the exact salinity since you mixed it

3) you get to choose the mix

 

Use RO/DI either from the store or from a unit of your own. I purchase mine for about a buck per 5 gallon jug. Mix it to the correct salinity using a refractomer. Heat and circulate it for 12 hours. Place in tank.

 

+1

its not hard to add the salt to water. you already have it open to put the heater in it, it takes 10 more seconds to and a power head and the salt.

[Phixion]

i wouldn't mix my own using LFS RO/DI for the simple reason that I've never seen an LFS (around me at least) that DIDN'T test out with rediculously high TDS numbers from their in-house RO/DI... =/

[Grendel0501]

I'm confused. Are we comparing how much it costs to buy the pre-made salt water vs buying the ro-di water and mixing in your own salt , or vs taking tap , treating it , then adding salt mix?

[iFISTmoose]

i dont see how its cheaper.

 

My ro/di makes 24 gall per day, and for every gallon, 5 gallons go down the drain.

 

so to make those 24 gallons of water i need 144 gallons of water.

 

i also have to replace the membranes for another $80 a year.

 

so i would say that buying water form the lfs is about the same cost.

[SmittyCoco]

The investment in buying an ro/di filter is piece of mind. MOST lfs use the filters as loooooooong as they can. Not changing the membranes, filters. Thus getting a high tds accumalation in thier water. When you have your own you can keep tabs on what is actually going in your tank. Ie. phosphates, nitrates, nitrites. If you are not able to get your own ro/di filter you can always buy a tds meter for walgreens for 15$ and just police your lfs. Goodluck!

[lakshwadeep]

Like smitty said, the LFS is going to have the same costs you have, but they are also going to sell the water for a profit, which means a higher price than it cost to make the water.

[Phixion]

i dont see how its cheaper.

 

My ro/di makes 24 gall per day, and for every gallon, 5 gallons go down the drain.

 

so to make those 24 gallons of water i need 144 gallons of water.

 

i also have to replace the membranes for another $80 a year.

 

so i would say that buying water form the lfs is about the same cost.

 

Most places you'll live, they charge water by the HCF unit which is equal to 748 gallons! At that rate, you're probably paying say $0.60 per HCF unit which is in all honesty, a fraction of pennies for the amount you might need. You could fill your tank completely 6 times (including the 5:1 ratio of waste water) for the same price you'r paying for ONE gallon of probably not even close to 0 TDS water from your LFS. Most LFS's around me charge around $0.60 per GALLON for RO/DI water. Making it yourself will more than for itself in less than a year compared to buying it from an LFS. Also most membranes (good ones) are rated for 2-3 years, not every year. That's just the filter cartridges and they aren't that expensive. Also, if your system is dumping 5 gallons for every gallon made, then it's a very inefficient system. The system I have produces 100 GPD and only dumps 3 gallons for every one made. Might be time to invest in a better RO/DI system.

[hazmat]

If you're going to use LFS RO at least take a TDS meter with you and test it. I think you will be surprised. I was. Unless it doesn't bother you that it has a high TDS

[MitchReef]

If you're going to use LFS RO at least take a TDS meter with you and test it. I think you will be surprised. I was. Unless it doesn't bother you that it has a high TDS

 

+1...and if high TDS doesn't bother you, then you shouldn't use RO/DI water at all...some of the stuff the LFS's sell isn't much better than some tap water....(not MY tap water, BTW...it smells like a public pool)

[The Propagator]

Just in case any newbies reading this get slap happy and tired one night while reading and see this I think I had better clarify something lakshwadeep wrote above.

He doesn't mean add salt directly to the tank. He means premixed with fresh water in a bucket to temp, and proper salinity.

 

( I know it sounds petty but TRUST ME people read things to literally on here quite often LOL ! )

[lakshwadeep]

Yeah, I actually meant you could mix salt and water into a tank that has nothing else in it (aka "new"). If you have sand or anything else that is alive in the tank, this method will not work because ironically marine organisms can't handle undissolved salt.

[darcurr]

I was buying RO/DI water from my LFS for a long time. I just got a unit and I'm confused as to why it was a good investment. $0.45/gal at the LFS $200 for the unit, I don't see any ROI for over a year and then I need to replace the filters for another $100. Are there benefits that I’m missing other than saving me a short trip to the LFS every other week?

Take a look at bulk reef supply. the replacement supplies are good quality (use them myself), and they are the cheapest I can find @ about 30 for an entire replacement set (filter,2xcarbon block and di resin). Personally, I don't care about the ROI anyway because I have 100% confidence in my water. Whereas I have no idea with lfs water.