Where do I get RO/DI Water?

[AZDesertRat]

Think about it this way, "Water is the single largest ingredient in a reef system and everything depends on its quality and its stability". An RO/DI system is the best investment you can make and should be at the top of your list if you plan on staying in the hobby for long. Bottled water gets expensive quickly.

[Mstefa1]

Not to be harsh but imo if you can't afford an RO/DI you can't afford to keep a reef tank. There are plenty of economy options on bulkreefsupply ect. Then you're going to need to be able to afford replacement filters ect. It's just the cost of having a reef. No different then salt or fish food, or corals and fish for that matter.

 

I don't agree there. Heck, I just had a discussion with a fellow reefer here that prefers buying water from the store over his RODI unit. I think it was something about he wasn't able to hard plumb it so he had to hook it up each time and unhook it when he was done. I think you need to consider the size of the tank. I ran distilled water for 6 months on a 24g and I did weekly water changes. I never had a problem. And not once was their the temptation of putting tap water in.

 

Now my little RODI unit makes water extremely slow and I fill gallon jugs but I usually turn it on and forget about it. Sometimes to the point where I loose water down the drain for hours like yesterday. I don't have it for cost but more for convenience. But with my second tank in the works I'll probably get a brute container, a float switch, and keep a larger supply on hand at all times.

 

OP, the main reason we don't use tap is because tap will ultimately end up with severe algae issues. Doesn't mean you can't use it but understand the risks.

[JDWells]

Not to be harsh but imo if you can't afford an RO/DI you can't afford to keep a reef tank. There are plenty of economy options on bulkreefsupply ect. Then you're going to need to be able to afford replacement filters ect. It's just the cost of having a reef. No different then salt or fish food, or corals and fish for that matter.

 

It sucks to hear, but I think you're right. Which is why I'm biting the bullet and getting an RO/DI unit. Good point man.

[andrewkw]

Don't forget if you consider your time worth more then $0 it will pay for itself.

Besides the fact I wouldn't want to trust an outside source for water, I would not want to lug it from the store to my house, day in day out. Yes you have to maintain the RO/DI and possibly pay for water, but you have access 24/7/365 and no outside heavy lifting.

I remember one holiday where someone who I sold some frags to desperately called me asking to buy RO water because the store was closed. Of course I gave him some for free but this just shows how important it can be. Even if the store is open 24/7 the machine can go down or produce poor quality water.

[Mstefa1]

Yeppers, an RODI is by far the best option but not so much for a newbie on a limited budget trying to get their feet wet with a small nano. For this, I recommend distilled with a TDS meter. It's cheap, you don't need much / week for top off and water changes, and you can verify it's quality with your TDS meter. Then when you have the money you can upgrade to your own filter.

 

People that purchase premade saltwater from their LFS really have no idea what they are getting because you can't test for everything!