# Reverse Osmosis



## pirairtool (Nov 12, 2005)

I am starting a new thread on reverse osmosis and using it for adding fresh water to the aquarium. The reason for this is due to some issues and plus points i have found with it. I use to use a double carbon filter when adding fresh water to the aquarium for water changes which removed the chlorine and sediment and some other unwanted stuff. I then moved to reverse osmosis which was just a case of adding a membrane to the end of the carbon filters hoping for even better water quality. This worked fine for a week then massive algae break out starts to happen and the fish do not look as healthy.

I found out from someone on here that RO water removed a lot of rubbish but also removed all the good materials. After looking back in to this i found a product seachem fresh trace and it adds all the good stuff back to the water such as:

Calcium (min) 2.40%
Calcium (max) 2.64%
Magnesium (min) 0.792%
Iodine (min) .1%
Potassium (min) 0.1%
Copper (min) 0.032 mg
Fluorine (max) 0.001 mg 
Iron (min) 0.007 mg
Manganese (min) 0.002 mg 
Selenium (min) 0.000006 mg
Zinc (min) 0.007 mg

What i want to know though, is reverse osmosis really worth it for adding new water to the aquarium? What other materials will RO take out that arent above?

Should i just stay with Carbon filtered water or keep with RO and only add the essentials?

What does everyone else do?


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## Red-eye (Jun 20, 2007)

I used to use a RO system ,, but found it was too time consuming collectign water and then re-mineralising it and re oxygenating it , 
RO water is stripped from 99.9% of all impurities from the water , so all minerals and oxygen are stripped and have to be replaced before putting into tank, i also used to let the water mature for a day or two with powerhead and air stone running in it

'from practical fish keeping'
Remineralisation boosts mineral levels in demineralised water such as RO or deionised water. You must never use raw RO water. Fish need some minerals in the water for physiochemical reasons. Similarly, if there�s no KH to buffer acids in the fish wastes, or from photosynthesis and the respiration of fish and plants, the pH will fluctuate wildly or drop to a dangerous level. You can remineralise RO water by adding a compound like Tropic Mann Re-Mineral F or API Electro-Right, or by adding mineral-rich RO effluent.


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## pirairtool (Nov 12, 2005)

Thanks for the reply red-eye. I am thinking about putting ro water in then adding the trace elemants back in. But if it strips it off oxygen this wont be much use in this area. I am toying with the idea of chucking the new RO unit and just using carbon filtered water????


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## Red-eye (Jun 20, 2007)

Proberbly a betetr bet to use carbon , if u dont want the hasstle of re oxygenating , and re-mineralising it ,, ,, i just use conditioned tap water now ,,


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## pirairtool (Nov 12, 2005)

Yes i think i will just keep to carbon filtered. Is there any use for the surechem trace stuff? If i am just using carbon tap water now will it help in anyway adding more?


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## pirairtool (Nov 12, 2005)

Also....over the past week since i have been using the RO water i have added prob 50%, so i am now taking out that 50% and adding just carbon filtered so hopefully this will replenish some of the minerals.


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## Red-eye (Jun 20, 2007)

no point adding trace elements to tap water as they already have them in it ,, ull just be wasting money


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Its good for softening fw and lowing pH, but dont use it only as liek you said it removes practically everythign good and bad. What is your reason for using it? For Sw i use it strictly as you need to remove any unwanted phosphates and crap or you get diatom algae, but for fw its not really needed unless you have a specific reason like i said earlier


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

I dont consider it pointless i have a 200 gpd RO/DI unit. It removes any impuritys in the water this alone should be enough to make any hobbysit get one. Not to mention you can bring your city/well water to exact amazon tributary parameters. This could possibly inhibit better growth !


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## pirairtool (Nov 12, 2005)

ba20, what kind of system do you use??? Also what do you do to the water after the RO/DI?


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Ba20 said:


> I dont consider it pointless i have a 200 gpd RO/DI unit. It removes any impuritys in the water this alone should be enough to make any hobbysit get one. Not to mention you can bring your city/well water to exact amazon tributary parameters. This could possibly inhibit better growth !


It is fine to dilute it, but i wouldnt use just ro water


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

I use a SeaChem product called discus trace to restore the good stuff that the RO Filter takes out. I like keeping my ph low for my plants.

Sean-820 RO water isnt supposed to be used by itself.


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