Is my RO water really RO'd

deeze

deeze

Member
My tank is breaking in with the diatom stage and I've been reading about how important it is not to add tap water to the tank because that basically feeds the diatoms. I've been using RO water ever since the beginning with a 7 stage RO system that even has a UV sterilizer built in but my diatoms seem to be getting worse and worse. I'm wondering if there is any way to tell if my RO water is RO... in other words, is my water really coming out clean or is it just running through this long maze and coming out slightly cleaner than tap. I wonder if there's some test. I'm using RO to top off my water and it's making me suspicious...
 
deeze

deeze

Member
Oh, I'd say about 7 weeks. I've just been trusting my RO/DI also but now I'm starting to wonder. Will a UV get rid of diatoms? I'll let them go for another week or so before I get totally irked
 
who dey

who dey

Active Member
whats your photoperiod? and how often are you feeding, I run a uv only when introducing a new fish or if i feel there is an ick presence (none since i bought the thing!) they can possibly kill beneficial bacteria needed for biological filter. how often do you change water, what are your nitrate readings, whats your flow situation
 
X

xoxox

Guest
Relax, your tanks only 7 weeks old, it will go through many different cycles, this being one.
you've got to let nature take its course...
:happyfish
RO water gets rid of things you can't see such as trace metals and clorine.
 
sammiefish

sammiefish

Member
the diatom bloom will come and go on a new tank even when you use RO/DI. In order to test your RO/DI water quality a TDS meter is what is used to do the job. You should be able to find one for about $25. You take a reading on your tap water, after the RO, and after the DI. That will give you an idea of what is going on with the different components of your RO/DI system,,,(tells you when its time to get new DI resin and also when your RO membrane is "gone")
 
meemmoo

meemmoo

Member
My LFS checked the TDS of my tap water, my refridge filtered water and my RO/Di water with a TDS meter. My tap water was 136, my fride filtered 134, and my RO/DI read .07.
 
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