RO / DI Water

[bob on this]

OK, I finally got a RO / DI filter and have made my first batch of SW and FW.
My FW (make up) has very low PH and Alk. Should I adjust it before a add any to the tank (even though a small amount) I don't want to upset the tank PH.
If I need to adjust, how should it be done?
Thanks for any sugjestions.
Bob

 

[privatejoker]

Don't adjust it, just drip it slowly. I never even test my make up water for pH, alk, or CA. It takes me about 7 hours to drip in a five gallon bucket of make up water.

 

[stdreb27]

I wouldn't add RO/DI water to your Fresh water tanks without some sort of conditioner. The RO/DI unit will strip basically everything out of the water and give you a ph of 7. I've seen products that is "ro/di fresh water treatment" which buffers and add some other trace elements and stuff to the water if you really want to do that.
With SW it is ok because we ADD salt and the salt has buffers and trace elements in it and that conditions the water.

 

[tfb05]

I recently got a RO/DI unit. I just did a water change and will not need to use it for a few weeks. Should I empty the water or just leave it the ro/di unit? Does it matter?

 

[cranberry]

Bubble it.... it's high in C02 and low in Os.

 

[bob on this]

I normally need to add about a gallon every other day or so, (the air in NM is very dry, but it does help keep the tank cooler).
So, i'm guessing that a small amount of FW make up water will NOT change the PH to much?
Rather than drip, it would be much easier for me to add a couple cups every couple hours or so. Should that be OK?
Bubble it? Are you talking about putting an air stone in the FW for a while?
I make about 12 gals of RO / DI water at a time, store it in a cooler in the garage. Should I put an air pump / stone in the cooler during the storage?
Thanks
Bob

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by Bob On This
http:///forum/post/2732150
I normally need to add about a gallon every other day or so, (the air in NM is very dry, but it does help keep the tank cooler).
So, i'm guessing that a small amount of FW make up water will NOT change the PH to much?
Rather than drip, it would be much easier for me to add a couple cups every couple hours or so. Should that be OK?
Bubble it? Are you talking about putting an air stone in the FW for a while?
I make about 12 gals of RO / DI water at a time, store it in a cooler in the garage. Should I put an air pump / stone in the cooler during the storage?
Thanks
Bob
Are you talking a fresh water and salt water tanks?
If this is what you're talking about use my advise.
Or topping off your sw tank and doing a water change?
If this is what your talking about ignore it. For topping off water, I run a bubble wand in there for a little bit. In reality you probably don't need to do this, especially if you are running a skimmer. But ORP could maybe be an issue.

 

[bob on this]

I don't have a FW tank. I have a 75 gal SW DT with a 20 Gal sump.
I loose about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon of water a day due to evaperation.(sp?)
I had been using tap water, and althought it tested good, I had a battle with hair algae, and lost some fish for no reasion.
I just started to make my own RO / DI water to make, not only SW for water changes, but FW for make up.
The new SW is fine, once I mix the salt, it all looks good, but the FW out of the RO unit has very low PH and Alk.
Here is my plan, please tell me if you all think I'm barking up the wrong tree.
I will build a one or two gallon drip tank, that I can set on top of my sump, and set the trip to empty the contants in a 24 hour time frame. I can fill this tank with FW, mix in a little baking powder, and a small amount of liquid buffer, and fill this tank every other day or so to keep the sump at the level I like ( this level is somewhere between the amount of water that will flow back during a power outage, and the amount pumped back into the tank if the overflow stops working).
This will allow me to not only keep the tank level, SG, and hopfully the PH constant, even when I leave town for a couple days.
Does anyone see a problem with this?
Thanks
Bob