R/O Right

[Tinman]

Does anyone use Kent's R/O Right in powdered form? What do you build your RO /DI water back up with if not this product ?

[Keith Wolcott]

Since I started with RO water about 9 months ago I have been using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Electro Right and ph adjuster (to raise the carbonate hardness). It seems to work fine. My KH is in the 20 to 40 range and GH in the 40 to 60 range. The TDS is stable at 90 to 100 ppm.

I started with the above products since they are carried by my LFS. I have not tried anything else, but I would also be interested in knowing how well the Kent powdered form works. I imagine that it might be less expensive.

[Mark in Vancouver]

I use it. I add about 1/2 tsp for every 5 gallons of water going into the tank. The water here is incredibly soft, so a lot of plants (and shrimp) have a hard time if you don't adjust it. It's been so long since I took measurements, I'd have to dig out the kit to give you the GH and kH, the before and after.

Once the new tank water has been added I use a very small amount of Kent's pH Stable - like 1/8 tsp per 15 gallons. The loaches (and other fish) seem to take no notice of it.

Isn't the water around your area rather hard?

[Emma Turner]

We use Tropic Marin's "Re-mineral Tropic" powder and have done so for years. It can be seen here (2nd product up from the bottom of the page): http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/aquarium/tropic-additives.asp.

Emma

[Tinman]

Very hard ,perfect for cichlids really...cept Victoria.....I was gonna strip it and build it back as opposed to tap. My exchange rate is high on water changes and I am going to buy an RO set up and scratch build my water . or add what is missing from the tap at the least. I have been experimenting with salt with some success improving my Clowns . I am lacking something here apparently and thought I might get a system to filter and start from scratch . A unit will do 100 gallons a day and I need 100 every three or so for 10% every three days so this is a nice fit and will be another step in the right direction here me thinks..... I am very curious about improving parameters via this method or just adding some nutrient additives at least but is there a perfect recipe for Clowns from RO/DI to Clown specific nutrients like bettas i.e..I want something that would be much better than my tap via carbon filtered drip .

My TDS is 400-420 ppm normally via TDS meter . In a QT for example I added salt to have 3440 ppm to attain a .3% salt solution but I do not know what the original 400ppm consists of and will go hunt my water source info after I post this . Almond leaves, wood and age for ph pushed to neutral in my tank from 7.6 out of the tap . I think I can reduce my water change rate and improve conditions by going this route ......but I am listening not just speaking here....

[Tinman]

Oh, Thanks Emma, I will look into that one.

[Diana]

When I used RO water the filter was so old it made perfect water for the soft water species. (GH and KH came out at about 3 degrees.)
Now that that has died I am using tap water (Which isn't too bad, either)
When I want to raise the KH I use baking soda.
To adjust the GH I use either Seachem's Equilibrium or Barr's GH booster. They seem to be just about the same product. Both designed for planted tanks, so potassium is actually the main ingredient. Both products also have other minerals, of course, including Ca and Mg.

1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda in a 29 gallon tank (probably 25 American gallons once I subtract the rocks and substrate, or just about 95 liters) will raise the KH from 0 ppm to 2 ppm, and the pH from 6.2 to 6.5. (I have some substrate that removes the carbonates, these numbers are from direct testing)

Seachem Equilibrium: 1 tablespoon (15 ml) per 20 (American) gallons (about 76 liters) raises the GH by 3 degrees. (per lable)

I dose enough of both in the Lake Tanganyika tank to keep the KH and GH around 10 degrees, and the pH in the upper 7s.)

If I was to start dosing with a new product I would do something like this:
Check the GH, KH, pH and TDS of the target tank.
Set up a bucket (garbage can) of warm water, and add dechlor. Add 1/2 to 3/4 of the label suggesting that mathematically would make the mix match the current tank readings.
Let it circulate for a while (at least an hour, strong pump)
Check the mix for as many tests as I have.
Calculate how much more of the product will need to be added to make the water I want. Maybe the label is not correct, or maybe my measurement technique is not perfect, but by starting with what is sure to be an under dose, then I can add just a little more, or a whole lot more if needed, I do not have a can of water with too much additive in it.

[Tinman]

Here is a link to my specific water situation in detail .
http://www.waterone.org/Adobe%20Files/2 ... Report.pdf


Thanks Diana , we all start from different water so I was trying to get specific for Clowns ,which additives specifically am I lacking or have an over abundance of I may not be filtering correctly.

[Diana]

The water report shows very soft water (KH and GH are both very low) but the pH is very high. I would be running a filter to remove whatever they are adding that is doing that to the pH.
TDS around 300.
However, it is a LOT like the tap water I am starting with.
KH and GH are about 3-5 degrees (50-100ppm) and pH at least 8 in the summer, and a friend measured his tap water pH as 9 one day. Now the pH is in the mid 7s.

Here is how I keep the water nice for Discus, Clown Loaches, and many other soft water fish:
I run the water into a large garbage can and add dechlor. Then I circulate the water with a knee hi stocking of peat moss. Overnight the pH comes down to the mid 7s in the summer, almost neutral now. The GH and KH do not seem to be affected. (They are actually getting lower, the peat exchanges Ca and Mg for hydrogen. The tests do not seem to be accurate enough to measure the reduction in GH, though) If I continue treating in the garbage can the pH will approach neutral in the summer, a bit lower in the winter.
I use it for a water change, though after an overnight treatment. I have more peat in the filter in the tank. The pH continues to get a little lower.
End result is that a few days after a water change the GH and KH are still around 3-4 degrees (slightly lower than the tap water) and the pH is about 6.6 to 6.8. TDS remains very close to 300.

Here is another tank:
Soil Master Select is the substrate. This material seems to remove and endless supply of carbonates from the water. It does not touch Ca or Mg.
Within 2 days of a water change (new water has GH and KH about 4-5 degrees, pH mid 7s; I generally do 50% water changes) the KH has reached 0 degrees, and pH has gone down to 6.2. I can add baking soda (carbonates) and the KH comes up. 1 teaspoon of baking soad in this tank (29 gallon standard tank) raises the KH by 2 degrees and the pH comes up to about 6.4 or 6.5. It does not stay this way. I could add baking soda about every other day and it would be closer to stable.
However, the fish do not seem to mind. I have the most colorful Pearl Gouramis I have ever seen. They are large, the male is very colorful, the female is less orange but plenty of rich brown and white mottling. The other fish in this tank are growing fast. I have several Rasboras in here, some Guppies, and a couple of Bristlenose plecs that started as 1/2" babies just a few months ago. (September 07) They are now almost 2" long.

Last tank: Lake Tanganyika:
Tap water is too soft for these fish. I add 2 teaspoons of baking soda per 20 gallons in the garbage can (raises the KH by about 4 or 5 degrees) and 2 tablespoons of Seachem Equilibrium. (raises the KH by about 3 degrees)
This brings the water tests to:
KH 7-8 degrees, GH 8-9 degrees and pH in the upper 7s (Even in the summer- whatever they add to the water to raise the pH seems to go away somewhat overnight) TDS about 700. The tank has a coral sand substrate and oystershell grit in the filter. Very slowly, over the course of the week the KH and GH climb a bit, I have measured them at 10 degrees, and the TDS almost 1000. Sometimes I think I have overdosed the water change water, though.
I have breeding fish in this tank.

[Keith Wolcott]

Thanks for the details Diana. It is much appreciated.

[jones57742]

Does anyone use Kent's R/O Right in powdered form? What do you build your RO /DI water back up with if not this product ?

Tinman:

The folks who have previously posted obviously have way more experience than I do.

I have a Kent RO/DI unit which is plumbed into the sump of my main tank.

I do not have a storage tank in this system as the sump is the storage tank.

I perform approximately 10% daily WC's with RO/DI water and every couple of months perform a 25% WC with dechlorinated tap water.

I have never observed the Ph crash assertions in the literature due to the substantial use of RO/DI water.

TR

[Tinman]

I have a Kent RO/DI unit which is plumbed into the sump of my main tank.

I do not have a storage tank in this system as the sump is the storage tank.

I perform approximately 10% daily WC's with RO/DI water and every couple of months perform a 25% WC with dechlorinated tap water.

Do you trickle feed in 10% daily RO/DI then with no additives ?

I would be running a filter to remove whatever they are adding that is doing that to the pH.

Carbon ? Which micron size filter?

I run the water into a large garbage can and add dechlor. Then I circulate the water with a knee hi stocking of peat moss. Overnight the pH comes down to the mid 7s in the summer, almost neutral now.

This is too labor intensive. I will build a holding tank to keep 100 gallons and mix manually then dump it in after preheating but I am looking for tha additives in bulk for eventual automation and cost effectiveness for the long term consistancy. If I have to filter to DI then build back to make it right then I will. If I just need to add a different filter and certain things then that could be better maybe with filter costs figured in .I do find that route intresting but it does not get done with my schedule sometimes so I must have automation
I can not find reference to the specific items missing from my water for my loaches needs. I am going to research the different make up of the Kents and the one Emma uses,Tropic Marin's "Re-mineral Tropic". and check its availibility here in the US

[jones57742]

I have a Kent RO/DI unit which is plumbed into the sump of my main tank.

I do not have a storage tank in this system as the sump is the storage tank.

I perform approximately 10% daily WC's with RO/DI water and every couple of months perform a 25% WC with dechlorinated tap water.

Do you trickle feed in 10% daily RO/DI then with no additives ?

Tinman:

My sink and even more so my back yard are significantly lower than the water surface in my tank.

The 10% WC's were no problem "back in the old days" as I could siphon out of the main tank.

In current days I do a 90% WC for two 5G tanks with water from my main tank.
The water from the two 5G's are siphoned out and main tank water is siphoned in.

This is easy for me as my home computer is immediately across from the tanks (this is very nice as I can watch my fishies while I work at home).

Your conditions may be significantly different.

Having said that I just cannot see a 100G holding tank with heaters, pump
and measuring additives not being labor intensive but this is just me and I could easily be wrong for your condition.

TR

[Tinman]

Having said that I just cannot see a 100G holding tank with heaters, pump
and measuring additives not being labor intensive but this is just me and I could easily be wrong for your condition.

Thats fine, I am speaking of the transfer times. If the water is ready to be mixed then dumped I can accomplish that in a few minutes. It is much easier for me if it is automatic and more importantly consistant.I am maintaining 1200 gallons here so 10% is 120 gallon....It can swing things fast and easy if not cautious....baby steps

I like the idea of peat but I will could add that to a rack on a common return for those adjustments easily but I am thinking more in the soluable additive realm for missing salts or minerals. I attained a ease in breathing with the addition of salt here and therefore I must be missing something then......If just softer with peat may do the trick I will add some to see the effect but I assumed it was lack of certain minerals

[jones57742]

Thats fine, I am speaking of the transfer times. If the water is ready to be mixed then dumped I can accomplish that in a few minutes. It is much easier for me if it is automatic and more importantly consistant.I am maintaining 1200 gallons here so 10% is 120 gallon....It can swing things fast and easy if not cautious....baby steps

I appreciate the response Tin.

I understand now.

TR