I've been buying water from the local grocery store in 5-gallon jugs for my freshwater planted aquarium since my tap water seems to promote a lot of algae growth. I'm wondering if I should mix some of my tap water with the RO water or just stick to the RO water. Do I need to add decolonization to the RO water, or is there something else I should be adding? Is it safe to use as is? I'm a bit lost on this.
My RO water parameters are: Geneflake hardness 25ppm, Free chlorine 0ppm, Total alkalinity 0-40ppm, Carbonate 40ppm, and PH around 6.
I'd rather find fish that can adapt to my water conditions than constantly try to adjust the parameters. However, I really want to keep golden dojo loaches and neon tetras.
Also, can someone explain what carbonate is and what the ideal levels should be?
benefits of reverse osmosis water
Re: benefits of reverse osmosis water
My main concern is that the store-bought water seems really pure, which might not be the best for my aquarium. I'm worried it's too stripped down, like you said, RO water isn't meant to support life. What if it's missing something my fish need?
Re: benefits of reverse osmosis water
Using RO water permanently seems like a lot of hassle and expense to me. You'd need to pre-mix the water outside the tank before adding it, unless you're using straight RO, which can get pricey - especially for a large tank like a 4-foot one for dojo loaches, with weekly 50-60% water changes. Is it really necessary, though?
The test results you provided, are those for the tank water with RO, or just the tap water? It'd be helpful to know the GH, KH, and pH of your tap water on its own, so we can get a starting point.
Assuming you want soft water fish species, I'm guessing that's why you're looking into using RO water. However, I'm not convinced the tap water is the main culprit behind the algae issue, unless you're on a private well - are you? Let's focus on sorting out the water parameters first, and then we can look into the algae problem.
The test results you provided, are those for the tank water with RO, or just the tap water? It'd be helpful to know the GH, KH, and pH of your tap water on its own, so we can get a starting point.
Assuming you want soft water fish species, I'm guessing that's why you're looking into using RO water. However, I'm not convinced the tap water is the main culprit behind the algae issue, unless you're on a private well - are you? Let's focus on sorting out the water parameters first, and then we can look into the algae problem.
Re: benefits of reverse osmosis water
Here's the tap water info:
PH 6.5, KH 40, GH 100.
Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciate it.
I'm in an apartment, so I have no idea where the water comes from. I'll be moving out in a few months, so I'm fine with using 100% RO or mixing it with tap water - whatever works best.
Before I started using RO, I had major issues with brown algae. The first set of water parameters I posted was just the RO water before I put it in the tank.
The pic I posted below is of the tap water.
PH 6.5, KH 40, GH 100.
Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciate it.
I'm in an apartment, so I have no idea where the water comes from. I'll be moving out in a few months, so I'm fine with using 100% RO or mixing it with tap water - whatever works best.
Before I started using RO, I had major issues with brown algae. The first set of water parameters I posted was just the RO water before I put it in the tank.
The pic I posted below is of the tap water.
Re: benefits of reverse osmosis water
From just the perspective of GH/pH, I'd say there's no problem using the tap water. The GH of 100ppm is 5 dH, and the pH is on the acidic side, so soft water fish should be fine.
I'm a bit puzzled by the GH of the RO water, though - it should be zero. I'm wondering if it's actually "RO" or some other form of bottled water.
As for the algae, I'm not sure what to say. It's possible there's something in the building's water supply that's contributing to the issue, but I'm not sure how to pinpoint it.
I'm a bit puzzled by the GH of the RO water, though - it should be zero. I'm wondering if it's actually "RO" or some other form of bottled water.
As for the algae, I'm not sure what to say. It's possible there's something in the building's water supply that's contributing to the issue, but I'm not sure how to pinpoint it.
Re: benefits of reverse osmosis water
Your tap water seems fine for Dojo Loaches and Neon Tetras. I'd suggest checking your water agency's website for their analysis report if you're curious about the tap water's contents. Also, be aware that high-intensity lights can promote algae growth.
For your fish's health, you should prioritize Geneflake hardness (GH) and then Carbonate hardness (KH). You can check the GH requirements on websites like Seriously Fish and Animal World. A very low KH can cause pH swings, which is bad for any fish.
As boomer mentioned, the GH of your RO water should be 0 if it's a proper RO filter. I'm guessing the grocery store might not be changing their RO filter often or using a low-quality filter. If I recall, the filter's last service date was 07/14 - is that July 2014?
A good RO filter should remove all chlorine, by the way. Your RO water's GH is too low for Dojo Loaches. Most people who use RO water mix it with GH mineflakes to increase the GH, which is also beneficial for fish health.
If you really want to use RO water for soft water fish, you might want to look into Seachem American Cichlid flour (mineflakes). For hardwater fish, you can consider Seachem African Cichlid salt.
Here are some resources for Neon Tetras and Dojo Loaches' requirements:
www.seriouslyfish.com/Paracheirodon-simulans/
animal-world.com/Dojo-Loach
For your fish's health, you should prioritize Geneflake hardness (GH) and then Carbonate hardness (KH). You can check the GH requirements on websites like Seriously Fish and Animal World. A very low KH can cause pH swings, which is bad for any fish.
As boomer mentioned, the GH of your RO water should be 0 if it's a proper RO filter. I'm guessing the grocery store might not be changing their RO filter often or using a low-quality filter. If I recall, the filter's last service date was 07/14 - is that July 2014?
A good RO filter should remove all chlorine, by the way. Your RO water's GH is too low for Dojo Loaches. Most people who use RO water mix it with GH mineflakes to increase the GH, which is also beneficial for fish health.
If you really want to use RO water for soft water fish, you might want to look into Seachem American Cichlid flour (mineflakes). For hardwater fish, you can consider Seachem African Cichlid salt.
Here are some resources for Neon Tetras and Dojo Loaches' requirements:
www.seriouslyfish.com/Paracheirodon-simulans/
animal-world.com/Dojo-Loach