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Viewed: 311 -- Replies: 10 | ||||||||
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| Posted | R O water... and adding extras! |
| 27-02-2006 01:06 by acidburn |
Apart from salt when the salt level drops, should i be adding anything to the RO water? can anyone help.. i've seen others have posted about this but it hasn't made it any clearer for me because some people say yes some say no.. does it depend on the fish u have in your tank! |
| 27-02-2006 09:18 by drummerduck |
I have been advised to add minerals to the RO water. Adding just RO water completely striped of everything to your tank seems wrong I guess? it makes sense to put some of the goodness back into it.....
anyone know what the replenishing minerals are called? I'm going to have to get some soon if this is a must!!  |
| 27-02-2006 09:21 by k.o.d |
The basics are,
water lost by evaporation from your tank is pure water molecules, all the salts, electrolytes, nitrates phosphates and protein based dissolved solids are kept in the tank getting more and more concentrated if you add more electrolytes and salts during a 'top-up'. All you should add to the tank to replace evaporated water is RO or DI water. If you need to buffer your tank or add extra calcium because of low readings then add them with the top up water. Water changes are carried out to remove nitrates and phosphates and recharge the tank with lost chemicals. A simple check to show what is lost during evaporation is to put a saucer of tank water out and let it evaporate, all the solids left over is what would be concentrating in your tank each time you added extra in a 'top up ' Conversely, you have to ensure when using RO or DI water for water changes that the salt contains extra buffers to compensate for the 'pure' water lack of any natural hardness buffers, the big brands such as aqua-medic and Tropic marin do a 'pro' salt that contains extra calcium and buffers to compensate for RO water. |
| 27-02-2006 09:29 by drummerduck |
thanks k.o.d,
I use marine salt with the top up minerals in my water changes. Good to know that nothing else needs to be bought for just general top ups from evaporation.  |
| 27-02-2006 16:15 by acidburn |
thanx k.o.d |
| 28-02-2006 10:01 by Alan |
Water lost by evaporation is pure water the minerals are left behind therefore they do not need replacing so pure RO is the right thing to do otherwise you will be increasing the mineral concentration.
However with reef keeping it makes sense to dose with calcium or some other minerals at the same time as topping up the water. Strictly speaking if you rare merely replacing evaporated water pure ro should be used. |
| 28-02-2006 11:08 by drummerduck |
Thanks Alan, i was wondering, if you do your normal dose each week of calcium if you should then add a bit more when you top up.
Cheers will start to do that. |
| 28-02-2006 11:23 by Alan |
Only top up calcium and the like if it is necessary topping up of evaporated water is just a good time to do it a lot of people that use kalkwasser top up using the kalkwasser mix. |
| 28-02-2006 17:50 by drummerduck |
kalkwasser mix? |
| 01-03-2006 11:18 by Alan |
Quicklime solution basically personally I hate the stuff calcium chloride is easier to handle.
Use Calcium supplements made by seachem I have had the best results using this don't bother with TMC's cacium plus its a joke. Also the Kent calcium supplement will push the sg up so watch out for this as a common calcium supplement is calcium chloride. |
| 02-03-2006 19:43 by drummerduck |
cheers Alan. |
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