Mixing Dry Ferts

[Jen]

I am out of my trace, and need to mix more. I don't have anymore distilled water (i normally get it from work, but since switching jobs, I don't have access to it anymore. How important is it to use it? Can I just use water from my Brita?

 

[zig]

Jen, for trace i use my tap water, it has virtually no nitrate or phosphate present, i just mix up small amounts at a time, normally i mix 250ml which i use on 2 tanks and will usually last about 5 weeks or so, i have never had a problem doing this, i get a tiny bit of scum buildup (im using CSM) but not enough to worry about, i just shake the bottle before each use. If i were you i would just use normal water and see how the CSM reacts to it over several weeks, i have heard a theory that the chlorine in tapwater auctually prevents the scum buildup, but i have no way of proving this one way or another, it could be just that, a theory.

 

[craynerd]

I would personally just boil it rather than use it out of the tap.

To be perfectly honest, i really see little use in RO water for our requirements. RO water or distilled is useful for making precise concentration solutions in the lab but for a fish tank with ESTIMATED index its hardly life or death. Now i like to be exact and precise but the difference a few free ions and impurities will make is surely limited. Unless you are going to store it for ages i wouldn’t worry too much. I may be wrong and someone have a good reason why it should be used, but thats my gut feeling ever since i first made my first solutions up.

All that said, lol i do use RO water and will continue to do so for piece of mind BUT......

By the way, most car maintenance shops sell it in bottles for use when replacing battery water or alternatively ask your LFS for some, i mean you only want 1 litre or so!!

Other than that i would boil your tap water, let it cool and use that.

Good luck

Chris

EDIT : just read Zigs post, since we were replying at the same time. I never thought about that, i am lucky my tap water has 0 nitrate, nitrites, ammonia ect. It does have high phosphates tho.

 

[Jen]

Thanks guys. I'll test my tap water and see what the results are. I might just boil it to be on the safe side.

 

[alanchown]

I am out of my trace, and need to mix more. I don't have anymore distilled water (i normally get it from work, but since switching jobs, I don't have access to it anymore. How important is it to use it? Can I just use water from my Brita?

Any supermarket will sell distilled water-used for topping up irons.

Alan

 

[craynerd]

thanks for that post, that makes it easier to find i`ll have a look at my supermarket!

Just curious, why do you need RO water for an Iron ? I must admit the mrs (not sexists at all she just does!!!, i offer, i`m just useless!) does the ironing but i`m sure she fills up with tap water!!!

Chris

 

[Jen]

Depending on where you live and what your water is like, regular water can clog up the iron. Especially if your water is hard, and there's lots of calcium in it. The buildup it creates on the inside of it can restrict the water/steam that gets through. If you look inside your kettle, you will see a semi-white coating over the element (if it's electric). That's what hard water does. You can use vinegar in the kettle to get rid of it, but not in the iron, hence the RO water in your iron!

 

[craynerd]

ahhh interesting, i believe my aunte in Salsbury gets very chalky water and has to use RO water in her iron...(i mentioned it too her last night!! sad aren`t i)