RO Water

[jimboliana]

Hi all

I am thinking of buying an RO unit for my new planted tank as here in Essex the water is rather hard and full of fluride and chlorine and things

I have read that if you use RO water you can mix it with tap water at a ratio of 4:1 is this correct? and if so do you then have to add any buffers to it? I would have thought not because thats what you add the tap water for isnt it?

I dont want to buy one if i have to spend loads more money on buffers

Please help

Jim

 

[George Farmer]

Simply mix your RO with tap to acheive the required hardness. Obviously the ratio will depend on how hard your tap water is and how hard you want your tank water. Personally my tap is GH 16, KH 8 so I dilute to acheive GH 6, KH 3. Good plant growth should remove most harmful elements from the tap water - I never use chemical filtration i.e. carbon.

As long as your KH stays above 2 degrees (40 ppm) then you won't need buffers.

Nice Avatar BTW - Amano I presume.

Hope this helps.

 

[jimboliana]

Cool thats what i thought, thanks for the info

And yes it is a Amano Avatar - Cheers

 

[George Farmer]

Glad to help - Nice Signature too, one of my favourite films of all time..... Bueler?....Bueler?

 

[jimboliana]

It is a quality 80's film

Also can you recommend an RO unit? i only want a small compact model, i've looked at the kent range but there a little big (canisters are 10" diameter each)

I like the look of the Dennerle range but dont know anywhere who sells them, i've contacted newleaf and sell flowtech which i think are as large as the kent ones.

This all sounds rather stupid as i work in the water purification industry installing industrial RO's softners UV's and CDI units but thats where i get my interest from, just should have done this years ago!

Jim

 

[jimboliana]

Anyone?

 

[George Farmer]

Sorry. I don't have experience with commercially available RO units. I work with Harrier Jump-Jets and they use 1000s litres of PURE (<5 microsiemens) water every day (to cool their jets during hover if you're interested). I just help myself to 25 litres of it once a week for my water changes.

I have heard good reports about the Kent systems. It may be worth posting a question on the Saltwater Hardware forum - they use them a lot more than us freshwater commoners!

 

[jimboliana]

gf225

Thanks alot i will do that

You seem to be the only person that replys to my questions!

 

[George Farmer]

gf225

Thanks alot i will do that

You seem to be the only person that replys to my questions!

Don't take it personally. I imagine there aren't many RO guys out there - besides my answers are so good, you won't need anyone else

 

[Dubby]

besides my answers are so good, you won't need anyone else

A bit of marketing (trumpets) there but I'll second that

 

[George Farmer]

besides my answers are so good, you won't need anyone else

A bit of marketing (trumpets) there but I'll second that

I have to do it myself you see - a childhood full of low self-esteem caused by a victorian type father Can't beat a bit of transistional analysis on a Tuesday afternoon!