Two questions

[AmberSunrise]

1. I just broke down my pico tank and have about 5lbs of sand that I used for maybe 3 weeks. The sand is finer than what I have in my main tank but do you think it would be ok to put it in the main tank even though its different?

My goby loves to move it all around and it leaves bare spots sometimes.



2. Right now I use tap water and dechlorinator for my freshwater fish tanks.

Do you think it would be ok to use the RO leftover water that comes out of my RODI unit? I know its not completely filtered out enough for the salt tank but I would think it would be better than the tap for the fresh tanks right??

 

[Northstar24]

1. Yes, I don't see an issue with this

2. Not sure on this one, but I used tap water on freshwater tanks for years with no ill effects

 

[wontonflip]

Do you think it would be ok to use the RO leftover water that comes out of my RODI unit? I know its not completely filtered out enough for the salt tank but I would think it would be better than the tap for the fresh tanks right??

Do you mean the "dirty" water, or leftover fresh water from a water change out? Doesn't freshwater need certain things that the rodi take out? But I don't think it would be harmful...but personally, I'd save the rodi for your more expensive hobby ;)

 

[AmberSunrise]

Do you mean the "dirty" water, or leftover fresh water from a water change out? Doesn't freshwater need certain things that the rodi take out? But I don't think it would be harmful...but personally, I'd save the rodi for your more expensive hobby ;)

The RODI has 2 run off lines one is the purest water that you use in the salt tank and the other one is the partially filtered water that they say is not really recommended for drinking but is cleaner than your tap water. So far I have been using it for the plants but I thought I could just it on the freshwater tanks also.

 

[BL1]

I've never heard that, I've always heard that was dirty unusable water. Do you have a TDS meter you can use to test it?

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't think the waste water is cleaner than your tap water -- it's going to have all the impurities that tap water has, but in an even higher concentration.

It's fine to use the sand.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I have read several places and even the video from BRS mentions it. Its just RO filtered water, right? The impurities are stuck in the filter pads and media of the 3 compartments.

I am going to email the bulk reef guys and see what they say. I will let you all know.

I am curious if anyone has mixed grainy and fine sand together and if it looks bad or if the fine stuff will just all sink to the bottom?

 

[Wes888]

The concentrated waste water actually already passed through the previous 3 stages of filtering. Then when it get to the reverse osmoses unit, the "clean" water will pass to the DI unit to remove the dissolved matters so that your TDS meter would read zero. The "dirty" water that got splitted out, again, already passed through the 3 stages of physical filtering. And assuming your RO unit give you 1:10 of clean water, your dirty water is only 10% more concentrate. I think the 10% more concentraged 3 stage filtered water is indeed cleaner than the unfiltered water.

 

[Bifferwine]

Now this is interesting! All of us with RODI units and TDS meters need to test this out.

 

[Wes888]

That's all just math. After I wrote that, I was curious as well. I have a TDS meter and a RODI unit. I'll check them out tomorrow.

One thing for sure, any particle that's larger than 0.6 micron won't get to the dirty water since physical filters blocked them. Oh, and the carbon filters that it went through. So chlorine and some other chemical that won't show up in the TDS meter would be striped in the "dirty" water as well. I guess using TDS meter may not tell the whole story.

 

[sen5241b]

waste water ? Interesting experiment.

IF you use RO/DI water (or very low TDS water) then you MUST add a PH adjuster to it! If you do not do add the adjuster the fish could get Ph shock and die.

 

[AmberSunrise]

waste water ? Interesting experiment.

IF you use RO/DI water (or very low TDS water) then you MUST add a PH adjuster to it! If you do not do add the adjuster the fish could get Ph shock and die.

This is for freshwater fish I read of several people online who use it for their freshwater tanks. I am going to get a TDS meter at lunch so I can also test it.

Many people say they bottle it and drink it even. Florida has NASTY water so I bet its better than my tap water.