Conditioning Ro Water?

I’ve been considering buying an RO unit, as my tap water on its own is essentially pure poison. Since RO water has no GH or KH, I want to know how I’d go about making the RO water safe for fish. What products should I use, and in what doses? I have 3 tanks: a betta, platies, and a freshwater community.

 

The easiest way is to mix tap water with RO in the proportion that gives the results you want. That way you don't have to make so much RO. This method assumes there isn't something bad in the tap water other than hardness or pH.


For using pure RO, there are various ways of remineralizing it. Seachem Discus Trace and Equilibrium both add GH but contain no KH. For KH there are two methods... (1) adding something like potassium bicarbonate to the holding tank prior to water changes is predictable but it has to be added each time.. or (2) putting some crushed coral in the tank, which slowly releases both KH and GH. Finding the right amount needs some trial & error. I make and use so much RO that I mix my own minerals - its cheaper that way.


Whether you mix tap & RO or add minerals depends mostly on how hard you want the water and which fish you keep. Unless you are trying for very soft water with low pH, the tap mix works out to be easier and cheaper.

 

The easiest way is to mix tap water with RO in the proportion that gives the results you want. That way you don't have to make so much RO. This method assumes there isn't something bad in the tap water other than hardness or pH.


For using pure RO, there are various ways of remineralizing it. Seachem Discus Trace and Equilibrium both add GH but contain no KH. For KH there are two methods... (1) adding something like potassium bicarbonate to the holding tank prior to water changes is predictable but it has to be added each time.. or (2) putting some crushed coral in the tank, which slowly releases both KH and GH. Finding the right amount needs some trial & error. I make and use so much RO that I mix my own minerals - its cheaper that way.


Whether you mix tap & RO or add minerals depends mostly on how hard you want the water and which fish you keep. Unless you are trying for very soft water with low pH, the tap mix works out to be easier and cheaper.

I can’t really add tap water. It has over 2ppm ammonia out of the tap. If I wanted to keep, say, tetras, would the discus trace or equilibrium be ok on its own? Are there any products that add KH? I don’t feel comfortable mixing up sodium bicarbonate and stuff.

 

If the ammonia is the only thing you don't like about your tap water then you shouldn't need to go to the trouble of using RO. When you test your tap water and find ammonia it indicates your city is using chloramine disinfectant. Its very common, and fishkeepers just have a routine and use a good conditioner like Prime during water changes to detoxify the ammonia. 2ppm is a little higher than most places so you can safely use a double dose of Prime while it stays at that level. If the filter has a good cycle the filter will remove the ammonia that gets added with water changes.


For the RO... most people are better off with some added KH when using RO, so you don't want to use only Discus Trace or Equilibrium. They only add GH. Lots of people use baking soda to raise the KH. 1 teaspoon in 50 gallons adds 1 degree of KH. Some people use Seachem Alkaline Buffer, and as I mentioned earlier a little sack of crushed coral or aragonite will, in most cases, add enough buffer for a stable pH. Anytime you increase the KH the pH will go up as well, but its best to look at the KH and try not to focus too much on pH. The idea is to use near the minimum amount of KH that keeps the pH from falling down much before the next water change. ...hope this helps.

 

I can’t really add tap water. It has over 2ppm ammonia out of the tap. If I wanted to keep, say, tetras, would the discus trace or equilibrium be ok on its own? Are there any products that add KH? I don’t feel comfortable mixing up sodium bicarbonate and stuff.

I know there are plenty of products that add GH and KH that are aimed towards shrimp keeping. I don't see why you couldn't use them for a fish tank. I use Salty Shrimp Shrimp Mineral GH/KH+ for my 10 gallon tank with Blue Dreams and ChilI Rasboras, and it works like a charm. It might be a bit pricey for larger or multiple tanks, though.

 

I know there are plenty of products that add GH and KH that are aimed towards shrimp keeping. I don't see why you couldn't use them for a fish tank. I use Salty Shrimp Shrimp Mineral GH/KH+ for my 10 gallon tank with Blue Dreams and ChilI Rasboras, and it works like a charm. It might be a bit pricey for larger or multiple tanks, though.

My largest tank is only 20g, so I’ll look into it.

 

What are the benefits of the Seachem acid buffer?

 

What are the benefits of the Seachem acid buffer?

Nevermind it just lowers pH and kH. Maybe not what I was going for.