Where can I purchase R/O water?

So I've never used R/O water in my tanks until now. I bought the most recent ro water from a fish store a good distance from my home. Several people including the lady that sold me the tank at the manufacturer stated I should use ro for my water changes and not treated tap water. (just recently lost 4 fish with my 25% water change, so upset!)
Does anyone know if r/o water can purchased from a walmart or petsmart? Would be much closer to home.

 

No it's usually sold by your LFS. Test your tap water that you used for the WC and tell us what the readings say. Please test with an API Master Test Kit not strips. If you don't have one you should buy one your going to need it many times.

 

Some Walmarts have a purification water dispenser in their stores that you can fill up those 5 gallon water cooler bottles and 1 gallon milk jugs. You need to check with your local Walmart.

As for using it, I would only go there if your tap water has really bad peramaters like high ammonia or nitrate or extremely high GH of KH. Using RO water, you lack the essential minerals your fish need. So you'll have to buy Seachem's Replenish for the GH. Unless you have crushed coral, aragonite, shells, or limestone, you'll also have to get an alkaline buffer. KH goes hand and hand with your PH, and after a while of using RO water, your PH will start to crash because the lack of carbonated hardness.

I'm not against RO water at all, especially for those really sensitive fish that needs soft water. But to me, lugging around all that water at every water change is very daunting let alone the cost of it per week.

Might I suggest you test your tank water and tap water and post it here. Everyone here can help you find out what happened to your 4 fish that you lost whether it's your water, or if it's something else.

Also as it was suggested, please use the API master test kit and not strips. The liquid test kit is more accurate then the strips. Trust me, the master test kit will forever be your best friend as long as you have a fish tank, so it's worth the purchase.

 

^^ This

You can usually find RO at most stores including Walgreens and the grocery stores. I would not use more than 50/50 RO and Tap but that depends on your exact water parameters.

What is your water conditioner? Does it take care of ammonia (which is left over from chloramines in your tap). Many water suppliers have both chlorine and chloramines or have gone only to chloramines. When the bond is broken you're left with ammonia. If your water conditioner doesn't take care of ammonia then its possible you are adding that ammonia to your water.

Highly recommend Seachem Prime. Amquel Plus also works.

Once we know your tap and tank parameters we can help more.

 

I agree with the above two posts.

I'd like to know what it is about your tap water that makes these people give the advice to avoid it.

Usually, treated tap water works just fine for aquarium fish. But there are exceptions.

Did they say specifically why they felt RO water would be best? Pure RO water is actually pretty dangerous for an aquarium. You have to add a lot to it to make it suitable for most fish species, and that can be quite complex.

 

I agree with the above two posts.

I'd like to know what it is about your tap water that makes these people give the advice to avoid it.

Usually, treated tap water works just fine for aquarium fish. But there are exceptions.

Did they say specifically why they felt RO water would be best? Pure RO water is actually pretty dangerous for an aquarium. You have to add a lot to it to make it suitable for most fish species, and that can be quite complex.

I agree with most of what you said but she needs to test her Tap before putting the cart before the horse. Unless I missed somewhere she tested her tap with an API Test kit

You should fill out your profile also you'll be able to get better answers and as far as listening to LFS's or Petco and Petsmart your better off not. I use all tap I happen to be lucky I have a Water softener and my tap is 7.8 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 and 5ppm Nitrates. I add fresh trace to the water to put back some calcium and magnesium and I'm done. Good Luck hope you test your tap it may surprise you and save you work and expensive.

 

I use all tap I happen to be lucky I have a Water softener and my tap is 7.8 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 and 5ppm Nitrates. I add fresh trace to the water to put back some calcium and magnesium and I'm done. Good Luck hope you test your tap it may surprise you and save you work and expensive.

You're not adding in replenish or equilibrium? Fresh trace I don't feel would be enough for your GH unless you have coral or similar in your tank? I can't remember

 

You're not adding in replenish or equilibrium? Fresh trace I don't feel would be enough for your GH unless you have coral or similar in your tank? I can't remember

My GH 16 drops and KH IS 8 drops I'm good there. I really don't want to mess with the GH the fish are pretty much acclimated to it. I pretty much want to replace what the Water softener is taking out.

One tank the last time about a week ago was the GH was 14 drops same water tested the same way go figure.

 

Oh ok great! Just making sure.

 

Hard to say much more without any feedback. I agree with others, we need to know why RO was recommended. Did you use a good Declorinator? 4 fish dieing after a 25% wc seems strange but wouldn't cause me to say RO right away. I keep Discus and use Tap. and my tap is terrible.
and even if you got RO, it is really not straight RO. even if you bought from a place like culligan. their so called RO still has a TDS reading of 12-15. straight RO has a TDS of 0 and can usually only be obtained by having your own RO unit, which imo if you need RO is the way to go, it will pay for itself.