lowering salinity-Salt-3reef Forums

gerritmatton · 03-01-2008, 06:54 AM

Hello,

I use real saltwater (yeh, some off you guys will start telling I can't do that etc etc... but I am living at 30 minutes from a nice beach, so I get my water their and where I am living is no aquarium-shop where I can buy saltwatermixes). But sometimes when I have to many work to go get new saltwater my salinity rishes due to evaporation, can I just add destilated water (battery water) to lower the salinity?

Greetings,

GM

lunatik_69 · 03-01-2008, 07:13 AM

I would use RO water better than destilated water. This is the order of water that I would use, 1 being the best;
1. R/O DI h20
2. R/O H2o
3. Some type of filtered h20
4. Spring h20
5. Bottled h20
6. Tap h2o with a conditioner added
As for the ocean water, its ok as long as your getting it from AT LEAST 30 ft down and NOT from the shore line.

gerritmatton · 03-01-2008, 11:30 AM

What is the difference really between destilated water and RO-water? Off the 2 off them what is the purest H2O?

omard · 03-02-2008, 08:32 AM

I sometimes get my water from the Seattle Aquarium which has a program of providing clean seawater to home aquarists...

Much cheaper then mixing by self.

But found salinity varied significantly do to water runnoff and rain here in PNW into Puget Sound which must be their water source. Often very much less here then recommended for our tropical SW reef tanks.

Also was UV treated to insure unwanted micro critters did not show up in tank.

Good stuff.

Make sure to aerate any topoff water a bit with a airstone before using...

lunatik_69 · 03-02-2008, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerritmatton

What is the difference really between destilated water and RO-water? Off the 2 off them what is the purest H2O?

The difference is hugh. The water that passes through a R/O unit undergoes a series of filters(stages), that does a specific filtering process. For ex this is a 6 stage unit;

Stage 1. 5 micron PP sediment filter = to remove dirt, sediment, rust and sand particles

Stage 2. granular activated carbon filter = to remove chlorine, chloramine, odor and chemicals

Stage 3. 1 micron coconut carbon block filter = to remove remaining chemicals, pesticides and protect your membrane

Stage4. TFC (made in USA) 100 GPD RO Membrane = to remove 98% to 99.99% of all chemical and harmful dissolved elements and 99% of all bacteria

Stage5. DI (De-Ionized) filter = to remove hard water minerals

Stage 6. in-line granular activated carbon filter = to produce pure tasting water

The distillation process is the heating of a mixture and condesing the resulting vapor to produce a more nearly pure substance. I think the answer is obvious.

flounder · 03-03-2008, 03:18 PM

I don't possibly see how RO could be "better" than distilled. Distilled is just water. RO has imperfections. So how could RO be more pure than distilled?

Otty · 03-03-2008, 03:41 PM

If you are grabbing water from the coast to put in your tank you will probably run into trouble before too long. Along the coast is where all the pollutant is in the ocean from man, oil run off from parking lots, people fertilize their yards...etc. If you want to use NSW then I would be getting it a couple miles out if possible.
R/O water is the way to go with top off!