Why RO\DI?

Why is ro\di filtered water important to a reef aquarium?

 

RODI is basically the purest water you can get without being distilled. We don't used distilled, because that is also removing some of the trace elements we want.

Tap water often contains contaminants, such as chlorine, sometimes copper(which can be fatal to inverts), and maybe run off if you live out on the country.

 

That makes sense now. I didn't think about run off. I do live the boonies. And i was thinking that because I have a Well, there's no clorine and I'd be able to use normal well water.

 

If you wanted you could use RO water(without the DI part) and that way you have extra clean drinking water too. Or just use the RODI fit the reef tank.

 

There's no chlorine. But there could be literally anything else. Copper, silver, phosphates, nitrates, silicates, natural gas (stupid fracing...), and untold numbers of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides (agricultural areas), hormones and pharmaceuticals (more prevalent in areas like LA, DC and NY).

 

i filled my first tank with tap water which was about 150-200 on a tds meter, needless to say i had MAJOR algea issues with some i didnt even know existed! but now im start a new tank and im only using ro/di water and not a drop of tap. just my .02
hope this is something you'll never experience!
best of luck,
Jake

 

Is the DI part something that is unecissary?

 

yes and no, its lowers the tds even lower

 

It's totally necessary. The RO will only get out 90 to 98 percent of what's in the water. That 2 percent could, again, be anything.

 

Can you buy RODI water at a pet store?