RO machine in front of HEB

[TexasState]

Is the RO machine in front of HEB safe for reef use? Or should I expect explosion in diatom & red slime algae? I can get a brand new RO/DI unit for $90 shipped to my door; but I don't want to flood out the people on the second floor should I forget to turn off my RO/DI. This happens too many times b4 when I was on the first floor. On the other hand, I don't want to carry 55 gallons of water up three flight of stairs neither (I only have one 5 gallon Ozarka bottle.)
Here's my planned reef tank:
http://uweb.txstate.edu/~xp42012/misc/55_marble.jpg
55 Gallons
Remora Skimmer
Rio Seio Pump or Tunze Stream pump on a controller
4x55Watts Coralife Power Compact Hood
30 Pounds of Caribsea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand
I'm short on time & fund (going to grad school and/or working 7 days a week,) so it's going to be a bare looking tank for awhile.

[JesterGrin_1]

Well what you can do is get the RO/DI unit and one of those large Rubber Maid garbage cans that you can put the wheels on the bottom of and fill that. That way you can roll it to where you need it and fill it once a week. :) That is what I do except I keep one can of fresh and one can of salt mix.

[pilot_bell777]

I used the RO water at Walmart and that was it.....I didn't have that much algae and I tested the Phos with a test kit and it came back at like .05........

[prof]

I used tap water for fresh tanks for years. I used tap water for my salt tanks for the first year or so before I bought my RO/DI.

RO/DI makes life easy. I have a 35g trash can set up with a float switch and a Kent cutoff solenoid to turn off the incoming water. I never have to do anything to fill it. Just turn the water on once.

Get a good water conditioner and use tap water. Dosing Kalk will keep your water 'hard' and help with algae and diatom growth.

[JimD]

TDS

[TexasState]

I've tried the trash can route b4. I used to close them up to keep evaporation down. The trash can would get moldy and stinky so I stopped using them.

[JeffCo]

If your talking about the windmill express machines that are usually in front of the heb's. They will work great, I used it on my tank for about 7 months before I bought a rodi. I just got tired of lugging all the 5 gallon jugs.

[TexasState]

My HEB has the Penguins on it.

[GaryP]

The problem with the vending machines is that you have no idea of how good a job they are doing with their maintenance program. If you buy water right after they service the machine, you are probably OK. If you buy water right before its services you are probably buying tap water. The only way to tell is by testing it with a TDS meter.

Gary

[ryanrichter]

I have a Ro/Di unit but I still use the Windmill Express for water changes. They have a guarantee of service everyday and I have no problems with their water. I only use the Ro/Di for top offs.

[bozack]

I have been using the Penguin machines for years with no problems. I switched one time to some premixed stuff from one of the LFS in town and ended up with a huge algae outbreak. Went back to the Penguins and solved my problem. I'm too lazy and too much of a neat freak to go the RO/DI way, until I build my next place that is.

[TexasState]

I'm too lazy and too much of a neat freak to go the RO/DI way, until I build my next place that is.

The RO/DI line can go through walls. Rallard professionally installed my previous RO/DI neatly under the sink. He installed one line for the RO drinking faucet & one line for direct topoff to the sump using a Kent Float Valve. The Penguin machine in my town is check once or twice a week.