RO water, salt, small hole in mixing can......

[vman181]

So we just moved to SA a week ago and I need to change 10 gal in my tank. I have a temp 29gal set up for a few coral and two clown fish. I go to a unnamed store for some water as I don't have my RO system set up yet. I asked what do they let the TDS get to before they change the filters and i get the standard answer of "we keep it as close to zero as possible". Well I tested it when I got home and sure enough its at 10ppm. So I won't be going back there for water.

Then I put my salt in my mixing can and I dump 5 gals of the RO in. Next thing I know water is coming out of the bottom. I have a small hole in the bottom of the can. I guess it happened in the move. So my fish will have to wait a little longer to get some new water........

[Bill S]

In a pinch, I have buckets, salt and RO.

[vman181]

Thanks for the offer, I should be good. I only lost a little as I plugged the hole with my finger and pumped it back in to my water container. Tomorrow I'll get a new can and get the salt out of this one and mix it. I was just ranting a little. My 72gal BF is in storage with my other house hold goods that we shipped from Abilene. And we are living in a one bedroom apartment till our house is finished in mid May. Moving sucks...... moving with a fish tank sucks moor :-)

[ismvel]

House Hold goods.....sounds like a military term and move.....MOVING without the military = Added suck!!!!!

Welcome to San Antonio and MAAST, now charter up already. ;)

Don't mind me, that is usually my opening statement to new folks in SA or MAAST (even though you are already 150+ posts LOL)

[vman181]

Well you hit the nail on the head with the HHG and the Military, but you are right about moving without the aided help really sucks. I've done it that way two times as well and this is definitely the better way.

Thanks for the welcome and although we just moved here, I've been coming down here all the time since my wife's family lives here.

I don't mind your opening statement and I agree with you. I will soon enough once we get completely settled which will be a few months as our house is being built and will not be ready till mid May. Until then, it's a one bedroom sublease apartment with a 9 month old, 13 pound cat and 55 pound dog and my 29gal BB tank with a few corals and two clown fish.

[TMWTim]

I know the feeling but it's just the opposite. I have a 14g set up with LR and corals with a firefish and a clown. I would LOVE to set up my 150 but I am convinced when I start to set it up we will get orders to PCS as we have been here 8 years. We were stationed at Sheppard for 3 years when I finally got the 55 going really well and BOOM, orders to Kadena. While at Kadena on a 4 year tour I had said 55g fully set-up with local collected livestock when after two years BOOM, unexpected orders to Lackland.

Might want to run a battery of tests on the Edwards Aquifer water. It puts out some good stuff right from the tap. Not exactly sure why the popularity with buying RO water from a LFS...or the investment with high dollar RO units here. I go to probably the same unnamed LFS and they have 5g containers piled up selling it like hotcakes.

[vman181]

I don't care to buy my water from a LFS as you can never trust how good/bad their filters are. I bought a RODI unit about five years ago and it has paid for its self over and over. I'm sure the Edwards Aquifer water is good stuff but nothing is better for your fish and coral than RO and better yet RODI. Plus like I said I tested the "RO" water from the store and it has a TDS reading of 10ppm. This tells me the Edwards Aquifer water isn't that great for my tank.

[allan]

It's good to see so many military here on the boards.

Tim, I was stationed at sheppard four four and a half years. When you mentioned the move I was thinking BMET. But then you mentioned lackland

Vman, you need anything lmk.

[TMWTim]

Tim, I was stationed at sheppard four four and a half years. When you mentioned the move I was thinking BMET. But then you mentioned lackland

Sheppard is a fun place. For kicks we would sit around and watch the grass grow. Simply the very best place in the world when it comes to doing nothing! Once in a while one of our cars would start to rust and that was pretty cool to witness. On a very good day it would rain. Yep, that place is out of control fun

Edit: I wouldn't wish Sheppard on anyone....ever!

[TMWTim]

I'm sure the Edwards Aquifer water is good stuff but nothing is better for your fish and coral than RO and better yet RODI. Plus like I said I tested the "RO" water from the store and it has a TDS reading of 10ppm. This tells me the Edwards Aquifer water isn't that great for my tank.

There is nothing better than RO/RODI water? Aquifer water isn't that great? Both are true, and both are false. Depending. Take a 5g bucket and fill it with Aquifer tap water. Run AC on it for two days. On that 2nd day BUY 5g of RO water. Run a battery of tests on both. Leave nothing out...test for dKH, cal, Mag, pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phos, potassium, iron, silica and so forth. Write down the results you get for both. Now what you want to do is factor in what it is going to cost, along with the time and effort, to replace specific levels to get either sample of water to the point where you want it when it comes to SW let alone a reef environment. Aquifer water will win every time.