- Messages
- 20
- Location
- Manchester, UK
Hi.
Having spent some time searching this site for info on using RO, I've found a wealth of very useful info. Thanks to all who have posted.
Hoever, I still have some concerns about using RO water for my fish, and I would like someone to help put my mind at rest.
As far as I understand it, I cannot use straight RO, as this does not contain any number of minerals and metals that the fish need in order to survive. It would kill off my plants pretty quickly too.
So I have to mix it with tap water. This I am fine with, as it effectively dilutes the tap water, so that some content is retained through the water. Also, as I understand it, the dilution should be quite simple. Mix one part tap with 3 parts RO, and you should have a hardness 1/4 of the tap water.
So my concern is this. In order to get my extremely hard (19 dkh, and 10 dgh) water down to a KH of about 5, I need to add 1/2 a litre of tap water to 9 1/2 litres of RO. My concern is that this will not provide enough of the mineral content that the fish require, and does not seem to add up right.
Or am I missing the point, that the tiny amount of hardness disolved into the RO will provide everything required.
(My mixed GH by the way is about 4, and the PH in the tank is stable at 7).
Thanks.
Ian.
Having spent some time searching this site for info on using RO, I've found a wealth of very useful info. Thanks to all who have posted.
Hoever, I still have some concerns about using RO water for my fish, and I would like someone to help put my mind at rest.
As far as I understand it, I cannot use straight RO, as this does not contain any number of minerals and metals that the fish need in order to survive. It would kill off my plants pretty quickly too.
So I have to mix it with tap water. This I am fine with, as it effectively dilutes the tap water, so that some content is retained through the water. Also, as I understand it, the dilution should be quite simple. Mix one part tap with 3 parts RO, and you should have a hardness 1/4 of the tap water.
So my concern is this. In order to get my extremely hard (19 dkh, and 10 dgh) water down to a KH of about 5, I need to add 1/2 a litre of tap water to 9 1/2 litres of RO. My concern is that this will not provide enough of the mineral content that the fish require, and does not seem to add up right.
Or am I missing the point, that the tiny amount of hardness disolved into the RO will provide everything required.
(My mixed GH by the way is about 4, and the PH in the tank is stable at 7).
Thanks.
Ian.