What to replace evaporated water with?

[mdeleon1]

Without a RO/DI, what is the next best option for replacing evaporated water?

[Turbovr3six]

Without a RO/DI, what is the next best option for replacing evaporated water?

Getting RO/DI at the LFS.

[dsmhero]

Go to the grocery store and get some.

[mdeleon1]

Would it be called RO/DI at grocery store?

[dsmhero]

Would it be called RO/DI at grocery store?

Distilled would work in a pinch, but your LFS would probably be the best bet.

[billdogg]

I've been using Columbus, Ohio Tap Water for over 20 years now - works ok for me.

[snorvich]

Getting RO/DI at the LFS.

This would be my second choice. Getting an RO/DI unit would be my first choice. You WILL need it.

[snorvich]

Go to the grocery store and get some.

Actually it is not likely to be RO and DI. Probably just RO or distilled.

[crvz]

I'll say something controversial, but in a FOWLR I would be pretty easily convinced to use tap with a dechlorinator in a pinch. It is certainly more likely to lead to long-term algae issues, and would be a bad move if you intend to move towards housing corals in the future, but if your signature implies the system you're discussing you could certainly consider using tap water.

[WestChesterReef]

A personal RO/DI is the only way to go, I just hate buying from a store, so unreliable in quality.

[Banjo]

Distilled if you don't have access to RODI.

[Reefer1225]

I don't know any LFS or grocery store that has RODI. It's RO water mostly, but I question how often they change the media filters. I would use a TDS meter to check. But yea, without a home RODI, I go get RO water for LFS or Grocery. If worse comes to worse, distilled water.

[bubb]

I've seen RO water at the supermarket. Just have to look f

[bubb]

I've seen RO water at the supermarket. Just have to look f

Just have to look for it in the fine print.

[tmz]

Tap is too unpredictable for me. You just don't know what's in it in a given location at a given time..

[snorvich]

I'll say something controversial, but in a FOWLR I would be pretty easily convinced to use tap with a dechlorinator in a pinch. It is certainly more likely to lead to long-term algae issues, and would be a bad move if you intend to move towards housing corals in the future, but if your signature implies the system you're discussing you could certainly consider using tap water.

A reasonable strategy IF you never want to convert to a reef tank. The reason for that caveat is that your live rock will suck up all sorts of phosphates and be difficult to use going forward.

[kruserm]

I would not use distilled water...this may be a coincidence but I used distilled water a little over a month ago and about 1.5 – 2 weeks later I had a hair algae outbreak. I have never used distilled water before and never had hair algae either. I have been doing water changes with ro/di and each time I do a water change I am seeing less and less hair algae. Like I said it may be coincidence but they seem very much related. The sad thing is that I used the distilled water out of laziness not because it was cheaper than ro/di. I will not use anything but ro/di.

[mdeleon1]

Will this do until I get ro/di unit? This is from water machine at grocery store. If so, can store the water in the 5 gallon bottles?

[littlec984]

RO/DI or Distilled from the grocery store

[EllieSuz]

I used RO water from the Culligan machine at Walmart for quite a while and never had a problem with it. It never tested above 5 TDS. It's cheaper in the long run to purchase a RO/DI unit sized to fit your needs and it's a heck of a lot easier than lugging jugs of water around.

[JoeRonda]

Will this do until I get ro/di unit? This is from water machine at grocery store. If so, can store the water in the 5 gallon bottles?

Yes it will be good. Essentially that is a reverse osmosis system. I would go to BigAlsOnline and pick up a 4stage rodi asap if I were you. Good luck.:D

[sn4265]

I just recently got my own 6 stage RO/DI unit for the house from BRS. A word of caution would be to closely monitor your 5 gallon jugs when you first start making your own RO/DI water. You could end up with a gallon or more of water on your laundry room floor if you get distracted working on something in the other room. :)

I'm still getting everything really setup. Right now I'm still buying the salt mixed at the LFS until I get a couple of pumps for making up my own salt water. At least that's only 10 gal a week rather than almost double that. I really need to figure out what kind of pumps to get for the salt making process and start going that route too.

[sn4265]

I just recently got my own 6 stage RO/DI unit for the house from BRS. A word of caution would be to closely monitor your 5 gallon jugs when you first start making your own RO/DI water. You could end up with a gallon or more of water on your laundry room floor if you get distracted working on something in the other room. :)

I'm still getting everything really setup. Right now I'm still buying the salt mixed at the LFS until I get a couple of pumps for making up my own salt water. At least that's only 10 gal a week rather than almost double that. I really need to figure out what kind of pumps to get for the salt making process and start going that route too.