Continuous RO?

[uberdave]

Hi, new to this hobby but I have an idea to just run continous RO water to the tank with an overflow that goes to the drain. My tank its a 110g with a 250w heater, so the drip will be slow enough for the heater to keep up so i figure 50g per day on the drip? Of course i still have the canister for bio and mech filteration. So this drip is to eliminates water changes? Any forseeable problems?

[DiscusOnly]

Hi, new to this hobby but I have an idea to just run continous RO water to the tank with an overflow that goes to the drain. My tank its a 110g with a 250w heater, so the drip will be slow enough for the heater to keep up so i figure 50g per day on the drip? Of course i still have the canister for bio and mech filteration. So this drip is to eliminates water changes? Any forseeable problems?

The problem with dripping 50gal of new water daily into the tank is not the same as doing a 50gal water change. You are still going to have to vaccum and clean the waste off the tank on a regular basis.

If this is a grow out tank, I would consider using a smaller tank so that WC is more manageable.

You are also going to need to use some sort of of way to doze minerals back into your tank. To me, part of the fun in keeping discus is doing the work and watching them grow.

[diveshooter]

Unless there is something really wrong with your source water I wouldn't bother with RO. And 50 gallons of RO a day at 80% rejection rate means you're dumping around 250 gallons of perfectly good water down the drain.

[Ed13]

Sure, it's called a drip system. The several problems though, as mentioned before, 50g in does'nt equall a 50% WC and you'll still need to vacum the waste settled in the bottom of the tank . You don't need RO water for this and if you did it'll be brutal on your RO membrane not to mention the huge water waste from a typical hobby RO system.

[AirCapital]

Hi, new to this hobby but I have an idea to just run continous RO water to the tank with an overflow that goes to the drain. My tank its a 110g with a 250w heater, so the drip will be slow enough for the heater to keep up so i figure 50g per day on the drip? Of course i still have the canister for bio and mech filteration. So this drip is to eliminates water changes? Any forseeable problems?

you may need a bigger heater 250 watts isnt much for 110, and the r/o will most likely be cooler than the tanks water so that will also strain your small heater. at 50 gallons a day it will change 36.53 % of the 110s water, thats what the math says...ok an online calculater..lol but that is in perfect condition. tank water movement, over flow placement etc. will lower this %
drip systems are good to help lessen the load on yourself but you will still have to clean the walls sides etc and poop like the othere members said.
if your tap water is good you could have a few carbon filters coming from the tap and save alot of water vs the r/o which has waste water

[uberdave]

Thanks for the reply, but this is a keeping tank rather a growing out tank. Is 50% wc still required? I know about cleaning the tank and vaccuming the poop, I am thinking just let it drip w/o RO but just drip with regular water w/ a carbon filter for chlorine and just net the poop that way. Still work?

[tcyiu]

Unless there is something really wrong with your source water I wouldn't bother with RO. And 50 gallons of RO a day at 80% rejection rate means you're dumping around 250 gallons of perfectly good water down the drain.

+1

This is a real waste of water resources.

A couple of questions: 1) Why RO? What problem in the water are you looking to address?
2) Any way you can plumb your waste water to doing something marginally more useful like watering your lawn?

Tim

[uberdave]

Update, no longer RO water, just running through inline refrigerator filter that takes out the chloramine and chlorine. No WC :) Just change the carbon every now and then.

[Skip]

Update, no longer RO water, just running through inline refrigerator filter that takes out the chloramine and chlorine. No WC :) Just change the carbon every now and then.

i dont' know why you are trying to do short cuts on the WC... you just said you are new to the hobby.. there is lots of information on the proper care of discus.. and there lots of information of people who try and deviate from S.O.P. *standard operation procedure* of proper, time test knowledge on care ..

so just do what you should do.. do the freaking water changes.. just because you can't see poop on the floor doesn't mean there is no waste in the water.. fish also secrete other waste you can't see...

i have used this analogy because.. how about YOU do a "WATER CHANGE" in your toilet... the same way you do you discus tank.. and then you tell me if you think both water systems are clean...

:argue: i just woke up and i am cranky and i am fixing to go back to bed.. :D

ps.. i have a 125g.. but i started discus with a 30g.. it was a good call, imho, getting a very large tank for your first one could be a problem for a novice's first tank.. i know it would have been for me..

if you don't want to do the large water changes, then get a smaller tank..

ok.. its nap time... best of luck to you in raising you discus...

nite nite.. :)

[uberdave]

yeah i know i know, i shouldn't try something new and avoid WC. the thing is, i got this idea from someone who was into discus for 30 years. when i visited his house, he had it set up and doing 100% WC a day and no WC with the drip system. he has more discus tanks than any store i've visited! he even mixes with hot water and cold water to avoid the heater!

[Skip]

Uber..
you can do what you want, it your fish and tank.. for real my SD friend..

however, like you said.. he has done it for 30 yrs.. we both are new to discus.. it is better for us to know, understand basics of discus care.. then experiment with advanced techniques later.. cuz if somethings goes wrong, you will back here asking for help on how to fix your problem.. like i did..

jus saying.. we are new.. and if you want to try 1 method that 1 person does.. while there other hundreds and hundreds people do another method.. if i am betting man.. i am going with the odds.. so take the opinions from here and do what you would like...

good luck! :antlers:

[jeff@zina.com]

FWIW, much commercial discus production operates on the same principle. Several hundred fish farms in Florida do this as a normal basis for their operation, and have for the last half century. Continuous feed systems are normal and alleviate the need for water changes, as well as filtration of any kind. You couldn't raise and ship 30,000 angel fish a week if you had to do water changes.

Jeff

[roundfishross]

continuous tap not ro. pure ro would have to be remineralized.
pure ro would strip the fishes slime coat

[Roland M]

Dave, I am sending you a couple of posts so that I may answer your pm.

[Roland M]

This is number 4 of 5

[Roland M]

And 5 of 5

[hawaiidiscus]

its pretty sop to do continuous water changes as you originally suggested, with tap, not RO.