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Thread: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

  1. #16
    Platinum Member MostlyDiscus's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Hi Jeff, Good work there. Any idea how many gallons 1kg will treat? Would you be willing to sell me/ship on 1kg? Let me know the cost. Thx Ed
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  2. #17
    Homesteader DiscusLoverJeff's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Hi Ed,

    I am not sure how much 1kg will treat as I have not measured that yet. I would say over 500 gallons depending on the TDS you want to hold.

    As far as selling it, I am not doing that just yet as I want to try another month worth of testing. But I stated, for $31.00 shipped from the website I posted, you can make about 5kg of this mix. I have made 2kg so far and still have more than half of the mix left to make.

    It is a good beneficial deal if you have a gram scale (needs to read 0.00) and some patients. Takes me about 15 minutes to make a batch.
    DiscusLoverJeff

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  3. #18
    Homesteader DiscusLoverJeff's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Thought with the recent inquiries I would do a 1 year update (almost a year). Everything is working well with this mix. TDS has been stable without any fluctuating differences. Savings are adding up as this mix has saved me a couple hundred dollars so far.
    DiscusLoverJeff

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  4. #19
    Registered Member timmy82's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Quote Originally Posted by DiscusLoverJeff View Post
    Hello friends,

    I received the ingredients needed to re-create RO Right (Generic).

    Powdered compound Grams needed
    K2SO4 43.5
    CaSO4 34.7
    MgSO4 24.7
    FeSO4 0.30
    MnSO4 0.16
    Total weight 103.3

    Using a fresh batch of RO/DI water with "0" TDS in my 32 gallon holding barrel, I added a half teaspoon at a time to get the desired 100 TDS (just for experiment). It required, just like RO Right just a bit over 1 full teaspoon.

    The only difference that I noticed is it took a bit longer to disolve and get me to 100. Normally I can get there in 15 minutes with RO Right, this took about 30 minutes. I then tested it after 1 hour and it was still at 100 and then again after 2 hours.

    I also checked my GH and KH and both were at zero. Same as using RO Right.

    So, I will use this water in one of my next water changes today and see if there are any effects on the fish. Stay tuned.

    Thanks.
    Good stuff thanks for sharing I am working out what I will need to do when we move in 5 weeks going from town tap water out to rural where only tank rain water is available. It shouldn't be as touchy as R/o but I will need to put some minerals back in especially growing young. I currently run my town water throught tripple 10" filters 1st is 5 mic PP sediment 2nd is 5mic block carbon and 3rd is 1mic block carbon silver impregnated. I was thinking I will still need the PP sediment and maybe just fill the second with crished coral for calcium ect and 3rd filter PP again to keep the particles out.
    Thanks Timmy
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  5. #20
    Registered Member musicmarn1's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    exactly !!! wow cool , i get mine from


    http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html



    Quote Originally Posted by Chad Hughes View Post
    You should be able to make this recipe for less than one US dollar. I use all of these chemicals in planted tanks.

    K2SO4 43.5 $0.19
    CaSO4 34.7 $0.68
    MgSO4 24.7 $0.05
    FeSO4 0.30 $0.01
    MnSO4 0.16 $0.01


    Total weight 103.3 $0.94


    and Jeff, cool one year ! have you been using just Ro water alone with this mix and your not seeing any difference to using RO right? also your using this to breed or for what reason are you using all RO if i could guarantee i can keep things constant id like to make my own for my wilds since i despise my well water.



    DiscusloverJeff:

    Thought with the recent inquiries I would do a 1 year update (almost a year). Everything is working well with this mix. TDS has been stable without any fluctuating differences. Savings are adding up as this mix has saved me a couple hundred dollars so far.
    Last edited by musicmarn1; 03-08-2014 at 02:30 AM.
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  6. #21
    Homesteader DiscusLoverJeff's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    I use this most for breeding and holding TDS at 80. When I will use it to cut in with my tap water (30% RO 70% Tap) to hold TDS between 180/200 for the rest of my fish. With the recent spikes in my tap water, I am trying to keep a balance so nothing spikes like my PH recently did.
    DiscusLoverJeff

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  7. #22
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    I am about to try out your remineralization substitute. Thanks for the great posting and the sources for the chemicals.

    I tried to find the formula for RO right, and couldn't find it in the threads you posted, or anywhere else online. It seems it must have some sodium chloride in it. Your formula is spot on for the Seachem Equilibrium formula except for the very minor trace elements they also add. One thing to note, is that the amount of MgSO4 in this formula is for this compound in the hydrated form, as found in epsom salts (MgSO4-7H2O), just in case someone actually finds some anhydrous MgSO4 and tries to use it. For the small amount used for Discus, this probably would make no difference, but who knows. Looks like the iron sulfate could also be purchased at almost any drug store in tablets used as supplements. Epson salts in a find granule form can be purchased at most drug stores cheaply as well. Good to have epsom salts on board anyway in case of discus that bloat.

  8. #23
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    First time I see this post. Great job. I still have a ton of fertz left over from my planted tanks. May actually keep them now.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


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  9. #24

    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Hi Jeff,
    Thanks for the updates! Great and helpful job you did!

    I tried to understood but I'm not sure- what is the quantity (grams) for let say 30 gallon? (I use 75% RO and 30% tap water).
    Using Tapatalk

  10. #25
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    eranio, remineralization is used for RO water in place of the minerals from your tap water. If your GH with your 30% tap water is above 50 ppm, then you shouldn't need any RO right or additions. Jeff must have had a problem with his tap water not contributing enough buffer to counteract some pH changes, so added it also to his tanks that were not being used for breeding.

    I did get my chemicals and made up a batch of the mix as per Jeff's original post. I converted the grams to ounces so I could use a cheap postal scale to mix up 1 Kilogram batches at a time.
    The numbers are:
    15.34 oz KSO4
    12.24 oz CaSO4
    8.7 oz MGSO4-7H2O (as epsom salts)
    0.1 oz FeSO4
    0.6 oz MnS04

    This makes 1KG of mix.

    I used it and found that this mix will increase your GH and KH if used in the same amount as Kent RO right (1/2 tsp for each 10 gallons). If you use that amount with pure RO water, you will get a GH of slightly less than 40, and KH of 2.
    I didn't measure conductivity but suspect that Jeff's measurements are exactly what I would get. Note that he only uses 1 tsp for 30 gallons, so he probably does not have enough GH increase to measure.

    This will work out very well, and will be much, much cheaper than Kent RO right. It also will contain no additonal sodium. As Jeff indicated, this mix does not change the pH at all. However, my RO water is slightly acid (pH 6.6) so the final of my tank water is 6.4 or so. This is a bit low for the babies I'm raising now, as they eat so much that the pH goes down pretty fast, so I will add a small amount of sodium bicarbonate (probably 1/2 tsp for 50 gallons) to the mix to compensate for this. Kent RO right changed my pH to neutral when I used it, likely because it contained some buffers to make neutral, no matter what they say (probably not much, and if the water wasn't RO water it likely would not have made the water neutral.

  11. #26
    Homesteader DiscusLoverJeff's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    I am glad you guys are trying this mix. I hope you have good results.

    My kh/gh was 0 to 1 and after using what I needed, it only slightly brought them up to a safe 3 to 4 ph and 4 gh.

    It did not alter my pH either. As my pH from 100% RO was 6.5/6.6 it never went higher or lower. I feel like this is working just fine for me and my fish.

    Post your results and water parameters before and after you try it for a couple weeks. Maybe I can put a chart together to monitor other people's results.
    DiscusLoverJeff

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  12. #27
    Registered Member timmy82's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Hi Jeff, this is a great thread you have started here I have been using the mix for around 4 - 6 weeks now and is great. I have also found that yellow diamond are a good gauge to see how your water is mine come up a real strong nice yellow when I have the right amount of minerals in the water and they pale nearly no colour when not enough. I haven't done too much testing on the water but nothing very much changes no PH change and TDS or I use Um might be lucky to move up 10 Um.
    Since adding it I have had larger spawns :-) and now successful attachment 3 pairs this week :-). Has taken a while for them to settle in after the big move 1300Km and going from Town supplied water to 100% rain water.
    Thanks Timmy
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  13. #28
    Homesteader DiscusLoverJeff's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    I am glad this worked for you Timmy and you are having such good results. I wish you continued success.
    DiscusLoverJeff

    Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
    Confucius

  14. #29
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    Wow! Will add this to my "to do" list. I've had odd results with tap water here in the past, so I'm going to try the RO + this mix to bring some consistency to my tanks....

    Thanks for sharing!!!

  15. #30
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    Default Re: DIY Remineralization for RO Water

    It sounds interesting and I think I will try this mix with my RO water if I can get all the chemicals locally. One thing I am curious about is the GH/KH. If this mix still leaves the RO water with GH and KH of zero what are you then doing to raise the GH/KH a little to stabilize the PH? Also if I may ask. I live in a water area that lacks KH (alkalinity) so the water is considered soft although PH straight from tap is about 9 (7,5 after a few hours). I have been using an RO unit to try to lower PH to at least PH6 with some success in the past but I recently bought a new membrane and filters on ebay and the RO unit is now reducing TDS to zero but not lowering the PH at all.

    Any advise or suggestions?

    Iceman

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