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Thread: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

  1. #16
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    Feb 2021
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    New Jersey
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    Jason

    Default Re: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

    But it wasn’t soft lol. The GH and KH wasn’t low even after the softener. I feel like no one is reading what I’m putting down lol.

  2. #17
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    Feb 2021
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    New Jersey
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    Jason

    Default Re: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

    Anyway, just forget I asked. Lol. I’ll figure it out.

  3. #18
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    Mar 2017
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    Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
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    39

    Default Re: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

    Hi Jason,

    I am by no means as experienced with discus as many here, but I have used RO in freshwater and reef tanks and I like it. At both locations I have lived the water was relatively hard with a Gh of 15 and TDS of about 150 (If I can remember properly :-). The first experience was with a simple three stage RO it allowed me to breed Stendker's and keep difficult fish and coral in the reef while taking the TDS to 15. Now I have a four stage RO which takes the TDS to 0-3.

    I think what the others are saying is that you may be one of the lucky few who have "good" water straight from the well. However, I would divert before the softener unit. Commandment #1: Keep it simple, especially at first. Change only one thing at a time and watch the effects. Your fish or dogs DO talk to you - Thanks for your many excellent posts Pat.

    It all depends on what you are looking for. Currently, I use two parts RO one part treated tap. I add water back using gravity/siphon feed through an airline into my 75 as I am afraid of changes and dissolved gasses. Surface action and current have been kind to me. Surface film is my enemy.

    Really, my most beautiful discus came in a heavily planted and stocked community tank which was tuned in with CO2 injection at a pH of 6.0. This is when they spawned for me. BUT, I also had big problems with CO2 in a lesser planted tank. So I have no Co2 at the moment. I will move my fish to a tank that is tuned in AFTER they and it are ROCK SOLID.

    Thank You So Much to everyone here.
    Thank You to John @ Snookn21. :-)
    andy

  4. #19
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    Feb 2021
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    New Jersey
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    Jason

    Default Re: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

    Thanks, Andy. That was helpful. How much extra work does having discus in a planted tank add for you? I’ve been running a planted rank for a few years with CO2 as well.

  5. #20
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    Nov 2020
    Location
    vashon Island, WA
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    55
    Real Name
    Regina

    Default Re: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

    Hi Jason~
    I am a novice in keeping Discus tho Tho started right off using RO/DI. I also use RO as my drinking water. The RO systems advertised for aquarium use are less expensive. My suggestion is to get an RO/DI system that advertises more output per gallon then you will need.

    I have fine water pressure and went ahead and got a compatible booster anyways. Yet..my out put is a slow @ 1 gallon/per hr.

    That is with an "AQUATICLIFE Aquatic Life RO Buddie Plus DI Four Stage Reverse Osmosis Deionization Unit 50 GPD" that I purchased on amazon. I would of gotten the '100 GPD' if I'd known better.
    If it truly would of given me 50 gallons in 24 hrs it would of been great!

    The softner in your well water is a 'No NO' ... too much sodium.

    But if you experiment with your well water mixed with RO to get the PH you can live with you will still be adding the minerals and cutting down on the amount of RO you need. I do not re-mineralize the water.

    I live on an island which essentially draws its water from a well house and the Ph fluctuates between 8.2 - 8.9 with KH of 210ppm and Gh of 115ppm depending on how on top of adding all the minerals/chemicals the well keeper is. He's an old stoner.

    Any how I add about 2 gal of tap to about 16 gallons of Ro/DI and this consistently puts my PH at 6.4 and 0-1 KH and 25-35 ppm GH. I am very happy with this!

    As well.. my 13 Juvies are all growing really well and fast and quite active in their tanks. I have one that came to me sick but she is slowly healing in the hospital tank.

    I think to a large degree everyone has to figure out for themselves what works best for their own scenario.

    It was daunting for me as well in the beginning.

    Willie put me at ease as he has experienced every aspect of Discus keeping that there is including water issues. And I 'got' what he was saying. .. Always Keep them in clean water is the most important aspect of Discus keeping.

    Mine went through a lot of turmoil when I first got them cause I didn't really know what I was doing. But I put first just making sure they had clean water at all time.. then I dealt with all the other myriad of problems as they popped up.. which I hate to admit.. were a lot!

    That was when I learned just how hardy these fish are. Cause 8 of my Juvies were 1-2" big.. really young and small!

    I started with 10 ..5 weeks ago and have only mysteriously lost one in the first few days I had them. Fine one day..dead the next. And the other one I lost committed hari-kari by jumping out of the tank at nite while I was sleeping and forgot to put the cover on.

    I realize it is still too soon to say just how well in the long run these guys will fair but for now they are doing great.

    Regina

  6. #21
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    Feb 2021
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    New Jersey
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    Jason

    Default Re: Need Help with RO/DI Setup

    Thanks, Regina. I'm still figuring my setup out and wanted to learn a little bit about RO systems and their applications. You've given me some things to think about as I plan my setup.

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