RO: is it absolutely necessary?
- Thread starter dbacksrat
- Start date
if you can't shell out the cost of an r.o. system then your in the wrong hobby.the r.o. is probably one of the cheaper things that go into a s.w. setup.i mean yes you can set up a s.w. tank and just use tap but you will find that you become very limited as to what you can keep.also the cost to value ratio of r.o. systems has come down a lot in the last few years.many manufacturers are offering r.o. systems that put out much more pure water per day than most home r.o. systems put out in a week.
i think, in general, that those using tap water have many more problems with diatoms and problematic algae than those that use RO, yes?
a friend of mine here has a gorgeous 125g reef with tap water. he battles algae a little bit, but it's really not too big of a problem. who knows. it definitely can be done with tap, but evidence certainly seems to point to healthier fish and a less algae-prone environment. there is no doubt that RO water gives you more options for stocking fish...especially certain more sensitive, fragile species.
personally, i use tap. but if i had a 125g reef i sure wouldn't! i only have a 20g SW semi-reef with one damsel and various critters, so my options are very limited and my expenses so low that i don't see RO as worth it right now (since i can't get it at my lfs). i do battle an occasional diatom outburst, but everything in that tank has been healthy and lively since i set it up here in august. but, the bioload is very, very low, so that may have something to do with it, as well. when i upgrade that to a 55g reef eventually, i plan on buying the RO gear. hell, if that tank weren't in my backroom, i'd have it now, if only for the potential aesthetic improvement.
a friend of mine here has a gorgeous 125g reef with tap water. he battles algae a little bit, but it's really not too big of a problem. who knows. it definitely can be done with tap, but evidence certainly seems to point to healthier fish and a less algae-prone environment. there is no doubt that RO water gives you more options for stocking fish...especially certain more sensitive, fragile species.
personally, i use tap. but if i had a 125g reef i sure wouldn't! i only have a 20g SW semi-reef with one damsel and various critters, so my options are very limited and my expenses so low that i don't see RO as worth it right now (since i can't get it at my lfs). i do battle an occasional diatom outburst, but everything in that tank has been healthy and lively since i set it up here in august. but, the bioload is very, very low, so that may have something to do with it, as well. when i upgrade that to a 55g reef eventually, i plan on buying the RO gear. hell, if that tank weren't in my backroom, i'd have it now, if only for the potential aesthetic improvement.
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