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Re: Ro unit and buffering (ad nauseum)
FORWARDED MESSAGE:
>Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 02:31:39 -0700
>From: Wright Huntley <huntley1 at home_com>
>Organization: HOLOGRAF
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.6 [en]C-AtHome0402 (Win95; I)
>X-Accept-Language: en
>To: Aquatic Plants Digest <Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com>
>Subject: Re: Ro unit and buffering (ad nauseum)
>
>
>I may be missing some essential on this thread, but the only reason *I* use
>an RO unit is because my tap water is just too hard for a few fish, and for
>a *very* few plants.
>
>In most parts of the US, the effective way to rebuffer the RO water is by
>just mixing back in some tap water until the desired hardness/buffering is
>reached. [Both the tap and the RO water must still be treated for
>chloramine, with "Amquel," unless good activated charcoal filters are part
>of the system or you are on an untreated well o/e.]
>
>I never use RO water for the effect on plants, for very few mind my 270ppm
>tds tap water. A few wild killies and Bettas do require softer water than
>that (or such a low pH that it is impossible to reach without tds so high
>they just hate it). For those I use either pure RO and peat tempering or RO
>tempered with some tap water and peat. The tap water gives me not only
>buffering, but a rich mix of trace elements that are good (essential) for
>both fish and plants.
>
>If it is at all possible to use your tap water, as is, with minimal
>treatment for chloramine, do that. The chance of serious osmotic shock (to
>fish) at change time goes way down, and you will end up with a generally
>more stable tank situation. If you *have* to tinker with chemistry, the odds
>of a catastrophic accident go way up, IMHO. If you simply *must* raise lush
>glossistigma, go ahead and mix one part tap with four parts RO water. The
>chance of serious accident is generally a bit less than using a recipe like
>Roger's for all change water. I would still use his mix, rather than some
>unspecified concoction like "RO Right," so I at least knew what was being
>added.
>
>I've always felt lucky to live in stable harder-water areas, even though I
>don't raise rift-lake cichlids. With an RO unit of adequate capacity, I can
>always mix and match with tap to get the water *any* fish (or plant)
>actually needs. Guess it's a point of view thing.
>
>My former Chief engineer, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, used to tell
>me "Always cut it too short. If you cut it too short you can always weld it,
>but what the hell are you going to do if you cut it too long?" That's
>exactly the sort of logic that I perceive in chemically reconstituting RO
>with a perfectly good tap sitting right there. ;-)
>
>Cheers,
>
>Wright
>
>--
>Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679 huntleyone at home dot com
>
> Stop passing new laws!*
> Repeal some dysfunctional ones. It will do far more good.
> http://www.self-gov.org/libertarianism.html
>________________________________________________
>*Try:
>http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/columns/gillmor/docs/dg060699.htm
>for the latest outrage (and a good chuckle). :-)
>
>