Aquariums: Found why my shrimp are dying, what now?
So my tap water is testing at 400+ TDS, is my only option to go to a fish store and buy RO water?
Posted by sushiv8
9 Comments
JeffJohnSteve on
Regular water changes.
Cultural_Alarm7959 on
I got mine down with doing gradual water changes with distilled water. Went from 500 to 250 in a matter of weeks
Charming-Doubt8720 on
I have RO water dispensers near me. Outside just about any major grocery store. Its $3/5gal (up from $1.25 last year). Not sure what your LFS charges but this may be a better/cheaper/more convenient option for you.
Weazerdogg on
>Aquatic Life RO Buddie 4-Stage Aquarium Water Filter System, Reverse Osmosis RO/DI Filtration Unit for Fish Tank, Fountains, and More, 50 GPD
$70. You’ll go through that in distilled water from the grocery store in about 30 gallons. Bought one 10 years ago for my reef tank, smartest purchase I’ve ever made. Got real tired of running to the grocery store and dragging home 20 gallons of distilled water. Oh, and if your water is hard, water changes ain’t gonna do anything other than make your tank harder once it starts to evaporate.
Arbiter_89 on
You can buy water at the grocery store. I’d look for “purified water” and read the label. If it says distilled or RO then you’re good as long as it doesn’t also say something like “enriched” or “minerals added”
NeedsMustTravel on
You can pretty easily install an RO under your sink without doing anything permanent to the plumbing; just unscrewing and putting the RO connector in. I rent so I didn’t want to install one permanently. I just run the waste line into the kitchen sink instead of installing it into the drain below. The one I got was only around $175. A lot to start, but I was spending a lot on trips to fill up at the grocery store and it’s so much more convenient.
lemonlimespaceship on
If you have a small tank, ZeroWater filters work great! They’re still pricy, but less than a new RO system. Make sure to reduce TDS slowly.
kaielias on
What is causing the high TDS?
Chicken_Hairs on
Test tap water. If it’s lower than that, do water changes.
You should also test your other parameters.
Look into RO systems, as others said. My Aquatic Life system was $100, best aquarium money I ever spent.
9 Comments
Regular water changes.
I got mine down with doing gradual water changes with distilled water. Went from 500 to 250 in a matter of weeks
I have RO water dispensers near me. Outside just about any major grocery store. Its $3/5gal (up from $1.25 last year). Not sure what your LFS charges but this may be a better/cheaper/more convenient option for you.
>Aquatic Life RO Buddie 4-Stage Aquarium Water Filter System, Reverse Osmosis RO/DI Filtration Unit for Fish Tank, Fountains, and More, 50 GPD
$70. You’ll go through that in distilled water from the grocery store in about 30 gallons. Bought one 10 years ago for my reef tank, smartest purchase I’ve ever made. Got real tired of running to the grocery store and dragging home 20 gallons of distilled water. Oh, and if your water is hard, water changes ain’t gonna do anything other than make your tank harder once it starts to evaporate.
You can buy water at the grocery store. I’d look for “purified water” and read the label. If it says distilled or RO then you’re good as long as it doesn’t also say something like “enriched” or “minerals added”
You can pretty easily install an RO under your sink without doing anything permanent to the plumbing; just unscrewing and putting the RO connector in. I rent so I didn’t want to install one permanently. I just run the waste line into the kitchen sink instead of installing it into the drain below. The one I got was only around $175. A lot to start, but I was spending a lot on trips to fill up at the grocery store and it’s so much more convenient.
If you have a small tank, ZeroWater filters work great! They’re still pricy, but less than a new RO system. Make sure to reduce TDS slowly.
What is causing the high TDS?
Test tap water. If it’s lower than that, do water changes.
You should also test your other parameters.
Look into RO systems, as others said. My Aquatic Life system was $100, best aquarium money I ever spent.