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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

RO Water.........

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17 Nov 2007 23:16 #1 by komalley (K OM)
Hi Folks,

Have just received a new RO unit and its happily filling a couple of 25l containers as I write. Justification for this purchase is my tap water has levels of residual nitrate (25-50ppm), ph 7.5 and GH approximately 15°H. I do not know the level of phosphate but the ease at which algae is being generated suggests an elevated level.....lighting ~9 hrs, 1 T8 daylight plus tube, feeding - enough that is eaten as it enters the tank.....

Historically (in a previous fish breeding life) I've used commercial RO treatment products to back-add the required minerals to bring treated water into 5-10°d which has allowed me to breed rams. I've read that baking soda can be used to achieve the same result......

A couple of questions...

1. is using bread soda to condition RO water an 'old wives-tale'?

2. If used what recipe should be used to condition RO water to 5-10°dH hardness water

3. Are commercial baking soda products i.e. those available in the supermarket suitable for this purpose?

Apologies in advance if my questions are niave.....but they stem from advice received on using supermarket yeast and baking powder in my co2 reactor rather than the sachets supplied by Nutafin at a much higher cost.....

Thanks in advance for your feedback....

kom

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18 Nov 2007 01:46 #2 by kieronr (kieronr)
Hi kom,ro water has virtually everything removed from it.I'm into marines so by adding salt,im adding trace elements etc.Don't use baking powder as it has additives,use pure bicarbonate of soda to raise ph etc.You can mix ro and ordinary water to add trace elements.

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  • Anthony (Anthony)
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18 Nov 2007 13:21 #3 by Anthony (Anthony)
Replied by Anthony (Anthony) on topic Re:RO Water.........
That won`t be enough on its own.
You need Iodene and other trace elements for fish to thrive.
Ro water also has no oxygen init.

Why don`t you use dechlorinated tap water or mineral water to
add some trace elements to the water.


I kept Discus and I used a 60/40 mix of Ro and tap water.

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  • apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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19 Nov 2007 09:51 #4 by apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
Replied by apistodiscus (apistodiscus) on topic Re:RO Water.........
Anthony wrote:


Ro water also has no oxygen init.


?????


Bread soda will only raise your KH not your GH.
There are various products on the market that will do a good job in raising your KH and GH. Personally I would recommend Preis Diskus Minerals. A 6kg bucket is around 100€ in Ireland, somewhat cheaper on the internet. It will last most people for ages.

You could also go for a mix RO/tapwater, depending on your tap water. If you have a high phosphate level in your tapwater you will be better off not to.

Holger

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  • russell (russell)
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22 Nov 2007 18:48 #5 by russell (russell)
Replied by russell (russell) on topic Re:RO Water.........
Hi Kom
The way Icontroll my RO is by putting a T valve between just before the membrane with a control vave so I can mix pre membrane water with the RO at the same time. this gives me a Ph of 6.3 and a tds of 99+ = 3gh kh about 1 and thid is constant

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22 Jan 2008 17:29 #6 by phildevan2 (jimmy martin)
could anyone confirm that its ok to use demineralized water in a tropical aquarium (& marine)and if so is it better than tap/well water.

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