Water Purfication Systems & R/O Systems

Everything you ever wanted to say about "Zebra luvin", but didn't because you thought everyone would take the mickey! Plus general topics for discussion including everything from what you feed them to your personal experiences.

b0ot
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Water Purfication Systems & R/O Systems

Post by b0ot »

what yall think about this ..

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... d2canister

says includes water faucet attachments.. what all is needed to run this thing to purify my water for tank use.. just let water run thru this system right into my tank?

never used this before, can I use it indoors? hook right up to my sink.. then when done disconnect? Im lost way in left field.. SORRY FOR the questions.. Ive got realitivly clean non hardy water here on tap, just wanna get it pure as possible for my baby zeb's comming.. makig sure i got everything lined up before they arrive.I DONT WANNA HAVE no gaps in my steps and im not taking shortcuts of any kind to endanger my future babies.

THANKS GUYS for all the help...

-Chris

PS if yal have pics up this setup at your home please share with me.. my email is chriz@cox.net
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pureplecs
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Post by pureplecs »

Are you trying to use it to stimulate breeding? I only use mine when it is time to simulate the rainy season. That one in the link you posted is only 24 gallons per day so it does not make RO water very fast (approx half a day for 10 gallons). I have a quick connect adapter on my faucet in the laundry room and I run the water into a large 20gallon container, but mine is 100gpd so it doesn't take very long. What will work best for you is probably dependant on what you plan to use it for exactly. I've seen folks get tubing long enough to run the water directly into the tank, but they had the sink somewhere near-by. Do you have a TDS meter? You would need to procure one of those as well if you are to get an RO unit... Do you happen to know what your TDS and Ph is out of the tap? I wouldn't think you would need this yet for baby zebras unless your water is like concrete...LOL... I'm sure other folks will have a lot more advice too. ...
b0ot
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Post by b0ot »

well, i just ran 15 gallons into my new tank for my baby zebs..

no water treatment straight from faucet..

the parameters were
pH : 7.6-7.8 no treatment( i lowered it down to 7.2 off tablet(tank buddies)
the 5 test kit for the hardness shows its fairly hard.
just the pH is very high from the faucet..
I wanted to use it everytime i did water changes, instead of having to treat the water everytime and end up one time making the water pH very low by overtreating it .

I was thinking.. using this everytime i did a water change..

how does it work.. I mean.. u run a hose to this system from fuacet then from the system thru a hose into a bucket?does this thing cut on.. has a motor.. what makes it only produce 24 gallons a day.? Ill get me a 50 GPD than or a 100 GPD. well, if im only doing partial water changes every 2-3 days, i only need 4-5 maybe 6 gallons of purified water. not 15-30 gallons.

U got pics of ur setup, that wud help greatly.any more systems out there like this thats better and easier to use and more reliable?
Im just trying to fight the water pH being so high along with the other impurities like hardness alkine etc.. stuff i wont need to test out everytime i do a water change and waste me 10$ on testing material a month.
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie »

Screwing with your pH is THE Single fastest way to kill your fish. High pH is the least of your fishes worries, IMO. If you don't understand what general hardness and carbonate hardness are, or how they relate to your water chemistry, you should use your tap water and worry about ammonia and nitrite instead. Seriously. Your poor zebras are literally at very real risk from your "help". Until you understand what you're doing and why, don't do that stuff to them. You do way more harm than you do good. Honestly.

RO/DI water has NO buffering capacity. That means the pH will swing around wildly. Zebras don't need low tds water to be happy and mine happily spawn at 7.8 pH. In fact, the softer I get the water, the less apt they are to spawn it seems. While raising them, high pH water is totally acceptable, as long as they are in a well established tank with NO ammonia whatsoever as it is exponentially more toxic at higher pH.

You really can kill these fish with kindness. Stop trying so hard before you do.

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pureplecs
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Post by pureplecs »

b0ot wrote: the parameters were
pH : 7.6-7.8 no treatment( i lowered it down to 7.2 off tablet(tank buddies)
the 5 test kit for the hardness shows its fairly hard.
just the pH is very high from the faucet..
My pH is the same as you stated and all of my fish are fine (L01, L66, L134, L136b, L199, L201, L220, L260, L262, L333, L340, LDA08, abn, calico bn, and as of tomorrow little zebs! rainbows, angels, red heros, etc.).

As Barbie stated, it is indeed very dangerous to mess with your tap water, especially if you do not know what you are doing... and please don't use stuff like the tank buddies! That stuff can really caused and unbalanced tank and crash it and loose all the fish!! What is "fairly hard"? My tap runs in the 400+ and again all is well over here, as I stated, I only CAREFULLY mess with the RO/DI to simulate a rainy season when breeding but as Barbie said, hers will spawn in her regular tap water... my wild queens are much more demanding however...LOL And I tend to think that there is something out there in the water of Spokane... :P

I worry more about oxygen levels than anything in the tank given the high temperatures my plecs are at... But as Barbie also indicated, the chemicals such as amonia, nitrite, etc. IS YOUR BIGGEST WORRY if you do not have a pre-cycled filter for them. Please tell me you have a cycled filter....
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TwoTankAmin
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Post by TwoTankAmin »

I do not own an ro unit, my tap is pH 7.4, gh 106ppm and I do not use any chemicals. I do use kent Black Water Expert occasionally to stain the water but not to change the pH or hardness.

If my zebs need a push, I skip a water change or two and then do a change with tap.

Messing with params is the easiest way I know to court disaster, especially if you are new to it.
What makes the common person uncommon is common sense.
b0ot
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Post by b0ot »

uhh yeah i have 2 pre cycled filters on the tank now as we speak.. Ive never messed with the ph other than using pH decrease by top fin a couple of times to lower the pH in my L-134 tank . My L-134 are perfectly fine and Ive had them since an inch long, they are now around 2 inches..

Ive bred L-066
L-333
L-199
L-340

I was ONLY ASKING about that link .. Ive never seen that system before, keep in mind, i dont see these type of things in local pet stores and only a very few pleco hobbyists around me.. My buddy of course just past away couple days ago and I didnt know he bred L-236. WHICH ARE IN MY CARE now. they are still at his house and I will be bringing them to my house soon, along with 50% of their current tank water to mix with mine.

yall are thinking o great a rare L-236 colony, they will be dead very soon, im sorry I give out the impression I dont know jack crap, but how do u find out things if u dont ask?

I was only asking about this R/O SYstem. SORRY to make u guys think I was going out to buy one and try to dip my Ph into the low 6 range.
Personally I love for my ph to be an even 7.0 or 7.2

I test my pH and Ammonia and Nitrites/Nitrates everyday in all my tanks.

GOODLUCK WITH YOUR ZEBRAS pureplecs, I bet they are lovely lil guys.

Yes Im bering very patient with my tank im setting up for my zebras, Ive actually having 2nd thoughts about it and I probably will go and buy me a 30 long breeder for them instead of using this 15 gallon tank I got.

I am gonna post a few pics of it now..
crazie.eddie
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Post by crazie.eddie »

I agree with everyone else regarding the water...If your tap water is city water and not well water, save your money and the hassle and just acclimate them with your tap water. I've purchased baby zebs several years ago from a breeder, who raised them in tap water and they are still doing very well.
Dane
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Post by Dane »

Ive bred L-066
L-333
L-199
L-340


Thats alot of plecs to breed **edited by John**

Cheers Dane
Edlund
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Post by Edlund »

Who are u and what makes you say sutch things?

Its not so hard to breed hypancitrus in 2 months if u have fat ladies in the tank with a adult male with a perfect cave and good water.

I saw this was your first post and that was not the smartest post i have seen. Think before you write !
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John
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Post by John »

Dane,

A proper introduction is appreciated in the "introduce yourself" section.
If there is anything special you want to say to another user use e-mail or pm.

BTW please add your location in your profile
Greetings,
John
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b0ot
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Post by b0ot »

excuse me sir dane?

LOL.. somebody asking to be banned..
thegeeman
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Post by thegeeman »

b0ot wrote:excuse me sir dane?

LOL.. somebody asking to be banned..

Why is he asking to get banned?

He made a statement that I believe you have no reply for because you know he is on to you :wink:

thegeeman
b0ot
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Post by b0ot »

on to what? pftttt..no time for kiddy games sir.
also didnt see what he had to wrote, it was edited.
all i know is he made a offensive remark, based on reason only because a mod editing it for him.
here goes a pic for u cupcake on them l-236
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Post by thegeeman »

Well I stand corrected BOot and eat some humble pie.

Nice fishes, I hope you find them a good home


thegeeman
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