Distilled Water?

The Saltwater Kid · #1 05/29/2006, 06:57 AM

I know the R/O water is the best thing to use and I started out with all R/O water I purchased from my LFS for .50 per gallon but I remembered someone telling me that if you don't have R/O water readily available that pure distilled water would be just about as good, is this true? I replaced some of my evaporation loss with the pure distilled water (steam distilled, no additives) mixed with appropriate amount of salt. If this is fine it would make it easier on me as I can buy that at Wal Mart just 5 minutes away versus driving to my LFS that's 40-45 minutes away.

Scuba Oz · #2 05/29/2006, 07:03 AM

I used distilled in my first tank until I got a RO/DI unit, and it was from Wal-Mart (purple lable) I tested it and its good stuff. Still a RO/DI unit is a lot better and a lot less work!

I noticed in your statement that you are mixing salt in your top off water? You do not mix salt in your top off, the salt does not evaporate. Check your salinity ASAP if you are doing that. Top off water should be pure water with NO salt. Only when you need to raise your salinity should you top off with saltwater.

The Saltwater Kid · #3 05/29/2006, 07:09 AM

Thanks for the info! I didn't add much. I'm adding more live rock soon and when I do I'll take some water out and add just pure water.

Scuba Oz · #4 05/29/2006, 07:12 AM

Well the main thing is stability, get your water to where you want to keep it and aim to keep it there without any fluxuation. I keep my systems at 1.024-1.025. HTH

The Saltwater Kid · #5 05/29/2006, 07:21 AM

I just measured mine and mine is exactly where you keep your tank...between 1.024 - 1.025. It was higher like 1.026 last time I measured, wonder why it dropped.

Scuba Oz · #6 05/29/2006, 08:02 AM

hat are you measuring with? If a hydrometer that would explain it, they are not real reliable.

The Saltwater Kid · #7 05/29/2006, 08:39 AM

yup, that's what i'm using.

Marinemom · #8 05/29/2006, 08:36 PM

Do yourself a favor and get yourself a refractometer. If you are using a swing arm hydrometer it would be best to throw it away. They are notoriously inaccurate. I used one of them in the very begi nning and it said my SG was only 1.021. However, when I bought the refractometer I measured my Sg with both the hydrometer and the refractometer within five minutes of each other. Again, the hydrometer measured at 1.021 but the refractometer gave a more accurate reading of 1.026. Imagine if the hydrometer had measured 1.026! In reality my SG would have been 1.031! Please get the refractometer.

Marinemom