View Full Version : Distilled Water For Top-Off
Scott McLeod
May 25th 04, 01:46 AM
Has anyone ever done a test on the distilled water in plastic gallon
jugs that you get from the supermarket? I use this for top-off water
but have not done tests on it. I've got a small 25g reef tank so the
expense is not too bad...but I just wonder about chemicals from the
plastic jugs that may leech into the water. Any opinions?
JJ Johnson
May 25th 04, 03:26 AM
Distilled is fine. It's bottled in food-grade containers and is safe for
people...and fish. Make sure it's distilled....not spring water. Another
good option is Wal-Mart. many of them have RO/DI water on tap for 33 cents a
gallon.
"Scott McLeod" > wrote in message
m...
> Has anyone ever done a test on the distilled water in plastic gallon
> jugs that you get from the supermarket? I use this for top-off water
> but have not done tests on it. I've got a small 25g reef tank so the
> expense is not too bad...but I just wonder about chemicals from the
> plastic jugs that may leech into the water. Any opinions?
Marc Levenson
May 25th 04, 05:18 AM
That is more than likely your safest water source, unless you opt to buy your
own RO/DI unit.
Those bottles the water is stored in are made to be safe for human consumption,
so it should be okay.
Marc
Scott McLeod wrote:
> Has anyone ever done a test on the distilled water in plastic gallon
> jugs that you get from the supermarket? I use this for top-off water
> but have not done tests on it. I've got a small 25g reef tank so the
> expense is not too bad...but I just wonder about chemicals from the
> plastic jugs that may leech into the water. Any opinions?
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Richard Reynolds
May 25th 04, 06:29 AM
> Those bottles the water is stored in are made to be safe for human consumption,
> so it should be okay.
the bottles are 100% safe
> That is more than likely your safest water source, unless you opt to buy your
> own RO/DI unit.
the distilled water i donno about, ive read *somewhere* (cant recall if the source was a
good one or not) that some distillers use copper in there equipment and that some very
trace amounts of copper can leach out. does this mean absolutely anything at all well I
donno i tried a small search and came up with mixed results, i hesitated posting, but
decided to anyways as maybee someone with more brains than me will jump in and either
correct me or save a reef
--
Richard Reynolds
Im with Rich.. I've also heard that many distillers still have coper tubing.
I'd opt for RO RO/DI
CapFusion
May 25th 04, 05:11 PM
"Richard Reynolds" > wrote in message
news:qQAsc.45310$Md.31317@lakeread05...
>
> the distilled water i donno about, ive read *somewhere* (cant recall if
the source was a
> good one or not) that some distillers use copper in there equipment and
that some very
> trace amounts of copper can leach out. does this mean absolutely anything
at all well I
> donno i tried a small search and came up with mixed results, i hesitated
posting, but
> decided to anyways as maybee someone with more brains than me will jump in
and either
> correct me or save a reef
>
Yes and No = answer to your distill water.
You can simply check when they do the maintaince.
Depend:
Some vendor will normally will use copper to attach to their unit which fine
but you need to look for any metal plumbing that attach to their storage
unit.
CapFusion,...
CURTIS HOOD
May 27th 04, 04:21 AM
my ro-di puts out about 12 tds (total desolved solids ) distiled water =
35 tds and my tap =327 tds . however tds does not show copper ...
--
CURTIS HOOD
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CapFusion
May 27th 04, 05:34 PM
"CURTIS HOOD" > wrote in message
...
>
> my ro-di puts out about 12 tds (total desolved solids ) distiled water =
> 35 tds and my tap =327 tds . however tds does not show copper ...
>
>
Anything above 5 for use in Reef tank, I would say that not too good. But at
the same time, if this water is for human consumption, then it good.
You might look into a test kit for copper reading.
If you do have a working RODI, it should not have anything higher than 1ppm.
Before DI and RO only should see like about 3 to maybe 10.
Anything above 6ppm, this maybe your RO unit maybe depleting it usefullness
for reef use. But again, you still can use it as human consumption until
over 20ppm. Bottling water that I check like ArrowHead / Alhambra .... from
my TDS reading show about 15ppm avg.
If it hit above 5 or 7ppm, you may need to check if your sediment / carbon
block is depleting. Otherwise, your membrane may need to change.
You may need to check what the result of each stage.
CapFusion,...
Reaper
May 31st 04, 02:42 PM
And or aluminum
"Rod" > wrote in message
...
> Im with Rich.. I've also heard that many distillers still have coper
tubing.
> I'd opt for RO RO/DI
>
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