ro/di remineralization
- Thread starter crnaguy
- Start date
To expand on that... topoff should be done with pure RO/DI no matter the application, as the salt doesn't evaporate. Remineralizing usually equates to softening which is the addition of calcium carbonate. As for our saltwater, the salt mix provides all the ions and buffers that you need (more pure water you can get is the best).
Wade
Wade
OK, I stumbled across a thread on RC about RO remineralization in Anthony Calfo's forum. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... genumber=1
So I thought I would bring this topic back up. I am not even sure what my quetion is except that I would like to explore this issue some more since Mr Calfo seems to believe it is very important to do this, yet he is the only source I have heard this from.
He says:
I have been using straight RO/DI water. When I mix up new salt water, I typically do a 5 to ten gal change every week, I just dump the RO/DI in my mixing bucket, add appropriate salt, and let mix for about a day or so with a small powerhead.
I will say I have been worried about the acidity of plain RO water in my top off system dissolving or leaching something from the plastic in the holding container so I usually add a little kalkwasser to it, even though my Ca Reactor seems to take care of my alk and Ca demands.
Thoughts? I am trotting over to WWM now to see if I can find more info from him about this.
So I thought I would bring this topic back up. I am not even sure what my quetion is except that I would like to explore this issue some more since Mr Calfo seems to believe it is very important to do this, yet he is the only source I have heard this from.
He says:
I have been using straight RO/DI water. When I mix up new salt water, I typically do a 5 to ten gal change every week, I just dump the RO/DI in my mixing bucket, add appropriate salt, and let mix for about a day or so with a small powerhead.
I will say I have been worried about the acidity of plain RO water in my top off system dissolving or leaching something from the plastic in the holding container so I usually add a little kalkwasser to it, even though my Ca Reactor seems to take care of my alk and Ca demands.
Thoughts? I am trotting over to WWM now to see if I can find more info from him about this.
There are more myths about RO/DI than pretty much anything else related to this hobby. Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of this problem whenever we resurrect some old misinfomations that were well-beaten dead horses.
As top off, RO/DI does not need to be "remineralize" / "salting." But if you want to use it for water change, make sure you add aritifical salt to bring the specific gravity to natural sea water level.
Nothing is accomplished if you let RO/DI sit around overnight or aeration. Adding any salt (to it will make the ionic balance of your tank unnatural, especially if you don't do regular water change. Adding kalk to RO/DI (not "salting") is fine since the Ca and alk. will be consumed by hard coral. Other calcium or alk. additive does not need to dose with the RO/DI but some may chose this routine as habit. Giving any rationalization to add buffer (other than kalk) to RO/DI is just silly.
There is nothing intrisice about RO/DI water that makes it unsafe to drink. It is not recommanded because it is a waste of money/energy/material. DI resin commonly used in the hobby is not certified for processing of water for human consumption.
pH of RO/DI is trickly to measure due to the lack of ion in it. CO2 in the air have a lot of influence on it, and researcher usually degas ultrapure water before doing pH measurement. Amateurs and hobbyists do measurement with little knowledge of the procedure and get freak out when they see the pH number. This often led hobbists to make wrong conclusion about the significant of the pH, and when the misinformation is issued with repeatable procedure, this led to wide misunderstanding in this hobby.
As top off, RO/DI does not need to be "remineralize" / "salting." But if you want to use it for water change, make sure you add aritifical salt to bring the specific gravity to natural sea water level.
Nothing is accomplished if you let RO/DI sit around overnight or aeration. Adding any salt (to it will make the ionic balance of your tank unnatural, especially if you don't do regular water change. Adding kalk to RO/DI (not "salting") is fine since the Ca and alk. will be consumed by hard coral. Other calcium or alk. additive does not need to dose with the RO/DI but some may chose this routine as habit. Giving any rationalization to add buffer (other than kalk) to RO/DI is just silly.
There is nothing intrisice about RO/DI water that makes it unsafe to drink. It is not recommanded because it is a waste of money/energy/material. DI resin commonly used in the hobby is not certified for processing of water for human consumption.
pH of RO/DI is trickly to measure due to the lack of ion in it. CO2 in the air have a lot of influence on it, and researcher usually degas ultrapure water before doing pH measurement. Amateurs and hobbyists do measurement with little knowledge of the procedure and get freak out when they see the pH number. This often led hobbists to make wrong conclusion about the significant of the pH, and when the misinformation is issued with repeatable procedure, this led to wide misunderstanding in this hobby.
Lets get some chemistry straight here....
The RO/DI water has almost no pH to begin with, although as it sits a while it falls to around pH of 6 due to CO2 input (which occurs more rapidly as you aerate it). Adding ANY buffer to RO/DI water immediately moves the pH to that buffered level. Remineralizing is sensless if you are using it for topoff or for water changes using ASW.
Remember what pH is.... it is the balance of H+ in the system. Perfectly pure water should have an absolute value of 7 (which doesn't happen, and can't be readily measured).
Be careful of what you read... think about it and research it. Adding salt/buffer to any topoff could unbalance a system (esp since many of the buffers are Mg/Bo based).
Wade
The RO/DI water has almost no pH to begin with, although as it sits a while it falls to around pH of 6 due to CO2 input (which occurs more rapidly as you aerate it). Adding ANY buffer to RO/DI water immediately moves the pH to that buffered level. Remineralizing is sensless if you are using it for topoff or for water changes using ASW.
Remember what pH is.... it is the balance of H+ in the system. Perfectly pure water should have an absolute value of 7 (which doesn't happen, and can't be readily measured).
Be careful of what you read... think about it and research it. Adding salt/buffer to any topoff could unbalance a system (esp since many of the buffers are Mg/Bo based).
Wade
Interesting....
The old Bingman analysis of salt mixes notes the presence of ammonium in newly mixed salts, which disappears with aeration (I assume by diffusion).
http://web.archive.org/web/20030608...om/fish2/aqfm/1999/mar/features/1/default.asp
People in the UK have recorded similar results recently.
We were conjecturing that some "trace" additives in the mix might be present in the form of ammonium salts, or maybe we give to much credit to the makers and the ammonium is just another impurity.
Anyone any views ? We ran out of feasible ideas pretty quickly.
kim
The old Bingman analysis of salt mixes notes the presence of ammonium in newly mixed salts, which disappears with aeration (I assume by diffusion).
http://web.archive.org/web/20030608...om/fish2/aqfm/1999/mar/features/1/default.asp
People in the UK have recorded similar results recently.
We were conjecturing that some "trace" additives in the mix might be present in the form of ammonium salts, or maybe we give to much credit to the makers and the ammonium is just another impurity.
Anyone any views ? We ran out of feasible ideas pretty quickly.
kim
kim, we are talking about the issue of aerating RO/DI before the salt is added... 
Ammonium is a common impurity in some chemicals, and I am sure that it was not added purposely. Only two rationals I can think of for additive of this form. 1, as anti-caking agent, and 2, as preservative. I can't think of any common ammonium salt that can do 1 or the reason to do 2.
Ammonium is a common impurity in some chemicals, and I am sure that it was not added purposely. Only two rationals I can think of for additive of this form. 1, as anti-caking agent, and 2, as preservative. I can't think of any common ammonium salt that can do 1 or the reason to do 2.
I allways remineralised my RO/DI before i salted it. I mainly felt this was improtant becasue my calcium reactor wasn't connected to a probe or anything, so i had allot of extra C02 floating arround, i wanted to ensure that the PH remained as stable as possible, so id boost the KH a little. I think GH is supplied in the salt really effectively, but sometimes the KH would just lack a little.
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