Distilled Water Issues??

[rmor22]

My 75 tank has been set up since 1987 and a couple of years ago I started adding live rock (a few pieces at a time). After one piece, a huge hair algae outbreak occurred. I battled this for over a year. I added a refugium, new bulbs (6700k to 10k), and I switched to Walmart distilled water. (I know I could save money with RO/DI but I am paying for convenience.) The hair algae has all but disappeared but now I have other issues. Since the switch from tap water to distilled, I have to add a lot more buffer ,alk increaser, & calcium to keep my levels. I also am now having trouble reaching above 350 calcium levels. I am using (and always have used SeaChem products; Reef Complete, Reef Builder, & Marine Buffer. Anybody using this water and have similar problems? I am assuming my tap water had higher levels because I did not need any buffer at all except from water changes (20% every 3 months, IO salt). I have had to quadruple (or more) the calcium and still cannot reach the levels I had before the switch. Any ideas? All animals seem fine except for a 2nd caulapera crash. I have the original CC 1/2" to 1" bed that is full of bristle worms and pods. I have about 70 lbs of rock. Some pieces of old coral (from the fish only days) have been in since 1987 are covered in Coralline Algae. The Coralline is covering everything. Animals include, 5 fish (all over 4 years in my tank), leather, mushrooms, ricordea, star and sun polyps, gorgonian, xenia, CB shrimp, 15 year old green serpent starfish, and all kinds of worms, dusters, & small inverts. I know I go against what some of you say concerning CC and a trickle filter but I do not have any Nitrate issues and it has been working since 1987. (Hard for me to change). Is this just the nature of not using tap water? Thanks in advance!

75 gal, original 20 gal trickle filter, skimmer, 10 gal dsb refugium.
2 - 55watt 10k pc'c, 2 - 55watt actinic pc's, 1 - 40watt triton.
Salinity 1.021 ( I have always kept it this low)
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate < 5 (dropped from 40 after adding refugium)
ph 8.1 (having trouble raising any higher)
calcium 325
alk 5

 

[LA-Lawman]

have you tested for magnesium.... if you are lacking magnesium you cannot keep your buffer levels up which in turn doesn't allow you to keep you Ca levels either.


hth

 

[rmor22]

I have not , but the Reef Complete I have been adding contains Magnesium and Strontium for this very reason.

 

[monkeyboy]

Be carefull with distilled, there is a high potential for lots of copper and/or other heavy metal ions to be floating around in it. I've seen the trace amounts of copper in distilled water turn into big headaches for a few peoples inverts... (insert obnoxious RO/DI chant here)

 

[rmor22]

Do you think I would be better off puchasing the drinking water (right next to the distilled)? It has this listed on the label, Carbon filtered, reverse osmosis, UV, Ozonation, & microfiltration. It is easier for me store and manage the gallon jugs. I have no place to mount a RODI unit and then transport the 12 gallons to my tank for a water change. With this, I put my rubbermade at the bottom of my tank, add the salt and water, let sit for 24 hours, and then pump into tank. (Put jugs in recycle bin.)

 

[4angel]

Hi Rmor, I had been using distilled for approx. 3yrs. Thank goodness no problems. I did have low levels of Cal. for a while and had initial trouble increasing my Alk. levels as well. I then started dosing with the two part EVS. I would say that for the most part this has worked. I also add Kent liquid calcium,(calcium chloride) which has boosted the Cal. Levels. I don’t pretend to be an expert in this area however; I would keep an eye on the feeding of the tank. Excess organics would contribute to hair outbreak and the addition of live cured or uncured rock could also be a contributor. I recently bought a tap water purifier from Aquarium pharmaceuticals for removing PO4 and other toxic stuff from my tank. Having a 40 gal. and doing 3 gal. water changes weekly. In my case works $$ out.
_________________
Mercedes CLR

 

[Anonymous]

RO/DI units don't have to he permenantly mounted. They make a spigot attachment. I haven't used one, but a buddy of mine does.

I think you would be so much better off with your own RO unit. Lugging water around is a real PITA. I hooked my RO up and plumbed it into a 33G rubbermade with a float switch. This sit in my laundry room. The rubbermade is on wheels. It is great to always have this much pure water on hand.

Louey