Am I Loco?

[bigbris1]

So after a ~3 year hiatus I decided at the prodding of my wife to get back into the hobby. Here's what I've done so far and why I ask if I'm loco:

I had a 26 bow front already that housed firebelly toads. Tore that down and added:

10 lbs live aragonite (in the bag)
10 lbs fine sand
Red Sea salt mix
20 lbs Kaelini rock form FT
10 lbs rock from another shop
in tank hydrometer
Biozyme

Rinsed the tank, added the sand, mixed the salt in TAP water (with conditioner for chlorine) and added to the tank after aquascaping.

Let it all sit in the tank with a pump rated at 70 gph for 2-3 days at 78 deg. Mind you, my tank is under my skylight which lets in direct sunlight.

Did a 100% wc and refilled with RO waste water mixed with IO salt mix & added some charcoal mix to clear things up.

Added:
1 small yellow tang
2 firefish
1 cleaner shrimp
3 red leg hermits
2 blue leg hermits
2 nassarius snails
2 turbo snails

Let that go with the stock light (what, like 14W) for a day or so, did a 30% wc and added:

1 coral beauty
1 purple firefish
16 coral frags

Meanwhile I don't even have testing supplies yet or a good pump (they come tomorrow) and my light should be here soon, etc. My thing is, for these past 3 years we have been drinking ro waste water and it tastes great. So why can't my fish & corals live with that? I bet they can.

Am I loco?

Some pics:

 

[Mattl22]

Yes

 

[bigbris1]

Why?

 

[Mattl22]

Ro waste water?
Or
Ro water ?

 

[KathyC]

You've added 5 fish and a CUC to an uncycled tank that you started with Waste water from an RO and you drink the waste water from the RO as well.

There is no reason why the waste water shouldn't taste ok...you simply are throwing out the healthiest portion of the water and drinking the concentrated garbage that is in there (have you looked inside of your RO cartridges lately because THAT is the quality of the water you are drinking).
I'd be calling my medical doctor if I drank some by mistake...

Perhaps your fish will make it through the cycle but the ammonia burns to their gills will likely cause them to have a shortened life span.

Sure you fish can live in the waste water from a ro, and you will have a very lush green tank full of algae. The folks with successful tanks on here use ro water to make sure they are providing the best environment for their fish & corals. There probably is a lesson there

 

[bigbris1]

Hey Kathy, nice to see (read) you again.

There was a thread here about 5 years or so ago that sold me on RO/DI filters but ever since then I'm questioning whether or not a healthy reef tank can exist using waste water in lieu of RO/DI water.

For instance: why can birds/animals drink water from puddles and still be OK? It's because they were designed that way. We can't drink the same water. Heck, we can't even drink water from Mexico

But the fish can. If fish can survive in the Hudson, I don't see why they can't with filtered water. Corals may be another story. But this is my project.

I will update you all as time goes on.

Thanks.

 

[bigbris1]

Ro waste water?
Or
Ro water ?

I have a 4 stage RO/DI filter left over from when I last reefed. Since then I added a faucet and used the RO/waste water as drinking/cooking water (the RO comes out too slowly). It's awesome.

When I decided to get back into the hobby I thought, why should my tank have better water than my family? So I started a tank using tap to cycle the rock. Then RO/waste water to fill the tank.

I think I will keep using it for water changes unless I see something going horribly wrong. But I think we all buy into the 'pristine' factor without really thinking things thru. I may be wrong.

 

[fishman1069]

If youn think you know what your doing, then why do you have fish in that tank that are going to get WAY to big for it. I think your an idiot for putting those helpless animals in that situation. Would you like me to put you in a 6x6 room with no bathroom and no windows for a couple of years? I dont think you'd be very happy

 

[KathyC]

Nice to see you too, welcome back

The fish is the Hudson aren't quite the same type of fish we are keeping in our tanks, so not too sure how that would relate. Our SW fish come from pristine waters, so using the waste water for them might not be such a good idea.
It is definitely a poor choice in regard to the algae issues you will have

Please tell me you have not been drinking roDI water - you should never drink DI water...

 

[prattreef]

I am thoroughly confused here. If you are drinking the RO waste water and using the RO waste water for your tank, what are you doing with the pure RO water you are making and why are you making it at all? In order to have RO waste water you need to be producing pure RO water too. What am I missing here?

Are you simply bypassing the RO filter and running tap water through the micron, carbon and DI chambers?

 

[bigbris1]

We've been drinking waste water. Pretty much the same as whatever bottled water is offered in NYC

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

My dog drank from a puddle the other day and is now very sick.

 

[Ryanr1212]

My dog drank from a puddle the other day and is now very sick.

sorry to hear. must have been something bad in that puddle, my dogs do that all the time

 

[fishman1069]

You still didnt say what you doin with the ro water your making to produce the waste water.

 

[Gwiz3005]

I'm with Randy here. I am totally confused why you would use the waste water.

It is good to have excitement about the hobby, but I think you know you are asking for trouble. At least it seems like the rock was cured.

 

[Arati]

Fish can live in crap water. you will just get way more algea and unwated growth in the tank. since your title is algea farmer it sould be just fine. Also the fish will be more likely to get infections.. or parasites or whatever.. but they are cheap fish anyways..

as for drinking ro waste water. I would suggest you drink less water, since the water is more contominated by volume, but if you just drink less of it.. then you would get less bad stuff.

so drink less water, buy more fish, find a way to sell or eat algea. :headache:

 

[strgazr27]

You asked the questions but than buck the answers? Why ask than?

For instance: why can birds/animals drink water from puddles and still be OK? It's because they were designed that way. We can't drink the same water. Heck, we can't even drink water from Mexico

I've seen dogs and cats eat from garbage cans and be fine yet we feed them special dog and cat food. There is a REASON for this. IT's HEALTHIER and BETTER for them.

RO waste water is higher in TDS than tap water so consuming large quantities of it could possibly lead to kidney stone issues etc when consumed over long periods of time or in large quantities. How about bacteria? Ever feel the slime on the inside of your canisters when you change the cartridges? That's bacteria. Becuase it hasn't made you sick yet doesn't mean it won't or can't

You seem fine drinking it so have at it.

But in all honesty if your not going to use an RO/DI unit for what it was designed for why bother?

IF the current occupants of the tank survive the torture test you have setup for them the ensuing algea bloom between the lights and and direct sunlight will likely have you tearing the tank down to clean it. Hopefully at that point you'll take the time, and advice given here to do it right.

Not trying to be an A** about it. But you REALLY need to step back and take a look at your methods? There is a REASON (Several really) that the nice tanks on here look the way they do and NOT ONE of them practices ANY of the methods you have chosen to use.

FWIW......

 

[Arati]

600 :givebeer:

 

[strgazr27]

If fish can survive in the Hudson, I don't see why they can't with filtered water. Corals may be another story. But this is my project.

I will update you all as time goes on.

Thanks.

Project or experiment at the expense of the fish?

Sure fish survive in the Hudson river but after you read this web page do you think they are as healthy as they COULD be in proper conditions? Would you eat them?

http://www.nyhealth.gov/environmental/outdoors/fish/fish.htm#river

Sometimes I just wonder ............

 

[rookie07]

You still didnt say what you doin with the ro water your making to produce the waste water.

+1


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