# RO drinking water and aquarium water



## adamt (Oct 21, 2006)

My RO unit will be here tomorrow and I was wondering if anybody else is using one RO unit for both drinking water and aquarium water.

I am worried about the pressurized tank filling up and shutting water off to my aquarium storage tank.

Should I be worried about this happening?


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## morphriz (Oct 24, 2005)

How is you RO set up?


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

I can't help you with your question but isn't drinking pure RO water not so good for you? or is that a myth?


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## morphriz (Oct 24, 2005)

That is mostly a myth or I should say a theoretical concern. The theory goes that the osmotic balance in the intestines will be affected and ions will move from the body into the intestines. Alot of people drink RO, destilled water and pure rain water. The latter would have the same effect as RO and destilled but to a lesser degree. 

I dont know what the "taste improver" filters used after RO add to the water but the do add something, lowering the osmotic inbalance. 
cheers
Mattias


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## wiste (Feb 10, 2006)

> That is mostly a myth or I should say a theoretical concern.


I think the concern about drinking ultra pure RO water is valid. The drinking water that is produced by the RO units for human consumption is not completely 'dead'. There is still some measurable but very low TDS. Some RO units produce water so pure that it has to have elements added for it to be fish safe and indicate the water is not for human consumption.

One look at the brown gunk on the prefilters of the RO unit I use for drinking water assures me that this seems to be a healthy alternative.


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## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

After looking it the issue I found that it mostly a myth. I say mostly because if you drink RO water in large quantites at a single sitting the study I found shows it can lead to gastric distress. If memory serves me well I believe the subjects drank upwards of a gallon within a 1 hour timeframe.


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## zeek (Jan 5, 2005)

I haven't done it yet, but have given it some thought.

My shutoff solenoid is located between the pre-filters and the membrane. I plan on tee-ing off after the pre-filters and before the solenoid, and running that line to the drinking tank. This would keep the tank under pressure, and I see little value in RO'ing my drinking supply. The carbon and sediment filters should provide all the filtration I need. Also keeps me from having to replace the membrane as often, as my family drinks alot of water.


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

I do. The RO unit was installed specifically for drinking water, but I use it to do water changes on my 20 gallon tank.

Cardinal tetras seemed to stop dying once I switched from tap to the RO drinking water. This is also the same water I used in my 10 gallon tank when I had it at home. The Boraras brigittae that I received through Priority mail colored up within 15 minutes of acclimating them to the water. Just for peace of mind though, every 4th water change I do, 1/4th of the new water is tap water to ensure I have some minerals in the tank. I'm not even sure if that's a valid reason to mix in some tap, buuuuut whatever =]


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## adamt (Oct 21, 2006)

Have you hooked up an external storage container to do your water changes or do you just use the sink facet and fill up a bucket?

I am curious about having two different shutoff applications on one system.

Does anybody have one system hooked up with two shut off valves?


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

wiste said:


> One look at the brown gunk on the prefilters of the RO unit I use for drinking water assures me that this seems to be a healthy alternative.


How does this follow?

Grind up a vitamin tablet and add water and you will get brown gunk. Grind up many healthy foods and you will get brown gunk. If the R/O filter brown gunk contains more toxic stuff than healthy stuff, then it's probably better for you. If the R/O filter brown gunk contains most of the flouride, then it's very likely not better for your teeth.

"Pure" RO DI water will leach minerals from copper and brass fittings/pipes eventually dissolving holes in them. So, if you drink pure water without an alternate source for minerals it will leach them from you. Unless you water is contaminated, I don't see a benefit in drinking R/O water. With the average diet being not very healthy, it could actually be harmful to the average person.

With aquariums we use RO and RO/RI water as a pure base and then add health promoting stuff to it to make it optimal for what's in the tank.

As people are also living creatures, it would make the most sense to do the same. Start with the pure water and than add back what's good for you.

Just because marketing from the vendors says it is good for doesn't make it so. I got really angry at a water softner company proclaiming the "health benefits" of softened water and then advertising with a picture of a baby drinking it! Sodium ion is not all that good for you. ****ing [email protected] deserved a lawsuit.


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## morphriz (Oct 24, 2005)

ruki said:


> "Pure" RO DI water will leach minerals from copper and brass fittings/pipes eventually dissolving holes in them. So, if you drink pure water without an alternate source for minerals it will leach them from you. Unless you water is contaminated, I don't see a benefit in drinking R/O water. With the average diet being not very healthy, it could actually be harmful to the average person.
> 
> With aquariums we use RO and RO/RI water as a pure base and then add health promoting stuff to it to make it optimal for what's in the tank.
> 
> As people are also living creatures, it would make the most sense to do the same. Start with the pure water and than add back what's good for you.


First most water today is contaminated. Trace levels of oestrogen and progesteron from birthcontrol pills, on the picomol/L scale, are considered central in the decline of sperm qualty in men. Trace levels of antibiotics in water contribute to development of multiresistant bacteria strains. These two examples haven't been proven by science but have a strong foundation.

Using correct equipment with post-filters that "add back what's good" and eating a healthy diet. Is a good way to improve onces chances in the eternal war with cancer and other similar diseases our bodies battle today. The marginal loss of some flouride and calcium can made up for. Most of what we eat is not absorbed by the body, that's another way to correct the balance.
//Mattias


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## adamt (Oct 21, 2006)

If I only new this thread would turn out this way.

I don't even know where to go now. This was a simple equipment thread and I think I got 2 good responses.

As much soda, alcohol, fastfood, etc. that I consume I really don't think drinking RO water can be that bad. Mostly I want to have the RO water at the sink so the bottle warmer, cooking pots and humidifier don't have that nasty lime or calcium deposit that gets left over from the evaporated water.

I considered installing the RO unit just for the fish tank, but I figured if I'm going to install one I might as well get one for home use as well.

After looking at the unit I think I will "Tee" the line right before the pressurized container and hope that the unit will fill both containers.

The moderator should delete this thread.


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

adamt said:


> If I only new this thread would turn out this way.
> 
> I don't even know where to go now. This was a simple equipment thread and I think I got 2 good responses.
> 
> ...


Nope! 

It was a good question, the answer it still out there about which id better for you. I feel mineral water is much better than pure H2O, infact they have found that people suffer less heart attacks (usually caused by magnesium deficieny) in areas where the tap water had high amounts of Mg.


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## adamt (Oct 21, 2006)

If anybody cares 
USGS - Estimation of Constituent Concentrations, Densities, Loads, and Yields in Lower Kansas River, Northeast Kansas, Using Regression Models and Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring, January 2000 Through December 2003

I live in Topeka Ks, this government report shows the water conditions of the river where we Topekans get our drinking water. Read it or not I don't really care.
It's disturbing to me. The kansas river is number 20 on the top 20 most endangered rivers in the united states. The kansas river is where Topeka gets it's drinking water. The treatment facilities may get a lot of that **** out but that is not good enough for me.

This thread isn't about whether or not I should get an RO drinking water system. I bought one, I'm going to install it, and I'm going to drink the water that comes from it. I don't care if it's good for me or not. I don't care if it's good for you or not. If you thinks it's bad for you then don't drink it.

What I really want to know is if anybody else is using one for both drinking water and aquarium water.

If you are- How did you hook it up?
If not- don't reply

I have talked to the "technical" support people from the company that I bought the unit from and their advice was to buy more pressurized containers from them. Yeah right

This thread is retarded and I think the moderators should have a little meeting and decide to delete it.


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## wiste (Feb 10, 2006)

> What I really want to know is if anybody else is using one for both drinking water and aquarium water.
> 
> If you are- How did you hook it up?


I have an RO unit that I use for drinking water and use this for makeup water in aquarium.
In my fish room there is a sink and the RO unit is mounted there.
It ended up there because it was the easiest place to mount it.
This is probably not the most ideal setup but it does provide an excuse to visit the room.
To add water to the aquarium there is hose adapter that routes the water.
To collect more water this can be routed to a collection container.
With this method you need to know how much water accumulates over a period of time as the built in collection container is small and there is no automatic shutoff feature.
I would like a better system but this is what I have for now.


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

adamt said:


> If I only new this thread would turn out this way.
> 
> I don't even know where to go now. This was a simple equipment thread and I think I got 2 good responses.
> 
> As much soda, alcohol, fastfood, etc. that I consume I really don't think drinking RO water can be that bad. Mostly I want to have the RO water at the sink so the bottle warmer, cooking pots and humidifier don't have that nasty lime or calcium deposit that gets left over from the evaporated water.


Don't take it personally. My goal was not to discourage you. I just can't help asking such questions. 

I asked it because what we feel about something without thinking more deeply about it can be misleading since that's how marketing folks take advantage of us.

You added that in alot of places our tap water is likely contaminated. So, it may make sense to drink R/O water, but perhaps it would be prudent to take a daily mineral tablet to add back the beneficial stuff.

Good luck with your RO unit.


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## adamt (Oct 21, 2006)

I'm just going to Tee off the line that goes up to the RO water facet that fits onto the sink.


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