raeh1 Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Question what best for less Can I use a water filter, or a water distiller for my top up water. As i'm having regular algae build up on my rocks. And it looks gross... Cheers guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 A distiller would be about the most expensive way you could find to make pure water for topoff. Uses HEAPS of electricity. Cheapest per liter is R/O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 How long your tank been going now raeh1? It's normal to have algae out breaks for 9 months or more after a tank has been setup. Theres not to much you can do about this, do you have any tangs and/or blennies in there. I have two tangs and a bi-color blenny (and lots of snails) between them they keep most of my algae under control (accept for the tuffs of that damn hair algae) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted September 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 About nine months now. But it seems to crazy if I top up from the tap. I don't think Brian from hamilton has the same problem though. I notice the more natural seawater changes I do the less it grows. (infact it starts dieing off). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 ive actually got a bit of hair algae at the moment do to a higher bioload never had it before with the hamiltron tap water, i think it comes down to feeding and stocking levels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Yeah mine has been going for about 9 months to, and as I said I have a small problem with hair algae. I didn't think I was going to have to go through the cycle as all the rock/sand came from either my last tank or out of Steves 'curing' tank. It's been nowhere near as bad as my first tank but I guess every rock is going to have different flow/light etc so stuff on it is going to die off and other stuff need to grow. Do you use phos-stop or similar? It doesn't cost to much and might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Oh and by the way I use rain water with kalk for my top off. I was collecting to for my discus and still have the gutter running into a barrel. I don't know if this is any better or worse than tap water and will one day proberly get round to buying a RO/DI filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Is it safe to use distilled water to topoff? I have a distiller, and have to add drops of trace minerals to the distilled water to prevent it from leaching minerals from your body when you drink it. Have read that distilled water will leach minerals from tank / inhabitants if used to top up. ATM i just use aged tap water to top up, and have a small hair algae prob.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 your replacing distilled (evaporated) water with distilled water so i cant see any negatives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 see thats why I am not a scientist =P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Nope distilled wate would be the ultimate, its just expensive. Not sure where you have heard it can leech stuff from the tank but its complete noncence. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Read it on some american site, just someones opinion though. I was just going from the fact that you need to replace the trace elements in dist. water if you drink it. Brianemone got it in one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Most distillers have aluminium coils??? I think?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Whoever told you distilled water will leach minerals from your body is an idiot. True, it'll get mixed with stuff and then get peed out, but then that's all waste anyway. And if you're so close to a mineral deficiency that you need to worry about it you should be taking a multivitamin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkey Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 I use distilled water for my top up. From an all glass lab unit at work (Worth $1500)I looked at buying one but carrying containers looks like a good option at that price. It does an excellent job. But have read of problems with other types using metal coils "that would be a big mistake". Also do 5% water change every 3 days with NSW this works best for me but every tank is different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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