|
|
Post by bluetech on Aug 5, 2024 15:00:45 GMT -5
I'm thinking about getting one, my water is like pure alkaline, the bell peppers I'm growing now red/yellow have zero sweetness to them, I read this can be due to water not being acidic enough. I also keep a couple of aquariums and have to pretreat all the water before it goes in so this RO system is making more and more sense. So I'm wondering does anyone use this and can you use the water straight out of the RO system or does it need something added to it as well? I read RO filters much of the good things out of water as well as the bad.
|
|
|
|
Post by LoveSalads on Aug 5, 2024 15:47:49 GMT -5
That is all I use for all my AG's and my bucket hydro(Big Tomato plant). Much easier to clean up after a grow and a good neutral base to start with. I have well water which is great tasting but hard as a rock. RO has worked great for several applications including drinking water. I have an under the sink model with a spigot on the sink. I bought mine with a pressure pump because of being on a well with low pressure like 20-30 pounds. It makes more than I can use in a day about 2-3 gallons at a shot. Then it refills its little tank in less than a hour and I am ready to go again. You don't have to wait till it's full again is just a faster fill that way. I installed it myself as it is pretty straight forward if you can make enough room. There are many models to choose from and Ispring has awesome customer service. www.ispring-water-systems.com/I just re-read your post and I also have a few fish tanks. Being on a well I do not need to pre-treat my fish tank water. I used RO water when I did saltwater aquariums or very sensitive fish like Discus but, I use very limited RO with the tanks so I can get fish from anywhere and not have to be concerned with the water parameters. |
|
|
|
Post by scarfguy on Aug 5, 2024 16:20:52 GMT -5
Yes! I use RO water for all of my AGs. My tap water is over 9.
I make 8 gallons of RO water every other day for R&R and topping off.
The quality of my plants improved considerably with the change to RO water.
After filtering, the RO water still has a pH of over 9.
I have to normalize it to 6.0 pH before I can use it. I add "pH down" in the appropriate amount.
Adding the right amount of acid to get to 6.0 is surprisingly difficult. My RO water is so pure that only a very very small amount of acid is required to change the pH. I first used an eye dropper but discovered that one drop was way too variable. I ended up buying a set of micro pipettes usually used for lab work.
The pH of my tap water changes somewhat. It's gone higher lately. I suspect because of the increase in bacteria in the summer.
At this time, to change the pH from 9.0 to 6.0, I only need 145 microlitres.
I also add 3 ml of hydrogen peroxide to each gallon. That is enough to prevent any algae growth.
YES, in addition to removing impurities and chlorine from the tap water, you are also removing the good stuff, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc. all stuff your plants need. SO... I frequently add Cal-Mag and occasionally suppliment with epsom salts (for magnesium), liquid iron, and a dry powdered calcium suppliment (RAW)
Here's the links to all of the materials I referenced above. These are the products I am using.
(Hope you find this post useful.)
=====
RO filter
pH tester
pH UP and DOWN
Micro pipette
Hydrogen Peroxide
RAW dry chemical suppliments
Iron suppliment
|
|
|
|
Post by bluetech on Aug 5, 2024 16:36:16 GMT -5
Wow I thought RO lowered PH to about 6.0 on its own. my tap is currently about 7.8 - 8.0
|
|
|
|
Post by swimmom500 on Aug 5, 2024 16:55:38 GMT -5
I have this one by iSpring. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LJ8EXU/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1I am on city water and my ph is around 6 with it. I also have a whole house water filtration system by Aqua Pro. Our untreated water has a lot of Chlorine which is why I ended up with the whole house system as well. I have been very happy with both of them. I usually use the RO water in my Aerogardens but have used the regular water when I am in a hurry. That little spigot takes a lot longer to fill the Aerogarden water bowl as compared to just using the kitchen faucet. |
|
|
|
Post by scarfguy on Aug 5, 2024 17:00:05 GMT -5
Wow I thought RO lowered PH to about 6.0 on its own. my tap is currently about 7.8 - 8.0
From a google search: ===
Filtering your water can have a significant impact on its pH level. For example, a reverse osmosis system removes dissolved minerals, which can make the water more acidic. On the other hand, an activated carbon filter can remove chlorine and other chemicals, which can increase the pH level. ===
I was surprised also to find my pH after filtration was still very high. I use a 3 step filter. One of which is a carbon filter SO that is probably contributing to the rise in pH. You can use a 4 step or 5 step process which may include some pH buffering.
|
|
|
|
Post by bluetech on Aug 5, 2024 17:59:25 GMT -5
Can you get different types of filters or are the 3 always the same, just a standard thing?
|
|
|
|
Post by LoveSalads on Aug 5, 2024 18:09:04 GMT -5
They have RO filters for basically whatever you need. The Ispring has customer support to help you buy the correct model. Some RO units have 6 or 7 different stages to get the result you need. www.ispring-water-systems.com/ |
|
|
|
Post by swimmom500 on Aug 6, 2024 6:53:51 GMT -5
My ispring is 6 stages. They all go in a particular space and are different sizes so I am not sure you could just put different ones in the 3 spaces you have. I would contact the manufacturer and check to be sure but looking at mine the filters are all assigned a space based on size.
|
|
|
|
Post by bluetech on Aug 7, 2024 15:29:51 GMT -5
I have this one by iSpring. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LJ8EXU/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1I am on city water and my ph is around 6 with it. I also have a whole house water filtration system by Aqua Pro. Our untreated water has a lot of Chlorine which is why I ended up with the whole house system as well. I have been very happy with both of them. I usually use the RO water in my Aerogardens but have used the regular water when I am in a hurry. That little spigot takes a lot longer to fill the Aerogarden water bowl as compared to just using the kitchen faucet. What was your PH prior to using the RO system, just the plain tap water? |
|
|
|
Post by bluetech on Aug 9, 2024 18:25:40 GMT -5
Back with another question lol. Did the RO system jack up anyone's sewage/water bill at all? I'm looking at a 5 gallon system with a 1:3 ratio. So all in all 20 gallons per full run, 15 of which goes to waste.
|
|
|
|
Post by scarfguy on Aug 9, 2024 19:14:53 GMT -5
Back with another question lol. Did the RO system jack up anyone's sewage/water bill at all? I'm looking at a 5 gallon system with a 1:3 ratio. So all in all 20 gallons per full run, 15 of which goes to waste.
If I remember correctly, it was a noticeable increase but not very significant.
|
|
