Aquarium Water Purification

For long term success in setting up a saltwater aquarium, it is recommended that you use an aquarium water purification unit when mixing your salt mix or when topping off your tank water that has evaporated.

Many beginners make the mistake of using regular tap water in their aquariums. What they do not realize is that tap water contains many impurities that combine to create a recipe for disaster. Tap water can cause your tank water parameters to become out of balance, causing improper PH levels, and excessive algae growth. The best way to be sure your tap water is free from harmful elements is to use a water purification system. The most common in the aquarium industry is a reverse osmosis (R.O.) system.

Reverse Osmosis

A Reverse Osmosis unit creates purified water by forcing pressurized tap water through a series of chambers that each eliminates certain impurities, effectively removing up to 99% of those water impurities. The first chamber is a sediment filter that removes large particles. The second chamber is a carbon cartridge that removes the chlorine, other chemicals, and odors. The last chamber is your RO membrane that will remove 90 percent of the impurities that are left over. Also a lot of water purification systems today include a fourth chamber that consists of a Deionization (DI) resin cartridge that removes everything else that passes by the RO cartridges. The water that is produced is now ultra purified.
What size is best for me?

A reverse osmosis unit is typically sized by the membrane itself. RO membranes are available in different sizes that will produce various amounts of water a day. The most common being the 35 gallon per day size. So once you determine how much water you would need to purify each day, for topping off evaporation, or mixing batches of salt. This would be the size that you need.

To ensure optimum performance

It must be noted that to run a RO unit properly the water pressure within the chambers cannot fall below 80 PSI. If it does the unit will not filter properly allowing impurities to pass by the cartridges. Most units today will include a pressure gauge with it, but if yours does not have one, you can easily attach a gauge separately. To confirm that your unit is producing purified water it is a good idea to purchase a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) monitor. These are inexpensive and will measure the impurities of the final water product telling you when to change the cartridges. The reading on your monitor should be at zero at all times. If it starts to climb then it is time to change your DI cartridge.

It is a good idea to always have extra cartridges available. Depending on your water supply going in to the RO unit, your cartridge life will vary and you might have to change them more often than the last time.

By investing in a quality reverse osmosis unit, you'll save yourself the headaches of unstable water conditions and hours of extra maintenance, while providing your aquarium's inhabitants with the most optimal water conditions possible.