Using distilled water for top-up?

[RAV-65]

hi all,

been cycling my small little 2 feet tank for the past 3 months and so far the no2 never really got down to zero, whenever i over feed a little, the no2 will rise and when i feed 2 cubes of frozen brine shrimps, the next day the no2 rises to almost 1mg/L.

Have been topping up water daily of about 1.5 litres and one day realise that my tapwater about 0.5 - 0.7mg/L of no2!!! hence i decided to use distilled water to top-up my tank....

After using distilled water for 2 days, the no2 reading is about 0.2mg/L, much better than before... however, i'm begginning to wonder if there are other side-effects to it? which i hopefully believe that there isn't as distilled water has no impurities... anyone got more info to share about this topping up with distilled water?

Also, have done a little market research and NTUC sells distilled drinking water at $0.85 per 1.5L. that works out to be about $25.50 / month.... I'm currently trying to source for these distilled water at wholesale prices, if it can be bought in bulk of about $0.40-$0.60 per 1.5L bottle, dat would bring the cost down to maybe less than $20/mth and i think dat's a pretty alright price to pay to keep the water conditions stable...

Anyone keen on purchasing it in bulk if let's say its proven to be a good idea? Will need the experts here to provide more insight into this matter....

Vincent Ho

[FuEl]

Which part of sg do you stay at? I'm using tap water and most reefers here do not experience any problems...except for the diatom blooms. But don't think got any problem with nitrites.

It's either you're overfeeding alot, or you have a faulty test kit. Check for nitrites in newly mixed seawater that uses distilled water. If it still registers a reading then your test kit must be faulty already.

[RAV-65]

Hmm.... i stay in Hougang, in fact i got a shock too and i posted a thread about 3 months ago regarding no2 in my tapwater and nobody replied.... anyway, i'm using Bioplast test kits and i tink they are okay... coz i'm into my 2nd set of testkit liao after the 1st set finished and i have been having such results since day 1!! maybe i shld get another testkit but i dun tink there's a problem with mine.... but i'll try that suggestion FuEL...

Vincent Ho

[RAV-65]

Btw, i get those nasty blooms too and mine are like deep purple in colour on my glass.... and my rocks too i tink....

Vincent Ho

[marcvelous]

Tap water does contain some NO2/NO3. For eg, the tap water I use contain about 5mg/l of NO3!

I remember reading a thread here before that some areas of SG, due to the pipes, some NO2/NO3 are present in the water supplied.

[RAV-65]

hmm.... wanna get some distilled water? kekekeke..... come to tink of it, i didn't measure on my tapwater for no3, i'm not surprised if it's going to be sky high..... guess i'm stuck with this plan for the time being....

Vincent Ho

[marcvelous]

Am using Sera test kit for NO3.

Even when people tell me Sera is in the pits, it tested "0" for NO3 using my distilled drinking water but showed some readings (from early cycling stage) to minimal (when water sorta stabilised later). So even when Sear not totally accurate, still somewhat working.

And... Sera tested NO3 in my tap water.

No way to buy cheap distilled water. Maybe buy from Chia Kim Lee!!! Hah hah hah. Else, buy from NTUC or distill your own using the canopy method with SG's hot sun!

[RAV-65]

Another observation:

After using distilled water, my prata bloomed!! before, it was flat for many days... can almost see the skeleton shape... Hmmmmm....

Vincent Ho

[RAV-65]

Hmmm... sounds like a good idea, can spare me some space in your house to spread my canopy? kekekkeke..... guess Sera isn;t dat bad after all.... i'm using Sera too!!! kekekeke....

Vincent Ho

[Matt06]

You might like to contact those Science Lab suppliers, they sell D-water in bulk. Search around using yellow pages.

[marcvelous]

Honestly, Chia Kim Lee quite cheao... Comes with coller/boiler unit and can conveniently drink too!!!

The science labs must sell in somewhat bulk quantity. Maybe if know someone (think remember got reefer here work in such labs and can get) then can get but for daily top-up quite siong

[RAV-65]

Thanxs Matt06,

good idea to find the science labs suppliers, but like Marcvelous mentioned the quantity may be pretty big, based on my calculation so far, i think still afforable to use distilled drinking water if the science lab can't provide anything....

Vincent Ho

[marcvelous]

I tried to buy some chemicals from one of these labs (in fact, I have some business dealings with some of them). I cannot seem to remember, but I think it was sodium nitrate I was trying to buy. The minimum order quantity (MOQ) is in the tens of barrels.

NOt very practical for daily top-up of a moderate sized tank. even if they do agree to sell in small quantities, the fuel and time spent on driving to get the distilled water might prove more than simply buying from NTUC.

Just my two cents

[RAV-65]

Alrite,

seems like its gonna be from the wholesaler.... i juz measured my no2 again.... almost zero.... and dats about 4 hours after feeding....

Vincent Ho

[fangtooth]

bro if you live near NTU, i can help you 'smuggle' some DI water out from my lab.

[tigershark]

i think the use of d-water would be better than tap water due to the silicate, phosphate, copper and other mics heavy metal content.... NO3 in very small quantity does'nt caused too much problem... as long as the NO3 maintain under 40ppm.... it should be very safe....

[yus75]

bro if you live near NTU, i can help you 'smuggle' some DI water out from my lab.

the lab RO/DI can use ah...?? wanted to try but scred lei....cause tot not for human consumption..hehee

[fangtooth]

tried before on goldfish/betta .... ok.

[yus75]

hmm.... k mayb shld give a try....

[[P]owder Blue]

I dun see any side-effects so far for using distilled water. I am currently using the brand "Life", also from NTUC.

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

Evaporation can be made up distilled , (RO) reverse osmosis or (DI) dionized water. Distilled water has no salts or nutirents , but does pick up atmopheric carbon dioxide during condensation....

[jc85]

Anyone tot of trace element in distill water?

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

Anyone tot of trace element in distill water?

thought of trace elements?.....meaning...

[jc85]

thought of trace elements?.....meaning...

Wat I mean is many people do not dose trace elements solution into their tank beside they replenish them by doing frequent water change. If the water change is done using Distilled water, will these trace elements be eliminate by the distillation process?

Apology if this is a dumb question. I'm quite an idiot to chemistry.

[aStRoBo|]

why dun juz get prime from seach*m.. more safe..costly if u keep buying bottled distilled water..