Using RO/DI waste water for curing DIY rock

saltwater guy

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Not sure if this is the right place for my question but,here goes.Can you use RO/DI waste water to cure DIY rock.You know,the process to cure the high pH levels of newly made DIY rock before you can put it in your tank.It seemed like an ok use without just running all that water down the drain.Yea or ney? I would be changing out the water as needed.Are there any problems with the water chemistry I haven't thought of?
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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Not sure if this is the right place for my question but,here goes.Can you use RO/DI waste water to cure DIY rock.You know,the process to cure the high pH levels of newly made DIY rock before you can put it in your tank.It seemed like an ok use without just running all that water down the drain.Yea or ney? I would be changing out the water as needed.Are there any problems with the water chemistry I haven't thought of?
Should be fine.
 

The_Paradox

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Get ahold of a city water report or better yet have the waste or tap water tested. Where I live this would be fine. In Flint Michigan not so much. All that being said, the national average for a thousand gallons in like 3 dollars. Over the entire life of your filter media you will waste less than a combo meals worth of water.
 

coralnutz

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I probably wouldn't do that. Seems like the waste water is literally the waste we don't want in our tanks. I'd be worried about the rocks soaking up that bad stuff and then leaching it back out later on. But I'm neither a chemist or geologist, so really have no idea. Best of luck with your reef adventure.
 

Rijodan

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I mean if youre super dedicated to not "wasting" water sure.

While it should be fine as long as your city doesnt have trash tap (like the_paradox's example) rocks are somewhat absorbant to nutirents and such. You can read on here where old rocks leech out phosphates or nitrates so I imagine it could happen to other non wanted things too if soaked in concentrated trash water for an extended period of time. The likely hood of this is low, but an extreme.

Also whatever is in the waste eater could prevent or hinder growth of bacteria.

All in all personally I wouldnt, as it adds variables you cant really control. At end of the day reefkeeping is maintaining variables and while chances of it messing with anything is near-zero it is non-zero. Use rodi or distilled if you cant eait for your unit to produce enough.
 

Rijodan

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I probably wouldn't do that. Seems like the waste water is literally the waste we don't want in our tanks. I'd be worried about the rocks soaking up that bad stuff and then leaching it back out later on. But I'm neither a chemist or geologist, so really have no idea. Best of luck with your reef adventure.
Whoops didnt see this take, more or less what my post says
 

Garf

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Not sure if this is the right place for my question but,here goes.Can you use RO/DI waste water to cure DIY rock.You know,the process to cure the high pH levels of newly made DIY rock before you can put it in your tank.It seemed like an ok use without just running all that water down the drain.Yea or ney? I would be changing out the water as needed.Are there any problems with the water chemistry I haven't thought of?
Copper and phosphate will probably bind to the rocks. I went RODI when I cemented mine together.
 

Spare time

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I probably wouldn't do that. Seems like the waste water is literally the waste we don't want in our tanks. I'd be worried about the rocks soaking up that bad stuff and then leaching it back out later on. But I'm neither a chemist or geologist, so really have no idea. Best of luck with your reef adventure.

Waste water is just water that went through the sediment and carbon blocks
 

BZOFIQ

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Phosphates in the waste water will be absorbed into the live rock.

I'd say with certainty you don't want that.
 
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saltwater guy

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Phosphates in the waste water will be absorbed into the live rock.

I'd say with certainty you don't want that.
I just put the cache of phosguard in my curing tank.Hoping I'll have that covered.I'll test the rock before it goes in my main tank.
 

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