Distilled Water and Coraline Algae Growth

[Razorbacks]

I had an unexpected experience this week I wanted to share. I've been running a nano for the last year with distilled water. I've never seen a single spot of coraline algae in that time despite having plenty of opportunities to introduce it from frags, etc. I've never used anything but distilled water. This past week I finally bought a home RODI unit and did a small 10% water change.

It's only been 5 days since that small water change and I'm now seeing coraline popping up in multiple areas of the tank. While I am only a sample size of one I assure you I've done nothing else different in those 5 days. My interpretation is that something coraline requires to grow must be able to get through a home RODI unit but not commercial distillation and whatever that is also isn't present in my salt mix (regular instant ocean) or is present in only miniscule amounts.

I've also noticed at the exact same time that the skimmate in my collection cup is a lot darker this week. It has always skimmed almost clear water with just a hint of color but this week is noticably darker. Again, can't think of a reason why moving from distilled to just 10% RODI water would change that but maybe it's unrelated.

Curious if anyone else has made this switch and seen similar things. I know due to the cost it's not very common for someone to run distilled water for this long and on an exclusive basis. So I'm mainly sharing my observation just in case anyone else experiences this in the future.

 

[Reefahholic]

Will likely be a trace metal that got through or nutrient related. Could be both.

I’ve always found coralline to be extremely interesting and till this day nobody can pinpoint exactly what makes it explode. We know a lot of things that help it, but it’s typically different in every system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

it seems unlikely to me that there is anything useful in the ro/di at 0 ppm tds at levels higher than the salt mix itself.

I think it is most likely that if it is coralline you are seeing, it is coincidental with the switch over.

 

[The_Paradox]

Correlation is independent of causation.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Correlation is independent of causation.

I already stole that from you.

 

[Dan_P]

I had an unexpected experience this week I wanted to share. I've been running a nano for the last year with distilled water. I've never seen a single spot of coraline algae in that time despite having plenty of opportunities to introduce it from frags, etc. I've never used anything but distilled water. This past week I finally bought a home RODI unit and did a small 10% water change.

It's only been 5 days since that small water change and I'm now seeing coraline popping up in multiple areas of the tank. While I am only a sample size of one I assure you I've done nothing else different in those 5 days. My interpretation is that something coraline requires to grow must be able to get through a home RODI unit but not commercial distillation and whatever that is also isn't present in my salt mix (regular instant ocean) or is present in only miniscule amounts.

I've also noticed at the exact same time that the skimmate in my collection cup is a lot darker this week. It has always skimmed almost clear water with just a hint of color but this week is noticably darker. Again, can't think of a reason why moving from distilled to just 10% RODI water would change that but maybe it's unrelated.

Curious if anyone else has made this switch and seen similar things. I know due to the cost it's not very common for someone to run distilled water for this long and on an exclusive basis. So I'm mainly sharing my observation just in case anyone else experiences this in the future.

Coralline doesn’t seem to grow quickly. I think the coralline was there already. On the human nature side of explanations, I think your anxiety level increased with the water switch, making you look more closely for signs of trouble or change and you noticed the coralline.

 

[FrugalReefer]

All I’ve ever used for my current nano is distilled water and coralline’s always been growing fine

 

[Freenow54]

I had an unexpected experience this week I wanted to share. I've been running a nano for the last year with distilled water. I've never seen a single spot of coraline algae in that time despite having plenty of opportunities to introduce it from frags, etc. I've never used anything but distilled water. This past week I finally bought a home RODI unit and did a small 10% water change.

It's only been 5 days since that small water change and I'm now seeing coraline popping up in multiple areas of the tank. While I am only a sample size of one I assure you I've done nothing else different in those 5 days. My interpretation is that something coraline requires to grow must be able to get through a home RODI unit but not commercial distillation and whatever that is also isn't present in my salt mix (regular instant ocean) or is present in only miniscule amounts.

I've also noticed at the exact same time that the skimmate in my collection cup is a lot darker this week. It has always skimmed almost clear water with just a hint of color but this week is noticably darker. Again, can't think of a reason why moving from distilled to just 10% RODI water would change that but maybe it's unrelated.

Curious if anyone else has made this switch and seen similar things. I know due to the cost it's not very common for someone to run distilled water for this long and on an exclusive basis. So I'm mainly sharing my observation just in case anyone else experiences this in the future.

Have been using Rodi with DI filter since new. my tank is now 2 plus years old. No coral, just 2 fish. Just a couple of months ago witnessed Coraline growth. Dont have any idea what the distallization process would do to your water could only assume it removes all hardness , but what else? So no explanation. I actually am only going on what I have heard that Coraline is beneficial. I have no idea why. Anyone that can tell me is welcome to comment

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Dont have any idea what the distallization process would do to your water could only assume it removes all hardness , but what else?

It is well understood what distilling removes from tap water. Aside from impurities attained from the distiller metal and plastic itself, all ions should be removed. Certain contaminating organics (such as halomethanes) may carry over to some extent, but none of those are needed or wanted.

 

[Freenow54]

It is well understood what distilling removes from tap water. Aside from impurities attained from the distiller metal and plastic itself, all ions should be removed. Certain contaminating organics (such as halomethanes) may carry over to some extent, but none of those are needed or wanted.

Thank you what about beneficial minerals?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you what about beneficial minerals?

A distiller removes all minerals, which are present as the ions I mentioned. A good RO/DI will also remove them.

 

[Razorbacks]

Wow this was a much larger response than. I expected. As I said I'm a sample size of one. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything just sharing what I observed in my own tank in case another else observes something similar in the future. It's a small 20 gallon that I spend a lot of time staring at. The coraline growth was not there before. One of the spots of growth is front and center on a frag plug and would have been impossible to miss before given how much I look at that frag daily. I am not making scientific claims. I am calling out an interesting correlation for thought not stating causation.

Also, to be clear I did not expect nor was I looking for "improvements" from the switch. If anything I was worried it might cause a negative result if my filters didn't work properly.

For those interested the below was some supporting information for my hypothesis:

I was listening to an episode of Reef Bum recently where Dong Zou (who is highly respected) stated emphatically that fluoride often is not removed by a residential RODI system. He said that's why it's less common to dose it in the U.S. compared to other countries that don't already put it in the water. The top google result to try and verify that statement showed a study agreeing that some RODI remove it but others don't.

This was a bit of a bombshell to me as it implied that zero TDS didn't equate to absolutely nothing but water making it through (whether that's due to the meter being inaccurate or incapable of detecting certain things).

Now Dong could be dead wrong on that and I trust Randy will advise, but those statements were the reason for my thought that something (not necessarily fluoride) COULD remain in water after RODI processing and if anything remains then it's not unrealistic to speculate they could impact the tank in some manner or another.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was listening to an episode of Reef Bum recently where Dong Zou (who is highly respected) stated emphatically that fluoride often is not removed by a residential RODI system. He said that's why it's less common to dose it in the U.S. compared to other countries that don't already put it in the water. The top google result to try and verify that statement showed a study agreeing that some RODI remove it but others don't.

I'd just comment that there's no evidence that coralline uses or needs fluoride, and I don't agree that our typical RO/DI don't remove it. The RO will remove quite a bit (85-98%, depending on the type of membrane), and the DI will knock any fluoride remaining way, way down.

As an aside 0 ppm TDS just means less than about 0.5 ppm (rounding down) of conductive ions, so there can easily be a few hundred ppb of ions present (chloride, sodium, magnesium, calcium, etc.), but fluoride starts as a low fraction of the total ions present in tap water, and will remain a low fraction of the ions remaining after an RO/DI.

Things do remain. Phosphate and silicate, for example, often remain at low levels after an RO/DI, as will most other ions if you look hard enough, including fluoride.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I had an unexpected experience this week I wanted to share. I've been running a nano for the last year with distilled water. I've never seen a single spot of coraline algae in that time despite having plenty of opportunities to introduce it from frags, etc. I've never used anything but distilled water. This past week I finally bought a home RODI unit and did a small 10% water change.

It's only been 5 days since that small water change and I'm now seeing coraline popping up in multiple areas of the tank. While I am only a sample size of one I assure you I've done nothing else different in those 5 days. My interpretation is that something coraline requires to grow must be able to get through a home RODI unit but not commercial distillation and whatever that is also isn't present in my salt mix (regular instant ocean) or is present in only miniscule amounts.

I've also noticed at the exact same time that the skimmate in my collection cup is a lot darker this week. It has always skimmed almost clear water with just a hint of color but this week is noticably darker. Again, can't think of a reason why moving from distilled to just 10% RODI water would change that but maybe it's unrelated.

Curious if anyone else has made this switch and seen similar things. I know due to the cost it's not very common for someone to run distilled water for this long and on an exclusive basis. So I'm mainly sharing my observation just in case anyone else experiences this in the future.

Ive seen lower Ph in distilled water which may contribute, but is hearsay.

 

[Razorbacks]

I'd just comment that there's no evidence that coralline uses or needs fluoride

Fair, and I'm not claiming it does. It's just one of many things reefers speculate on and some are dosing despite no proof of benefit. I'm not planning or advocating for dosing anything though. People have been keeping successful reefs a long time just doing the basics and that's my approach. I'm switching from distilled to RODI for convenience and to save money.