Possibly stupid question on RODI and LFS-made-saltwater

[easily_fishstracted]

I will be starting a reef tank soon, using a nano-size unit with 28g of total volume and 20g in the display. I live in the center of a big city, but also just across the street (a few steps) from my closest LFS.

I am not really in a position to judge the overall quality of this LFS but they have been thus far helpful in some early Q&A, and e.g. quarantine all their livestock themselves (they say at least). I would think they would be a first-stop for livestock and equipment/testing/etc. in a pinch, although their prices are pretty high for equipment.

Anyways they also sell saltwater at EUR .30 cents/liter. This seems kind of expensive, but on the other hand, I live in a relatively small apartment, albeit with a large-ish backyard. I am assuming having a water station in the backyard in winter is not a great idea, so to save space I am thinking about just getting water from them.

My question is: would other people do this, and are there risks long-term (i.e. what happens if I decide to get a RODI unit later on and mix my own saltwater - can this shock the system?). I was also thinking of using a doser 2.1 to do AWC.

Thanks.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

The premixed saltwater selling from LFS vary by each shop, some bought the water from some company then resell, some mix with their own salt then sell, careful with LFS premix their own saltwater because often their water quality only good got fish only tank, so would be good idea you mix your own water at home. Also, don't ever trust any LFS that said they quarantine their live stock before sell, they are just lied. There is a thread here someone trusted LFS quarantine their fishes and result he/she pretty much killed/infested all his live stock in the DT.

 

[mfinn]

The premixed saltwater selling from LFS vary by each shop, some bought the water from some company then resell, some mix with their own salt then sell, careful with LFS premix their own saltwater because often their water quality only good got fish only tank, so would be good idea you mix your own water at home. Also, don't ever trust any LFS that said they quarantine their live stock before sell, they are just lied. There is a thread here someone trusted LFS quarantine their fishes and result he/she pretty much killed/infested all his live stock in the DT.

I agree with one of your points. The water does vary shop by shop.
But to say the a lfs lies about if they actually quarantines their fish is not a accurate statement on all fish stores. I know of 2 fish stores in my area that actually does use a quarantine system.
Whether a lfs quarantines their fish or not, it's always a good idea to quarantine anything that you put in your own tank.

 

[mfinn]

I will be starting a reef tank soon, using a nano-size unit with 28g of total volume and 20g in the display. I live in the center of a big city, but also just across the street (a few steps) from my closest LFS.

I am not really in a position to judge the overall quality of this LFS but they have been thus far helpful in some early Q&A, and e.g. quarantine all their livestock themselves (they say at least). I would think they would be a first-stop for livestock and equipment/testing/etc. in a pinch, although their prices are pretty high for equipment.

Anyways they also sell saltwater at EUR .30 cents/liter. This seems kind of expensive, but on the other hand, I live in a relatively small apartment, albeit with a large-ish backyard. I am assuming having a water station in the backyard in winter is not a great idea, so to save space I am thinking about just getting water from them.

My question is: would other people do this, and are there risks long-term (i.e. what happens if I decide to get a RODI unit later on and mix my own saltwater - can this shock the system?). I was also thinking of using a doser 2.1 to do AWC.

Thanks.

As far as the cost, you have to decide if the cost will be in your budget every week or every other week to buy premixed saltwater.
The initial cost to buy your own rodi unit seems kind of high, but you have to figure it's a long term investment.
I know many people how store their rodi units in a closet and bring them out and use them at a kitchen sink only when they need water.

There would be no risk buying premade saltwater and then switching to your own.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I agree with one of your points. The water does vary shop by shop.
But to say the a lfs lies about if they actually quarantines their fish is not a accurate statement on all fish stores. I know of 2 fish stores in my area that actually does use a quarantine system.
Whether a lfs quarantines their fish or not, it's always a good idea to quarantine anything that you put in your own tank.

Do you aware that if they have a quarantine system then pretty much they CAN NOT sell any new live stocks for 2 months. I doubt any shops spend their money and hold for 2 months before selling their stocks, plus risk losing money if fishes die during the quarantine time. In past 40+ years in this hobby I've not seen any LFS hold their fishes in their so called QT for more than a week....

 

[Jlentz]

For a nano I’d just buy water at the LFS. Assuming it’s a good Lfs and they are reefers.

I bought Lfs water for a really long time for my 90 gal. When I setup the 2nd 90 I built my own water station.

 

[easily_fishstracted]

Thanks for all these responses - this is one of the most useful forums I've ever encountered I have to say.

To clarify a bit: the LFS is a relatively small operation, with an off-site receiving and quarantine area for new fish, where the lady said they keep the fish at least two weeks before bringing to the shop tanks (not two months, which I understand is what fish really need). She did say it isn't a full quarantine, but that they try at least to maintain health as much as possible since they actually don't seem to move lots of fish, but are more in the custom tank system business. They have a range of tanks obviously, including a very large one which contain lots of coral in addition to some fish, but others of course are fish-only.

In any event, I was thinking I could get away without quarantining the first fish I put in this aquarium, but instead was planning to have the first couple fish as the first tank inhabitants after live rock and cuc, and wait a couple months before adding any corals. This seems like it would be lower-stress if I got the fish there and just used water from the same tank as my own starter water since it's just across the street. I would then set up a QT for new additions (am not planning to have more than 3 or 4 fish in this tank). Or is corals first a better route?

To manage 20% water changes every 2 weeks with their water would cost 156/year on this system, so doesn't really seem like that much of a difference over the near-term to a good RODI unit+container+salt+powerhead+electricity+hoses+time (especially when the upfront capital expenditures on this hobby have turned out to be about 10x what i expected)...

 

[esolo16]

When I first started out, I got all my fresh water from my LFS and mixed my own salt with it. Fast forward a few months and multiple algae problems later, I bought a $10 TDS meter and discovered my LFS had water with a TDS of around 200. If you're considering getting water from your LFS, I would at least buy a TDS meter and test the fresh water from them.

 

[Fudsey]

I agree with @esolo16 - Get some fresh water from them 1st and test the TDS on it. If it's anything besides 0 TDS I wouldn't get salt water from them

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

When I first started out, I got all my fresh water from my LFS and mixed my own salt with it. Fast forward a few months and multiple algae problems later, I bought a $10 TDS meter and discovered my LFS had water with a TDS of around 200. If you're considering getting water from your LFS, I would at least buy a TDS meter and test the fresh water from them.

Yep, I had same issue with LFS water.
After I mixed my own saltwater with my own RO water or Distilled Water I bought from local Supermaket, my common algae is fading away!

 

[mfinn]

Do you aware that if they have a quarantine system then pretty much they CAN NOT sell any new live stocks for 2 months. I doubt any shops spend their money and hold for 2 months before selling their stocks, plus risk losing money if fishes die during the quarantine time. In past 40+ years in this hobby I've not seen any LFS hold their fishes in their so called QT for more than a week....

well you haven't seen all of them.

 

[BakedLano92]

I started up a 10 gallon nano. Bought rodi from the store and would mix my own salt. Recently remembered I had reward points from work I could cash in for a Amazon gift card. Bought a ro buddie from Amazon 50gpd for 50 bucks plus a tds meter. Came out just shy of 70 dollars or so.

LFS was 2.50$ per 5 gallons. Wasn't too bad. Lasted one week maybe have to go twice a week. But what was killer to my wallet was once I successfully kept this coral and that fish. I quickly started blowing money on fish and coral. The cost started to rack up. Not to mention I measured the tds of the lfs came out between 2 and 3. Mine was coming out at 0. Their hose I noticed last time I picked up water was also caked in algae. Long story short. Going into the store to spend 2.50$ leave the store spending 60+ so ultimately on saving money by not having to go in there.

Don't get me wrong they are good people. Have a good selection of coral. But if I can avoid going in and see coral and not being able to resist buying it. I'll take setting up the rodi. So will my girlfriend and so will my wallet.

 

[esolo16]

For your question about fish, I've always added fish before coral. Fish poop = coral food. I have never quarantined my fish, which is definitely not recommended. But, my current tank only has aquacultured fish, which I believe does mitigate some risk (some, not all).

 

[K. Steven]

A lot of stores are lazy about changing RODI filters and allow their TDS to climb higher than they should. For such a small tank, I'd try making friends with locals and seeing if you could pay them for water. The quality is likely to be much better and less expensive than store water. However, a RODI unit will definitely pay for itself in the long run, especially considering time and effort to haul water from a store or someone's house. Don't let being in an apartment stop you from getting one. I'm also in a small apartment and I plumbed my unit under my kitchen sink without any permanent holes in my plumbing.

 

[Daltrey]

What are you planning on lugging the water in from the lfs? You don't have to have a big station. An ro/di unit can fit under your sink and you can make two 5 gallon batches of saltwater at a time using cheap 5 gallon buckets. That would be a 20% waterchange for an aquarium that size.

I use an aquafx barracuda but get whatever is in your budget. It will come out alot cheaper in the longe run to just make your own.

https://www.amazon.com/AquaFX-Barracuda-Aquarium-Filter-GPD/dp/B0043FYJ8M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510971164&sr=8-3&keywords=Rodi+unit&th=1

 

[sailWickedFast]

Just for the sake of convenience and cost-effectiveness I went ahead and bought an RO/DI unit for two 2.6g pico tanks. I figure with water changes, etc. it would be a good idea and a good investment. I fillled them in a couple of hours and it is relatively painless. I just throw it in the sink (small leaks in elbow joints I still have to tighten) with a garden hose coupler and let her rip.