"Recipe" for RO/DI water

DocBob · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

I am interested in a DIY recipe for my RO/DI water. I found an old post on
this topic and would just like a little additional info and verification.

Paraphrasing a post my Roger Miller from 1999 entitled "Reconstituting RO":
(hopefully the tabs will stay intact)

Here's a recipe for 50 gallons of RO/DI water:
Chemical Dose Measurement
Epsom's salt 6.5 quarter teaspoons
Calcium Carbonate 11 600 mg tablets
Baking Soda 8 quarter teaspoons
Potassium Chloride 3 quarter teaspoons

Questions: Is this still considered a good freshwater "recipe"?
Are these good quantities for Amazon fish or should the recipe be altered
for these soft acidic species?
What is a good source of the Potassium Chloride?

Thanks in advance,
Bob

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>tech

Buzzard Face · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

"Roger Sleet" wrote in message@xxx.demon.co.uk...
> In article ,
> rafmail@earthlink.net (DocBob) wrote:
>
> > I am interested in a DIY recipe for my RO/DI water. I found an old post
> > on
> > this topic and would just like a little additional info and
> > verification.
> >
> > Paraphrasing a post my Roger Miller from 1999 entitled "Reconstituting
> > RO":
> > (hopefully the tabs will stay intact)
> >
> > Here's a recipe for 50 gallons of RO/DI water:
> > Chemical Dose Measurement
> > Epsom's salt 6.5 quarter teaspoons
> > Calcium Carbonate 11 600 mg tablets
> > Baking Soda 8 quarter teaspoons
> > Potassium Chloride 3 quarter teaspoons
> >
> > Questions: Is this still considered a good freshwater "recipe"?
> > Are these good quantities for Amazon fish or should the recipe be
> > altered
> > for these soft acidic species?
> > What is a good source of the Potassium Chloride?
>
> Fairly poor recipe I'd say - 8 quarter teaspoons indeed -
> should be 2 teaspoons. Smile

>
> That will give you fairly soft water suitable for Amazonian fish. If you
> wanted it for Rift Cichlids you would need to increase that by several
> times.
>
> Potassium Chloride is sold as a salt replacement for those people who have
> been told to cut down on Sodium in their diet. Some of these are a
> mixture of Sodium and potassium chlorides.
>
> Roger Sleet
> Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

Potassium Chloride is also what is used in water softeners as a Sodium
Alternative. Costs around $8 for a 40 lb bag. A good brand is Morton's
(yes the salt company). Check out your local Sears, they carry it.

Buzz

Roger Sleet · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 39

In article ,
rafmail@earthlink.net (DocBob) wrote:

> I am interested in a DIY recipe for my RO/DI water. I found an old post
> on
> this topic and would just like a little additional info and
> verification.
>
> Paraphrasing a post my Roger Miller from 1999 entitled "Reconstituting
> RO":
> (hopefully the tabs will stay intact)
>
> Here's a recipe for 50 gallons of RO/DI water:
> Chemical Dose Measurement
> Epsom's salt 6.5 quarter teaspoons
> Calcium Carbonate 11 600 mg tablets
> Baking Soda 8 quarter teaspoons
> Potassium Chloride 3 quarter teaspoons
>
> Questions: Is this still considered a good freshwater "recipe"?
> Are these good quantities for Amazon fish or should the recipe be
> altered
> for these soft acidic species?
> What is a good source of the Potassium Chloride?

Fairly poor recipe I'd say - 8 quarter teaspoons indeed -
should be 2 teaspoons. Smile

That will give you fairly soft water suitable for Amazonian fish. If you
wanted it for Rift Cichlids you would need to increase that by several
times.

Potassium Chloride is sold as a salt replacement for those people who have
been told to cut down on Sodium in their diet. Some of these are a
mixture of Sodium and potassium chlorides.

Roger Sleet
Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

DocBob · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

"Roger Sleet" wrote in message
>
> Fairly poor recipe I'd say - 8 quarter teaspoons indeed -
> should be 2 teaspoons. Smile

>
Roger, Thanks for the input...and I agree, I found the units to be a little
strange, but I guess it makes for easy conversions to different quantities.
How critical are these measures? I realize fish (especially riverine
species) see considerable variations in their environments depending on the
rainy season vs. the dry season.
Can these quantities be rounded off for a "per ten gallon" recipe to make
them a little more user friendly?
i.e.: 1 teaspoon Epsom salt, 2 -600mg Calcium Carbonate tabs, 1&1/2
teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon Potassium Chloride (per ten gallon RO/DI
water).
Would this be OK? Should I round them differently? Or as I would assume,
these small variations are of little consequence.
Thanks again,
Bob

DocBob · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

> Potassium Chloride is also what is used in water softeners as a Sodium
> Alternative. Costs around $8 for a 40 lb bag. A good brand is Morton's
> (yes the salt company). Check out your local Sears, they carry it.
>
>
> Buzz
>

Thanks Buzz, good info...I didn't know that was the same.

Roger Sleet · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 39

In article ,
rafmail@earthlink.net (DocBob) wrote:

>
> "Roger Sleet" wrote in message
> >
> > Fairly poor recipe I'd say - 8 quarter teaspoons indeed
> > -
> > should be 2 teaspoons. Smile

> >
> Roger, Thanks for the input...and I agree, I found the units to be a
> little
> strange, but I guess it makes for easy conversions to different
> quantities.
> How critical are these measures? I realize fish (especially riverine
> species) see considerable variations in their environments depending on
> the
> rainy season vs. the dry season.
> Can these quantities be rounded off for a "per ten gallon" recipe to
> make
> them a little more user friendly?
> i.e.: 1 teaspoon Epsom salt, 2 -600mg Calcium Carbonate tabs, 1&1/2
> teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon Potassium Chloride (per ten gallon
> RO/DI
> water).
> Would this be OK? Should I round them differently? Or as I would assume,
> these small variations are of little consequence.

They are not that critical, but I think I'd make up a 50 or 100 gallon
batch of everything except the Calcium Carbonate. That is going to come
out at roughly 175ml of powder for 100gal, (assuming US tsp is the same
size as a UK tsp), so 1.75ml of powder per gallon of water + the CaCO3 -
or 1/3 tsp/gal. You can work out the CaCO3 separately.

Roger Sleet
Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

DocBob · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

Thanks for the input.
OK, I had the baking soda in the cupboard, and the Epsom salt is ubiquitous
in the stores so that was no problem either. Both pure with no additives.
Now the problem. I couldn't locate the potassium chloride water softener
salt. I did find a few KCl table salt substitutes...but they aren't pure.
The "purest" brand I could find included the following ingredients: Fumaric
acid, Tricalcium phosphate, and Monocalcium phosphate.
And regarding the CaCo3, I was able find the 600mg tabs, but again, not
pure. They include Cholecalciferol (Vit D), Croscarmellose, Cellulose
coating, and Vegetable Magnesium Sterate. Again, this was the "purest" brand
I could find.
My eyes are still watering reading all that fine print on all those
bottles!!!
Are these ingredients OK, or should I keep looking for a more pure source?
Thanks,
Bob

DocBob · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

> > "Roger Sleet" wrote in message
> > >
> They are not that critical, but I think I'd make up a 50 or 100 gallon
> batch of everything except the Calcium Carbonate. That is going to come
> out at roughly 175ml of powder for 100gal, (assuming US tsp is the same
> size as a UK tsp), so 1.75ml of powder per gallon of water + the CaCO3 -
> or 1/3 tsp/gal. You can work out the CaCO3 separately.
>
> Roger Sleet
> Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

Thanks again Roger,

A teaspoon in the US is 5ml. is that the same as in the UK?
What effect will this recipe have on the dKH & dGH? Will it raise each by
about 1 degree? More or less?

And I actually plan to make much more than ten gallons worth at a
time...seeing how I have a 180 gallon tank that wouldn't go very far!!!
Smile

Bob