RO help!!!

[150EH]

I finished my RO setup today and buy tomorrow morning I should have about 45 gallons of clean water for my tank but I want to use some raw well water to add back some on the lost trace elements. What I need is help from someone that can test a sample of my water so I'll know exactly what I have and then I'll be able to get it close enough with out dumping a half pound of gH booster into the tank every week. I'm hoping I'll find a member with the equipment I'll need to get a reading on gH & kH because I don't have any testing gear that I trust.

[DonkeyFish]

You can always try a local store... at least they used to do that. Back when there were local stores. Oh heck. Nevermind.

Seriously though, might be worth a shot. I'd think also that a marine-focused shop may even be able to help, I know there's a few of those scattered around still...

[Aaron]

The cheap API kits are reliable enough. I think the KH / GH one runs about $10 in most stores.

[150EH]

It's been so long that I couldn't remember but if API kits work that amy be a good solution because I have a fee of $50 stuck in my mind for HOT to test a water sample, so a good test kit may be the answer and I don't think I need anything more than gH & kH?

[Aaron]

No, that should be all you need.

[150EH]

I went up to HOT today and picked up Seachem's Equilibrium and 2 tablespoons set my gH at 3 dgH (50 gallons of water) and I got the API gH/kH test kit, so that was very easy. Now is it baking soda I'll want to add some kH???

[Aaron]

I went up to HOT today and picked up Seachem's Equilibrium and 2 tablespoons set my gH at 3 dgH (50 gallons of water) and I got the API gH/kH test kit, so that was very easy. Now is it baking soda I'll want to add some kH???

Unless you are keeping African chichlids you don't need any KH at all.

[150EH]

Really??? I would like to have a little and I pciked up a box of baking soda today but I was looking for calcium carbonate and couldn't find and for a good price without a ton of other ingredients, but I'll keep looking and would like to have 3 - 4 dkH if possible.

[takadi]

Add some handfuls of crushed coral, increases the kh without all the sodium. I think seachem has a alkaline buffer that isn't phosphate based

[150EH]

I don't mind a little sodium, does baking soda have a high sodium content? I only used 4 teaspoons in 50 gallons of water ans the kH was 107 ppm/6 dkH so it was high than I wanted and next time I will only add 3, and I think I will try the alkaline buffer. I was in a rush to get it up and running and didn't have time to get anything shipped but now I can use what I have until backup arrives. The system worked really nice and filled the tank at a speed similar to my faucet.