Can you solely do water changes and have a reef with Nutri Seawater?

[Pazzoman]

Hey Everyone, recently my cousin sold his tank to his brother in law and where trying to steer him the right direction. Im somewhat like a "renegade" simply because I don't do the traditional water changes every 2 weeks and he use of only RO/DI water. However i do have a 150 gallon tank, no corals, have lots of filtration media (moving bed filter), over size skimmer and filter socks as well as very high turnover rate. My cousin who has a reef tank and I were kind of budding heads but not in a bad way lol. He suggested he purchase an RO/DI unit and make the water, however I originally told him do fish only with live rocks, test your dedication with a more easier set up first. He has a 65 gallon tank...however after budding heads to try to make his water changes more simple. We than figured since his tank is half the size of both of ours maybe he can get away with just doing 2 jugs of nutri seawater as a water change every 2 weeks. Doesn't have to worry about the cost/mainetance of the unit as well as deal with water wastes. I think its a good idea, heck I would even consider it however I have a 150 so I would need 30 gallons every 2 weeks at least...

Opinions?

Long story short...nutri seawater used for water changes yea! or no!

 

[lnevo]

Go for it. Pretty pricey though. I'd weight the break even point in paying for salt and a ro unit versus driving back and forth getting jugs of nutri seawater and then decide.

 

[noelskii]

How much is a NS jug? $15 each? $60 a month to do WC? I personally don't think it's worth it.

 

[Pazzoman]

Dam its really $15 a jug, I heard its pretty salty probably reg water can be added but than it would have some tap guess I will have to look up the cheapest nutria water first lol

 

[noelskii]

Pay me $50 every two weeks and I'll bring 10 gallons of SW and do the WC for you...:scratch:

 

[ecvernon]

It may still have to be diluted because the salinity can run high. As high as 1.028. Always check before you put in tank

 

[STHILL]

Have used that then switched to petco brand That is all I used on my 38 nuvo this is what it looked like before I started to break it apart
Tap water for top off
And either nutra sea water or petco brand for water changes..1 box change on the 1st and 15th of every month..

 

[lnevo]

Good point on top off...at the end of the day a RO/DI is well worth it.

 

[Aquageek]

Personally I don't have the space for garbage pals etc to mix saltwater and it would cause world war 3 in my household......so the only way I am able to keep a tank is to buy premixed....I've used Petco water in the past....had issues with the ph being too low on occasion....I have used nutriseawater exclusive,y for 2 years. I like it..add purchased r/o water to counteract the sometimes higher spec Grav

 

[Kworker]

RO/DI units pay for themselves when you factor in cost of buying water and the nuisance behind it. So no.

 

[evolution21]

To answer your original question, yes you can.....ive seen it 1st hand and the guy had a beautiful tank coral and all.....just a lot more work

 

[clasystems]

I dont see why not for small tanks. You obviously dont wanna top off with the stuff so account for that. Small tank salinity can swing drastically if not careful. I mean Im changing about 300-400gal a month, that would cost me a small fortune to run my tanks.

 

[Koyfam16]

I buy premixed water for my 5gallon nano. $15 but lasts me about 2-3 months as I only do a small water change every week.
I haven't tried nutri seawater yet. I buy one from Carib sea that I've only found at aquarium village. It works for me. I also buy 5 gallon rodi from them which lasts me about 1-2 months.

So it really depends on you size of tank and your budget.

 

[oh207]

I'd say go for it but it will not be the most economical solution, nor the one that makes sense if the tank is fish-only.
2 jugs every 2 weeks might be a bit on the high end. 2 jugs is 9 gallons, lets say your total water volume is about 55g (due to live rocks, sand, etc). That means that 2 jugs is about 16% water change every 2 weeks. I think you can be fine with 20% water change a month and be fine in a reef tank, but it all depends on what type of fish, feeding habits, if he has corals, filtration in place, etc.
This covers the water change part.

The other issue is the RODI part. My 65g uses about 6g of RODI per week in the summer, and 8g during winter months. Whats the plan to accommodate for TopOff water?

 

[Kworker]

Whats the average cost of RO/DI? $.75?? $.50 cheapest?

5 Gallons a week @ $.50 is $130 annually
5 Gallons a week @ $.75 is $195 annually

In one year the filter pays for itself and you don't have to worry about running out to the store. This is not factoring in cost of getting to the store (plus spontaneous purchases there).

One box (200gal) of IO salt will last you approximately 40 weeks @ 5 gallons a week. IO can be had for $30-$50 bucks a box.

The convenience alone makes it worth it. My take on it, the numbers speak for it even for smaller tanks. Most people want to upgrade eventually either way.. so to me it is not a matter of "if" but "when" you are going to want a unit.

 

[Weicowireman]

It's so easy to hook up under your sink if your concerned about space. I only make water when I need it. I use a small reservoir in the shower that I fill up and use for top off then I use a 44 gallon brute when I do a water change. Both go in the closet when not in use. The RO is plumbed under the sink and the waste water drains into a dishwasher tailpiece for the kitchen sink. Super easy.

 

[1329eheim]

Unless you're prepared to test PO4, NO3, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and TDS of each container of nutri sea water, IMO it would be foolish not to go with RO/DI filter and IO salt.

 

[mk4fan]

Before I got an rodi unit, i used spring water from Waldbaums and IO salt.

 

[BKLYNREEF123]

I think you could probably make it work, but I think in the long run you will spend much more money on pre mixed water and buying RO water as opposed to purchasing your own unit. If you plan on staying in the hobby I would get an RODI unit. If you are just experimenting with a salt water tank, then I could see using pre mixed water. In the long haul you are going to spend way more money, and have to carry lots of water around. Remember anything in this hobby that is more difficult to do is inevitably done less. Not to mention things go wrong and large water changes sometimes have to be done. This will be costly and require moving more jugs.