Is aerating your RO water a necessity?

[maylee]

I buy my RO water from the store so sometimes I have the water in the container for weeks at a time. To those of you who store your RO for long periods, do you aerate your water with an air stone every once in a while, all the time, or not at all? Is this even necessary for shrimp?

 

What I've started doing after mixing in the remineralizer is sticking in an airstone for an hour or so before use. I don't know if that's adequate. I've read some sites say to do it over night.

 

 

[Shrimple minded]

I sometimes store my RO (straight or remineralized) in 5 gallon containers, capped.  The first time I did a water change (5 of 40 gallons) the majority of my shrimp all went to the top of the water column.........I suffered no losses, but it was notably very strange.  

 

Since then, I've done as you suggest, aerating the water with an airstone for 4-24 hours prior to tank addition.  The shrimp now take the water changes just fine, without going to the surface in search of oxygenated water.  

 

I've done both, aeration of my larger RO holding container, as well as just individually aerating the 5 gallons of prepped water prior to the change, no difference noted.

[JamesHe]

In short, no.

 

nearly nothing in RO water, except CO2, but no harm.

[JamesHe]

I sometimes store my RO (straight or remineralized) in 5 gallon containers, capped.  The first time I did a water change (5 of 40 gallons) the majority of my shrimp all went to the top of the water column.........I suffered no losses, but it was notably very strange.  

 

Since then, I've done as you suggest, aerating the water with an airstone for 4-24 hours prior to tank addition.  The shrimp now take the water changes just fine, without going to the surface in search of oxygenated water.  

 

I've done both, aeration of my larger RO holding container, as well as just individually aerating the 5 gallons of prepped water prior to the change, no difference noted.

 

I always dipping the water change overnight, never saw shrimp dancing with straight RO water (adjusted to proper GH range).

[maylee]

I sometimes store my RO (straight or remineralized) in 5 gallon containers, capped.  The first time I did a water change (5 of 40 gallons) the majority of my shrimp all went to the top of the water column.........I suffered no losses, but it was notably very strange.  

 

Since then, I've done as you suggest, aerating the water with an airstone for 4-24 hours prior to tank addition.  The shrimp now take the water changes just fine, without going to the surface in search of oxygenated water.  

 

I've done both, aeration of my larger RO holding container, as well as just individually aerating the 5 gallons of prepped water prior to the change, no difference noted.

 

Thank you for your input

 

In short, no.

 

nearly nothing in RO water, except CO2, but no harm.

 

But isn't the point of aerating water is to oxygenate it and not remove something from it?

[JamesHe]

Thank you for your input

 

 

But isn't the point of aerating water is to oxygenate it and not remove something from it?

 

I said I was dripping new water into it. so can save the time to oxidize it.

[Jadenlea]

So now I am confused.  If I have a jug of RO water that has been sitting in a closed jug for 6 weeks... Can I pour it into my tank or not?   Do I need to do something to it first?

[RyeGuy411]

There is some confusion going on here. Aerating RO is done for a few different reasons. One after mixing your RO and remineralizer aerating serves to mix the solution thoroughly  and allows the trapped CO2 to escape making your new water mixture the proper pH. Aerating stored RO in a large storage reservoir is for a different purpose. When you make large quantities of RO water and store them in a holding tank or garbage can the water can get stagnant and turn bad. Aerating keeps the water fresh. If you filter your own RO into small sealed, clean storage containers the water does not need to be aerated to keep it from going bad.

[revolutionhope]

It's most probably unnecessary to aerate the water as james is saying AS LONG as you're dripping your water in very slowly and not actually pouring it in.

i have a habit of aerating my change water for at least a few hours before adding it anyway but ii guess its not needed given i drip my water in over a period of hours.

jadenlea are you just topping up the tank with RO water or remineralising it?

i do know shrimpy daddy and some others advocate dropping change water directly into the tank without any slow dripping process - as long as temp and all WP match what's in the tank. if you did that then definitely it would be a smart move to aerate your water.

one last thing im no chemist at all i may stand corrected but i think pH will drift as well so if you're NOT dripping then theres another reason to aerate the change water.

hope ivd been helpful and not added to uncertainty lol

love n peace

will

edit-just saw ryeguys post. he's covered most of what i said and more in a much clearer way :-D

[revolutionhope]

ryeguy won't nasties leech out of a garbage can into any water you store in it?

[RyeGuy411]

ryeguy won't nasties leech out of a garbage can into any water you store in it?

 

I know many people use RubberMaid Brute garbage cans with no issues. I cant say for certain that every type is totally safe. I personally use Aquatainer 7g potable water storage jugs.

[revolutionhope]

I know many people use RubberMaid Brute garbage cans with no issues. I cant say for certain that every type is totally safe. I personally use Aquatainer 7g potable water storage jugs.

i gotcha now. i use drinking water storage bottles to keep my RO as well. in Australia a can is something made of metal.

btw i wonder how do u clean your containers? mine have quite narrow necks, also i haven't decided what is the best cleaning agent to use either.

what do u use?

[wot_fan]

btw i wonder how do u clean your containers? mine have quite narrow necks, also i haven't decided what is the best cleaning agent to use either.

what do u use?

Shrimpy Daddy recommended that I use 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to clean my WC buckets. Since it breaks down into water and oxygen it shouldn't be a problem if you can't get it all out of your container after cleaning.

[maylee]

There is some confusion going on here. Aerating RO is done for a few different reasons. One after mixing your RO and remineralizer aerating serves to mix the solution thoroughly  and allows the trapped CO2 to escape making your new water mixture the proper pH. Aerating stored RO in a large storage reservoir is for a different purpose. When you make large quantities of RO water and store them in a holding tank or garbage can the water can get stagnant and turn bad. Aerating keeps the water fresh. If you filter your own RO into small sealed, clean storage containers the water does not need to be aerated to keep it from going bad.

 

Thank you very much for clarifying!

[Jadenlea]

For water changes I usually add remin to the gallon jug and shake it up.  For top offs I just poor in enough to top off.  Ive never aerated it. Now Im worried I did something wrong.       I also never dripped water back after water changes, just poured in the jugs.    

[JamesHe]

For water changes I usually add remin to the gallon jug and shake it up.  For top offs I just poor in enough to top off.  Ive never aerated it. Now Im worried I did something wrong.       I also never dripped water back after water changes, just poured in the jugs.    

 

Pouring the new water would stress the shrimp.

 

Do you see them dancing after water change?

 

That's the good indicator if you rush the process or not.

[nicpapa]

Ι dont aerate the water of ro ...

I have a 80liter barrel and fill it every week.

At water change i use a pump to fill the tanks.

One of my friend collect rain water in big barrels and leave them at summer for 3-4 months.

[Jadenlea]

Before I moved  I had a couple tanks of neos and before I knew any better, I did water changes with tap water with my python straight out of the faucet and directly into the tank with a capful of prime. The water gushed out at full speed.  LOL    The rilis and malawa thrived.  I had always had large fish tanks before the shrimp so I just did water changes the same as I did them with the fish.    Of course now I have bee shrimp and would NEVER do such a thing  but maybe there is something to overthinking things.  Now I try to do everything with painstaking precisness and have a tank o death.