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Distilled / Deionised Water

O'Neil

Member
Joined
16 Jan 2012
Messages
314
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
From what I've managed to find out so far distilling and deionising water are simply two different methods of achieving the same result.

My question is, do you think deionised water from halfords would be ok for me to mix my EI ferts?
 
From what I've managed to find out so far distilling and deionising water are simply two different methods of achieving the same result.

My question is, do you think deionised water from halfords would be ok for me to mix my EI ferts?

Ive got an RO. But I'm in richmond near scotch corner. You could have brought loads of 25ltr containers and filled them up!
 
Haha thanks mate but Scotch Corner is a fair drive from newcastle plus I'll have nowhere to put the stuff.

Was looking at the 5 litre bottle at halfords as that would last a while
 
Alastair your a freaking Genious!!!

If I can use that for my EI mix that saves alot of hassle, I must have been thinking about topping of an SW or something, lol.
 
My question is, do you think deionised water from halfords would be ok for me to mix my EI ferts?
Yes no problem, but the idea of EI is to keep it simple stupid (KISS) and low cost. Using boiled water, lowers the Ca and Mg content as well as removing any chlorine/chloramine from the water. Also dissolving the EI ferts in warm water is trivially easier than cold water.
 
Yes no problem, but the idea of EI is to keep it simple stupid (KISS) and low cost. Using boiled water, lowers the Ca and Mg content as well as removing any chlorine/chloramine from the water. Also dissolving the EI ferts in warm water is trivially easier than cold water.

Thanks Ian having a bit of a dumb moment. After reading Alastairs post there was much facepalming, I must have read it a million times on this forum in past.

"KISS" - are you ex military by any chance?
 
"KISS" - are you ex military by any chance?
Nope. Just work in designing and building computer hardware and software systems. In my line of work I meet far too many people who fail to step back and KISS !!!

Salesman "Yes, yes, yes...we should deploy a triple redundant server system running our really expensive version of Linux, with flashing light, will work really well"
Me. "What's wrong with piece of string and cardboard box ?"
Salesman "Well nothing really....except doesn't have a flashing light?"
 
Next dumb moment, you are going to ask what set of scales to buy to measure our your EI salts ?

(Hint to answer, tea spoons are much cheaper, I got 100 for £1 from a pound shop).
 
Next dumb moment, you are going to ask what set of scales to buy to measure our your EI salts ?

(Hint to answer, tea spoons are much cheaper, I got 100 for £1 from a pound shop).

Haha nah mate bought some rather sensitive scales a while back, they only cost a tenner too ;)
 
Hi all,
Using boiled water, lowers the Ca and Mg content as well as removing any chlorine/chloramine from the water. Also dissolving the EI ferts in warm water is trivially easier than cold water.
This does work, but you need to pour the water into a separate container as soon as the kettle has boiled, or the carbonates that have come out of solution (as "scale" as the water warms) will go back into solution as it cools.

How about rain water? cheap and naturally distilled.

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks for that Darrel, I'll just wait for it to click off then dump it into a cup or bowl.

Would living next to a factory factor into collecting rainwater or am I overthinking it?
 
Hi all,

This does work, but you need to pour the water into a separate container as soon as the kettle has boiled, or the carbonates that have come out of solution (as "scale" as the water warms) will go back into solution as it cools.

How about rain water? cheap and naturally distilled.

cheers Darrel

Do you run a carbon filter or anything before the rain water enters the water butts Darrel??
 
Hi all,
Do you run a carbon filter or anything before the rain water enters the water butts Darrel??
No, I just have some Daphnia in the water butts, when you come to use the water (for water changes) I just check that it has some swimming Daphnia in it <Environmental Inquiry - Bioassays Using Daphnia>.

Daphnia are actually quite sensitive to a whole range of pollutants (and presumably in a similar manner to other Crustaceans like shrimps) and are widely used in the water industry as "Canaries". <Daphnia bioassay - Google Scholar>

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,
Mainly pharmaceuticals but not sure if thats a good or bad thing.
I think it should be all right, but that is the beauty of the Daphnia, you can feed them to your fish and they do a job for you 24/7, 365 days a year.

Another thing I should have said that having some dead leaves, or other sources of humic compounds, is a good idea (particularly with shrimps as they both produce browsing surfaces, see Basil's post here: <What other novel fresh foods do you feed your shrimp? | UK Aquatic Plant Society>) because they add tannins and humic acids that can chelate and complex metal ions like zinc and copper <Humic substances | The Skeptical Aquarist> & <Chelation | The Skeptical Aquarist>.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,

No, I just have some Daphnia in the water butts, when you come to use the water (for water changes) I just check that it has some swimming Daphnia in it <Environmental Inquiry - Bioassays Using Daphnia>.

Daphnia are actually quite sensitive to a whole range of pollutants (and presumably in a similar manner to other Crustaceans like shrimps) and are widely used in the water industry as "Canaries". <Daphnia bioassay - Google Scholar>

cheers Darrel
This is off topic from the original post I know but if needed what could be used to help filter out nasties before rain water enters the barrel??
 
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