Learning all the time and really enjoying the experience and the results in my planted tank in my living room.
To be honest it is dawning on me that I am overly paranoid when it comes to water quality. This has been conditioned into me through years of keeping various delicate species including discus and seeing as I have all the kit as it were I don't see a reason to alter what has been successfull for me so far. But at the same time I am starting to realise that it is not strictly necessary either, and certainly not at all for the hardier bread and butter type of fish commonly found in LFS or the hard water loving species such as african cichilids or fish from brakish water.
The monitary value aside I am gutted if I lose a fish especially if its through my own fault and could have been avoided which to be honest has happened in the past and the feeling of guilt and the loss of a cherished pet affected me badly afterwards for quite a while, which is another reason for my paranoia and why nothing but the very best quality water is good enough for my fish now.
Being challenged when it comes to chemistry I do take solace in relying heavily on what I consider to be a 100% foolproof and safe method of using reminaralised RO water for my softwater loving fish, but from what Tom Barr said in the previously highlighted thread with regards to most of the 'nasties' being removed by the carbon element of the RO filter I am considering reconstituting using the water post carbon filter and saving a few quid on the remineralising salts. Still a bit nervous about doing it though even though I don't doubt the advise that I have been given.
My main point for concern is that if the carbon filter removes all the elements both good and bad indescriminatly that are in my tapwater, there would now be a defficiency of the good elements that have been removed that are required by both the fish and plants (as I understand it). Aswell as adding both KH and Gh to my Ro water my remineralising salts also reconstitute the water with the other elements that are required (so it says on the tin). I currently use 'Denerle ReMineral+' which according to the instruction pamphlet that you get with it contains, calcium ca2, magnesium, sodium, potassium, hydrogen carbonate, sulphate, chloride and trace elements of boron, flouride, iodine and others besides so effectivly 'cherry picking' the chemical makeup of the water utilised within the fishtank.
So it appears I have a choice of putting up with the very low levels of elements which I don't understand wether they are desirable or not and in what quantities they can become a problem, reconstituting with water devoid of all elements both good and bad or trusting a chemist to get it spot on.