Ro/Di water and T's

Geoff Armentrout

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
29
So I have an Ro/Di unit I used for reef tanks and use for humidifiers, plants, etc,. Now I know this water is bad for human consumption but I was wondering about T's? I thinking the same applies to them, to some extent anyway, but want to know if anyone actually has knowledge of this?

I revitalized a gallon of it using unprocessed Himalayan pink sea salt and wouldn't you know my brand new TDS meter failed to work, unreadable LED display. Waiting on new one from a trusted marine supply store before using the water. I have awful Tap water chlorine, chloramine, etc,. and don't really want to let my T's consume that kind of crap. Plus Ro/Di water helps deter mold, etc,. due to the lacking minerals and so forth.

Anyone?
Geoff
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Dec 8, 2006
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http://arachnoboards.com/threads/distilled-water-vs-undistilled.31161/

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/drinking-water-for-tarantulas.152512/

More comprehensive search for AB below, click on the link and replace with RO or other search term. As you'll see, google indexes all of AB, have it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dis...AhWJLmMKHTV0CYYQrQIIKigEMAA&biw=2560&bih=1279

I do the same as Apho below. The funniest thing is the same discussion goes in the dart frog forums. You'd think by NOW there would be a consensus, and there isn't.
 
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AphonopelmaTX

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1,816
I have always wondered if mineral deficiencies would occur in terrestrial arthropods as a result of using highly purified water in captive husbandry. On one hand, spiders (tarantulas included) have an efficient excretory system where very little water is wasted which would mean minerals would more likely stay inside the spider if collected by the purified water. Yet on the other hand, feeder insects such as crickets and roaches may not provide all minerals that would be required for optimum health which would be provided by the water they drink.

Due to my lack of conclusion on the matter, I use a basic water filter attached to my faucet instead of a highly purified water like distilled water. That way I know that my tarantulas and more importantly myself are not consuming pollutants and other chemicals that maybe toxic over time.
 

Ceymann

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 3, 2016
Messages
185
Reef aquarium and RO/DI unit owner here as well, I have a "T" fitting and a valve between the membrane and DI cartridges for drinking water. RODI is very "aggressive" as it is trying to reconstitute it's self. The W.H.O has advised against its consumption. RO seems like it would be ideal. Bottled water should be fine too, but be wary of some spring water brands, some utilize bacteriacides to ensure safety, not sure if that could harm Ts or not.
 

Geoff Armentrout

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
29
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/distilled-water-vs-undistilled.31161/

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/drinking-water-for-tarantulas.152512/

More comprehensive search for AB below, click on the link and replace with RO or other search term. As you'll see, google indexes all of AB, have it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dis...AhWJLmMKHTV0CYYQrQIIKigEMAA&biw=2560&bih=1279

I do the same as Apho below. The funniest thing is the same discussion goes in the dart frog forums. You'd think by NOW there would be a consensus, and there isn't.
Thank you for the links! Got some reading to do.

I have always wondered if mineral deficiencies would occur in terrestrial arthropods as a result of using highly purified water in captive husbandry. On one hand, spiders (tarantulas included) have an efficient excretory system where very little water is wasted which would mean minerals would more likely stay inside the spider if collected by the purified water. Yet on the other hand, feeder insects such as crickets and roaches may not provide all minerals that would be required for optimum health which would be provided by the water they drink.

Due to my lack of conclusion on the matter, I use a basic water filter attached to my faucet instead of a highly purified water like distilled water. That way I know that my tarantulas and more importantly myself are not consuming pollutants and other chemicals that maybe toxic over time.
If my curiosity was higher than my love of T's I would run a few experiments but I would never want to put my T's health at risk. After you mentioning your faucet filter I realized I never tested the water from my fridge with it's filter.

Reef aquarium and RO/DI unit owner here as well, I have a "T" fitting and a valve between the membrane and DI cartridges for drinking water. RODI is very "aggressive" as it is trying to reconstitute it's self. The W.H.O has advised against its consumption. RO seems like it would be ideal. Bottled water should be fine too, but be wary of some spring water brands, some utilize bacteriacides to ensure safety, not sure if that could harm Ts or not.
Awesome I'll have to hook my system up like that. Yeah I also looked into a few bottled water brands and it's scary stuff lol. Also looked into mineral drops and found out some have arsenic in them.....

Thanks everyone,
Geoff
 

rally

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
56
If I had chlorinated tap water, I'd opt for filtered too. My Ts (and other creepy crawlers) get well water. Straight from the fissures of the earth! Mmmm mm!
 

Geoff Armentrout

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
29
If I had chlorinated tap water, I'd opt for filtered too. My Ts (and other creepy crawlers) get well water. Straight from the fissures of the earth! Mmmm mm!
Yeah I have added minerals back to the water via unprocessed Himalayan pink sea salt. Got my working TDS meter today first read had 764 ppm. Dumped half a gallon, topped off with fresh rodi last reading at 472. Dumped about half again and topped off waiting for it to rest after being shakin' about for a couple seconds before my next test. I am a little concerned with the saltiness of the water at 472ppm it was still rather eww. Yeah I had a few sips if I'm not willing to drink the revitalized water why in the world would I give to my T's! If it still tastes to salty I'll keep air processing the filtered water from my fridge until I have the rodi unit hooked up like my RODI brotha from anotha motha Ceymann lol. Also I've had bad experiences with well water. My Brother had to have something done to his because of bad bacteria that had entered the water source.

Geoff

Side note - I just read through the trace elements in the pink Himalayan sea salt and its radioactive......0.001ppm Uranium 0.001ppm Radium 0.001 Polonium and poisonous Thallium 0.06ppm all minuscule but equal to the amounts of a lot of the beneficial minerals as well. Maybe I'll become spiderman if I get tagged rofl. Any science-y readers have thoughts on this?
 
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Geoff Armentrout

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
29
Bad bacteria? Do know which it was?
Well it's 11pm here so I'll ask my brother tomorrow. He only found out because he setup a freshwater fish tank and nothing would stay alive even though all the water parameters were correct.

Geoff
 

Ceymann

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 3, 2016
Messages
185
Yeah I have added minerals back to the water via unprocessed Himalayan pink sea salt. Got my working TDS meter today first read had 764 ppm. Dumped half a gallon, topped off with fresh rodi last reading at 472. Dumped about half again and topped off waiting for it to rest after being shakin' about for a couple seconds before my next test. I am a little concerned with the saltiness of the water at 472ppm it was still rather eww. Yeah I had a few sips if I'm not willing to drink the revitalized water why in the world would I give to my T's! If it still tastes to salty I'll keep air processing the filtered water from my fridge until I have the rodi unit hooked up like my RODI brotha from anotha motha Ceymann lol. Also I've had bad experiences with well water. My Brother had to have something done to his because of bad bacteria that had entered the water source.

Geoff

Side note - I just read through the trace elements in the pink Himalayan sea salt and its radioactive......0.001ppm Uranium 0.001ppm Radium 0.001 Polonium and poisonous Thallium 0.06ppm all minuscule but equal to the amounts of a lot of the beneficial minerals as well. Maybe I'll become spiderman if I get tagged rofl. Any science-y readers have thoughts on this?
Try to get TDS down to 2-5ppm, that is what the water tests out at coming out of my RO membrane reads at before going through the DI cartridge. What brand of unit do you have? most brand use press in Guest compression fittings that are pretty easy to disconnect/ reconnect, would take maybe 30 seconds to unplug the line from the DI cartridge when you just want RO water.
Trying to reconstitute RO/DI with salts seems to be an unnecessary pain in the butt.

As far as the radioactive elements mentioned, well of course you should be cautious we certainly don't want something like this happening again. hehe



Jokes aside, you would be surprised on how commonly trace amounts of radioactive elements occur in the environment, they are everywhere, in dirt, rocks, plants etc etc. did you have some coffee this morning? if so you ingested quite a bit of radioactive potassium. The human body its self is radioactive too. All in small harmless amounts.
Would the elements in the salt harm the T's, considering the water they drink and the prey they consume in the wild will have these trace amounts of elements as well- I highly doubt it.

Here is a cool PDF on radioactivity in our environment---http://www.rsc.org/images/number6_tcm18-17768.pdf

Hope this helps !
 

Geoff Armentrout

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
29
Try to get TDS down to 2-5ppm, that is what the water tests out at coming out of my RO membrane reads at before going through the DI cartridge. What brand of unit do you have? most brand use press in Guest compression fittings that are pretty easy to disconnect/ reconnect, would take maybe 30 seconds to unplug the line from the DI cartridge when you just want RO water.
Trying to reconstitute RO/DI with salts seems to be an unnecessary pain in the butt.

As far as the radioactive elements mentioned, well of course you should be cautious we certainly don't want something like this happening again. hehe



Jokes aside, you would be surprised on how commonly trace amounts of radioactive elements occur in the environment, they are everywhere, in dirt, rocks, plants etc etc. did you have some coffee this morning? if so you ingested quite a bit of radioactive potassium. The human body its self is radioactive too. All in small harmless amounts.
Would the elements in the salt harm the T's, considering the water they drink and the prey they consume in the wild will have these trace amounts of elements as well- I highly doubt it.

Here is a cool PDF on radioactivity in our environment---http://www.rsc.org/images/number6_tcm18-17768.pdf

Hope this helps !
I have a BRS 6 stage 75gph didn't need more than that, love me some Bulk Reef Supply. It just so happens I did that earlier, a little water sprayed me from the DI units though not much but enough to make me freak out for a few seconds haha. Filled a 2.5g water container with a spigot I got from the store. It has 2ppm also ordered a T valve $20 little bugger. Much easier and less hassle so yes reconstituting minerals in the water with salt a much unneeded hassle in the butt XD. Good news is I can cook with the salt radioactive biscuits and gravy anyone?

Haha I actually have a vintage replica canvas poster of the movie Tarantula! hanging in my arachnid room lol.

That was a fascinating read soon as I read Gamma I mumbled "Don't make me angry" to myself.
 

Ceymann

Arachnoknight
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Jul 3, 2016
Messages
185
Yeah the movie is, and always will be a timeless classic. Love me some BRS too, only online retailer I use for dry goods.

I think everyone should have a RO unit, not just T keepers or aquarisits, I mean EVERYONE. Think of all the plastic waste we would avoid if everyone used a RO unit and a refillable water bottle.

Ill take a some radioactive B&G as long as you have Cholula hot sauce. :D
 

rally

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
56
Ok my brother said it was gram negative no specific type was tested for but what ever it was killed off his fish tank. Sorry there aren't more specifics.

Geoff
Wow! I haven't tested my well in a while, but the minnows and goldfish I keep are thriving. Canaries in the coal mine they are. :D
Again, I'd definitely filter tap water though. But, if my animals are thriving, I'll drink just about any other water. I guess I like the thrill. I drank the water in the Philippines. My brother and dad got seriously ill from it, and I've seen myself as a super-human since then :rofl: Come on bacteria and viruses! Do your worst!
 

Ceymann

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 3, 2016
Messages
185
Wow! I haven't tested my well in a while, but the minnows and goldfish I keep are thriving. Canaries in the coal mine they are. :D
Again, I'd definitely filter tap water though. But, if my animals are thriving, I'll drink just about any other water. I guess I like the thrill. I drank the water in the Philippines. My brother and dad got seriously ill from it, and I've seen myself as a super-human since then :rofl: Come on bacteria and viruses! Do your worst!
Brave soul you are. I thought I was at a high enough elevation while hiking the rockies once and decided not to use my iodine tablets, big mistake! Hello Giardia !
 

rally

Arachnosquire
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May 12, 2016
Messages
56
Brave soul you are. I thought I was at a high enough elevation while hiking the rockies once and decided not to use my iodine tablets, big mistake! Hello Giardia !
Yes, brave or a fool. I get into being sick..last time I had an awful fever, though I felt barely alive (lmao), I kept checking my temperature and was amazed to watch it go up, and up, and up..whew! Better than skydiving! Top score of 104.9F!!! :borg:
 

Trenor

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Brave soul you are. I thought I was at a high enough elevation while hiking the rockies once and decided not to use my iodine tablets, big mistake! Hello Giardia !
Always purify your water when hiking. :p I had several scouts on a hike with our group once and they went straight to hand cup drinking from a spring. Half of them were in the bushes for a while then had to go home. Not one of the funner hikes I have led.
 

Geoff Armentrout

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Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
29
Last time, as far as I know....., I had any unpurified water was when I was little and swimming in a river at my grandparents. Inadvertently ingested some of that water and had a tore up stomach for a few days. Found out a mile up stream there was a cow pasture that used the river for the watering hole.........Mmmmm mmmm good. Now that I am older I'm pretty sure there were several pastures and fertilizer runoffs from hillside gardens etc.....

Geoff
 
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