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By sipecsus
Posts:  237
Joined:  Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:27 am
#3297
:cry: is a R.O. system worth investing in???? and will the water be good for my plants i know u should use distilled water or rain water but is reverse osmosis water the same???
By lemonlily
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#3298
Reverse osmosis water is like a filter that pushes water through a filter thing but the holes in the "filter" is so small thatonly water molecules fit through it leaving out most, if not, all minerals and salts. I wouls say not to buy it as it can be expensive unless you have tons and tons of plants.
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By linton
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Posts:  940
Joined:  Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:29 am
#3300
An R.O. unit can be expensive, but it worth it if you can't guarantee the quality of your water supply or don't receive as much rainwater as you need - an especially good investment if you have lots of plants. The only drawback is that they can waste up to 60% of the water that is passed through them leaving you with 40% water that is suitable for your plants.
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By Matt
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Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#3302
R.O. units can be a little on the pricey side, so if you only have a few plants it's not likely to be worth it for you to purchase one. I bought one this spring because I dramatically expanded my collection of plants and I was using over 3 gallons of water a day.

As Linton said, they can be very wasteful, so if possible, have it drain into a garden or catch the drain water to use on other plants that aren't sensitive to minerals in the water.
By ilovemyaph
Posts:  5
Joined:  Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:26 am
#97569
I have a Reverse Osmosis filter. Is it okay to water my vft with it? Or should I let it sit in case some of the minerals/salts didn't go through the filter?
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By Matt
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Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#97571
ilovemyaph wrote:I have a Reverse Osmosis filter. Is it okay to water my vft with it? Or should I let it sit in case some of the minerals/salts didn't go through the filter?
An RO unit with good filters should produce very clean water that is usable on carnivorous plants. If your filters haven't been replaced in a while, it is best to test the water with a TDS meter so you know the mineral content of the water.
By David F
Location: 
Posts:  1649
Joined:  Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:41 pm
#97776
3 gallons a day Matt? WOW I feel lucky when I collect 10 gallons of rainwater for this season! sheesh, my dad's work has a triple R.O filter. I might have to take a look at the water, hopefully they don't add any minerals for "taste" I assume not :) he's been giving his sundews it and they are coming back okay.
By dantt99
Location: 
Posts:  5045
Joined:  Sun Oct 17, 2010 4:48 am
#97816
Wow Matt! I buy a 5 gallon container and it lasts about 2 weeks and sometimes even a month!
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By Matt
Location: 
Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#97828
David F wrote:3 gallons a day Matt?
dantt99 wrote:Wow Matt! I buy a 5 gallon container and it lasts about 2 weeks and sometimes even a month!
Well, if you notice that post where I said I use 3 gallons a day is from 2009. Now when I water, I need about 50 gallons. During the winter, that's only about once every 7 to 10 days. But in the summer, that's every other day. I'm very thankful that I can use the tap water here in Ashland on my plants since it doesn't rain at all here during the summer months.
By David F
Location: 
Posts:  1649
Joined:  Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:41 pm
#97882
50 gallons YIKES even without buying distilled water, I bet that racks up a tap water bill :).
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By Matt
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Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#97899
David F wrote:50 gallons YIKES even without buying distilled water, I bet that racks up a tap water bill :).
Surprisingly, the water bills are still fairly low here. And in the summer, I use "free" water provided by the Talent Irrigation Ditch. It costs something like $75 for the entire summer and the water coming from that spigot is also very low in TDS, usually around 40ppm.
By dantt99
Location: 
Posts:  5045
Joined:  Sun Oct 17, 2010 4:48 am
#97901
Wow, nice! You're lucky you have the nice tap water now and don't need the RO system :)
By MichaelG
Location: 
Posts:  443
Joined:  Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:10 am
#98205
I'm lucky to be able to use "tap" water too!! My house is not in the city limits, so we rely on well water. I had it tested, and it's very low in TDS, about 45-50 ppm.
Counting to infinity.

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