Yup, great plan.

I don't know much about water purifiers, so maybe someone can answer an ignorant question for me:
With these RO/DI units, do you need a water outlet to dedicate to them? Or can you take them on and off a sink that you use for other things? I live in an apartment, and I'm just wondering if an RO/DI is even an option for me.

Thanks! Another lame question, should I have the tank filled right to the top, or does it really matter (as long as the live rock is covered)

Gujustud, are you just curing the rock and tossing the water later? If so, you could likely use tapwater. If you're filling the tank and the water will mostly stay there, use filtered. If the former is the case, you could probably just cover the rock. What size tank is it?

I just got a 38gal tank. I'm picking up 10lbs of LR today, maybe a little more for now. Its the first time I using this tank, so i'm not sure if I'm okay using normal tap water with the LR and sand, or if I should be using filtered from safeway.

The idea that DI water isn't good for you is based on the belief that you're body gets essential minerals etc from our water, this is not true

"The human body gains the minerals necessary to good health primarily through eating foods, not through drinking water. The body may absorb or use the minerals in water but, in most cases, the amount would not be significant. In order for a person to obtain sufficient minerals from water, it would be necessary to drink many gallons daily. In general, neither a water with a high mineral content, nor a fully softened water, could be considered a significant source of minerals. In contrast, one glass of milk provides the mineral equivalent of multiple gallons of ordinary well water.

Note: Certain trace elements, such as fluoride, iodine, etc., may be obtained from water. However, these would not be removed through common household water softening."

That's a quote from the North American Water Quality Association.
http://www.wqa.org/sitelogic.cfm?ID=360

Doug

Basically, if you're going to keep any of the water in the tank after cycling, you'll be better off with filtered. Generally tap water is OK if you're curing rock in a tub or something, but unless this is really stinky rock, I'd fill the tank with RO water and this will be the initial setup. The rock will cure in this water and when the levels are normal, you can start adding things (slowly)

I picked up 12lbs of live rock. I also picked up a tap water filter. I filled up about 14 gal of filtered water in the tank, and i've cleaned off my LR with a toothbrush, and i added it to the tank. I also put in my 30lbs of sugar sand.

The tank is REALLLLY cloudy right now. I've got my powerhead running, but mainly because I've added salt to the mix as well, as i'm trying to get the salinity right.

Should I turn off the powerhead once the salinity is right, and let the cloudyness die down?

Btw, I've also got my heater running as well.

I remember a thread along time ago on another board that said the extact same tihing. But another reason not to drink it is because the DI product tastes like crap unnless you add another carbon filter after the DI :)

Cheers,
Vic

that is it on the barrel head.. nothing wrong with DI at all for drinking, infact some small waterless countries use DI to make there drinking water. but it doesent taste like crap it has no taste. The problem is it tends to taste dry. I was drinking it all the time for 2 years (because I was to cheep to put a "T" in to be able to take the water off befor my DI, but now I have the "T" but I did it not because it isn't good to drink but rather so I wouldent shorten the life of my DI cartrage by using it for both drinking and fish. I can say now that once my DI is done I will not buy another. the PPM out of my RO is 0 and the PPM out of my DI is 0. I have been using it for 2 years almost and I have not yet exzausted the resin so that tells me there is no need for it.

Steve