TDS in store bought distilled water.

[Saiyan]

I have no way currently to check TDS. I was wondering has anybody ran a test on store bought distilled water. Since my tank is only 29 gal I only have to keep a 2 gal jug around. I have never had any problems I was just curious if anybody has checked this out. The last thing I want is another hair algae outbreak.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

TDS wouldn't be a good measure of things that might be wrong with it, such as copper dissolved from exposure to metal pipes. Many people use distilled water OK, but that doesn't guarantee that it is always OK.

[Megalodon]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
TDS wouldn't be a good measure of things that might be wrong with it, such as copper dissolved from exposure to metal pipes.

Very true. I live in a city with some of the purest and best tap water in the world. TDS averages around 14. Back in the day I thought that could allow me to circumvent the RO/DI inconvenience. I couldn't figure out why my inverts kept getting sick and dieing. Checked the copper in the tank and it was present in an undesirable amount. I checked my tap water and it was even higher, like more than you would use to treat ick. I'll never use tap water for a salt tank ever again. Freshwater, yes, but salt, no.