# RODI vs. RO vs ???



## Drew Shark (Jan 7, 2016)

For the past few years, I have been using exclusively rodi water for my viv. It’s nice in that there is no scale and mineral build up on the glass. However it got me thinking, is my water too pure? Has anyone experimented with a diluted tadpole tea mixture that is sprayed periodically with a cheap hand sprayer for example? Not just as fertilizer for plants but also the frogs and microfauna. I would never put something like this through a mistking. That would be a guaranteed clog...

In short, is there any benefit or negatives to the lack of minerals in rodi? What about the tadpole tea idea?


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## DPfarr (Nov 24, 2017)

I only use nanopure with my mistking. 

I kid. I kid. 

I am going to start spraying my orchids with seaweed extract. At least there’s some PGRs in there (auxins/cytokinins). Coupled with careful and exact placement of frog feces at the root zone...


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I am under the impression that tadpole tea gained its popularity because of the idea that tannins are thought to prevent fungal/bacterial growth on developing eggs, and for no other reason. It is a sort of natural substitute for methylene blue (a medication). 

I'm not sure what viv-related issue misting with TT would address.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

https://www.dendroboard.com/forum/g...ater-distilled-what-do-you-use-what-best.html

https://www.dendroboard.com/forum/beginner-discussion/339225-what-water-frog-safe.html

And there are lots more.

A) The Search Bar at the top of the page is your friend 

B) When Ed speaks (ok, writes), you should listen.

Mark


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## PhylloBro (Sep 21, 2018)

Im no scientist but i believe if you have leaf litter and frequent misting there are tannins being released in the vivarium so there shouldnt be much need to add more via misting. Frogs and even humans get most of their minerals through food and very few from drinking water so i dont think this is much of an issue either. I have heard that humans who drink hyper pure water regularly may have some minerals stripped from their body but i would not apply this to frogs without evidence that it is doing so.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

My Ranitomeya imitator breed readily in bromeliads that receive only RODI water via the misting system. Unless you have plants that receive a particularly high flux of water (ie they are right in front of a misthead), you shouldn't have a problem with the extra purity of RODI.


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## Pubfiction (Feb 3, 2013)

It is ok to spray with water that has ions in it and definitely valuable. However, you need to have some way to remove them or salts will build up. So if you have a drain and have surplus water draining out then that will work but if water is evaporating eventually the concentration of salts will build up to problematic levels. 

RODI water mitigates this problem. Although I would still recommend changing out your drainage water every 6 months or so.


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## Drew Shark (Jan 7, 2016)

PhylloBro said:


> I have heard that humans who drink hyper pure water regularly may have some minerals stripped from their body but i would not apply this to frogs without evidence that it is doing so.


Thank you for this. This is more what I was digging towards. That fact that all that goes into my viv is fruit flies, repashy vitamins, and rodi. I was wondering about if there are minerals or something else missing??


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## Drew Shark (Jan 7, 2016)

To be clear, I have not had any problems. But I am always wondering about making things better. But then there is the old adage: don’t fix what isn’t broken.


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## DPfarr (Nov 24, 2017)

Drew Shark said:


> Thank you for this. This is more what I was digging towards. That fact that all that goes into my viv is fruit flies, repashy vitamins, and rodi. I was wondering about if there are minerals or something else missing??


Missing for animals or for plants?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Drew,

All life based on cells with nuclei requires, more or less, the same set of elements to survive. Some of these in large quantities (for example - oxygen, nitrogen, carbon) and some in trace amounts (ex - Iodine, Manganese). There are small differences in absolute proportions - but overall, nucleated cellular life has a very similar recipe.

The living fruit flies you are feeding already contain this set of essential nutrients. Not all of the nutrients in each fly can be absorbed by your frogs - but dead fly carcasses and frog waste still contain them and enter the nutrient cycle of your viv as they are broken down. If you add-in vitamin/mineral dusting to the flies then you have a steady supply of "complete" nutrients entering your viv. Overmisting (with drainage) could deplete a viv of nutrients - but barring that you likely don't need to add anything extra.


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## Drew Shark (Jan 7, 2016)

kimcmich said:


> @Drew,
> 
> All life based on cells with nuclei requires, more or less, the same set of elements to survive. Some of these in large quantities (for example - oxygen, nitrogen, carbon) and some in trace amounts (ex - Iodine, Manganese). There are small differences in absolute proportions - but overall, nucleated cellular life has a very similar recipe.
> 
> The living fruit flies you are feeding already contain this set of essential nutrients. Not all of the nutrients in each fly can be absorbed by your frogs - but dead fly carcasses and frog waste still contain them and enter the nutrient cycle of your viv as they are broken down. If you add-in vitamin/mineral dusting to the flies then you have a steady supply of "complete" nutrients entering your viv. Overmisting (with drainage) could deplete a viv of nutrients - but barring that you likely don't need to add anything extra.


Great explanation! The fruit flies bringing in the elementals of life is something very valid. I was more thinking of the Melos as a single ingredient. Where as they are more than that, plus the various repashy ingredients = a primordial soup so to say. 

I suppose if it aint broke, don’t fix it...


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## Drew Shark (Jan 7, 2016)

DPfarr said:


> Missing for animals or for plants?


Possibly both.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Drew,

Don't let my comments about basic mineral needs deter you from paying attention to your viv's flora and fauna. The nutrient input to you viv could certainly be consumed by faster-growing plants that leave their slower-paced neighbors in need of fertilizer. 

I've found in my viv that frog poo seems to be enough to keep all the plants healthy and happy but I don't don't have "aggressive" plants like Ficus or Schefflera competing for nutrients with my ferns and orchids.


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