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My tap water is around 100PPM here(according to my PPM meter, not the most accurate one I bet), so I have been using it on my drosera and nepenthes for about 8 months. Nepenthes grow like mad, so there isn't a question with them. However, I have noticed recently my drosera are growing slower, the new leafs are blackening, and one of the drosera I recently repotted of the same specie; Drosera Binata is doing great. I'm assuming I am getting nutrient buildup.
If that's the case can I simply purge the pots with RO water for a couple weeks, or should I repot then use only RO water?

Also from what I've been reading Drosera Indicia needs to be fed, I'm assuming that's why mine are only 5 inches tall and are flowering? They don't get many insects since they are greenhouse kept.
 
jm,
Most people would agree that nepenthes definitely handle higher PPM better. As for the ones you are having trouble with...flushing them for a few weeks with distilled should do the trick of getting any buildup out, but after that you'll probably want to continue to use distilled or a mix of distilled and your tap to prevent them from worsening again!
 
Yeah that's what I've always heard, nepenthes can handle tap, and even fertilizer but won't pitcher.
Thanks for your input, I'll go about doing that.
 
Yikes, 100ppm is that bad? My water filter is putting out 165ppm right now. Guess I need to get a new membrane sooner than later.
 
My RO unit puts out 9 PPM after the 100 PPM tap, then the DI gets it to 0 for my reef tank.
 
Wow. My tap is like 360 by itself. It's only a watermaker mini, so I don't expect miracles (I'm in an apartment building) but with a new membrane it keeps going for a while.
 
Is your carbon good?
Chlorine kills RO membranes, also if you have chloramines you should get a specific filter for it or you will kill your membrane.
I've made probably 500 gallons(thousands? I don' know as I've left ym RO unit one overnight because I used to always forget) on my current unit, no PPM increase yet since I've replaced my carbon and particulate filters once. ($30 for all of them from bulkreefsupply.com I've spent more then I've wanted to from them)
 
Well, it's a Watermaker Mini, the membrane has the carbon in it, I believe. There's an optional addon for more filtering which I don't have, that also has carbon in it I think.

Most recent gallon of water it spat out is at 115 ppm give or take. Will still need to replace it soonish I think.
 
If you have the money you can get an ro uni for about $150 shipped from brs.
They aren't cheap, but you might be able to justify it if you use it for drinking water as well.
 
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