i am not sure if this is where this thread goes or not, but here goes.
it runs me 2.29 for 5 gal of ro/di water at the local supermarket. i was wondering if this was a good deal, or if i should try to find some means of filtering my tap water.
if i should filter my tap water, should i buy a ro unit for my house? i have a uv sterilizer and stuff to use also. or should i just buy a pur tap water filter or somthing. any info is greatly appreciated.
Russell, first let me take this moment to welcome you to the Talking Reef and to say that all the members here are a great group of people that are willing to help you in any possible. That being said lets address the question at hand. I would personally and I'm sure many members on the site would agree to stay away from adding Tap Water into yours or any other aquarium. Tap Water although filtered for humans to drink contains many harsh metals and chemicals that are not suitable to be added to aquarium. (An example would be the introduction of phosphates which will lead to an definite algea problem.) I would advise your to put out the money if possible to purchase an RO/DI unit and if necessary a booster pump as well since these units require high amounts of pressure to operate to their maximum abilities. It will pay dividends in the long run. I would tell you to hold off on a 120 gallon marine aquarium until you have everything you need to operate your 29 gallon to the fullest capacity especially if you don't have an RO/DI unit and need to purchase the water at 10% to 20% weekly on a 120 gallon.
Russell I also would suggest getting a good ro/di unit there are many good brands out there. The one I bought came from a LFS and I can get replacement cartridges there as well. I can get you that info if you want and tell you what I paid in a PM.
Many bottled waters are filtered and then minerals(you don't want) are added back for taste.
but yes, i have never added tap water to my tank, because i know what's in it. it has high NO3 and PO4 for my fw planted tanks so an ro unit it is. seems to be cheaper in the long run, plus it saves me gas money running to the supermarket 10 gallons of water at a time
and just a note, it has been shown that 2 DI cartridges are not any more affective than one, as long as the DI resign is changed when its supposed to be changed.
Quote:
Question: Is there any benefit to running two DI cartridges?
Answer: No. The first one will do all the work, the second one does nothing. When the DI cartridge is spent, it needs to be replaced. If your unit produces 0 (zero) TDS, the water is pure. You can't get more pure than pure. (The only 'benefit' of running a second DI is if you don't change the first. It would act like a backup. But you can see the cartridge change colors to help you know when it needs to be changed.)
thanks guys! is the one that you listed better than the one that i listed? just curious. i know nothing about brands. also, the 4.4 gallon tank, is that all it can hold or does it hold more because it can be pressurized? that seems like very little water to me.
i cant say its better, but i can say its the one i use (and many others here)
the container actually holds less.. the 4.4 is the total volume, but it only holds about 2-2.5 gallons. and this is because of the space thats taken up by the diaphragm and air pressure behind it
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thanks guys! is the one that you listed better than the one that i listed? just curious. i know nothing about brands. also, the 4.4 gallon tank, is that all it can hold or does it hold more because it can be pressurized? that seems like very little water to me.
That's the unit I run, too. The tank is not for your aquarium water. The tank is for home drinking water and is only RO water, if you hook it up properly. Apparently it isn't good to drink RO/DI water.
Your finished water for the aquarium, RO/DI, is run into a storage container you provide such as a Brute trash can by Rubbermaid. I use a 55 gallon blue plastic barrel. Actually, I have six of these barrels filled to capacity. You can never have too much good water on hand.
Instructions come with the unit on how to do this.
Dick
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