Tap Water

[J-Money]

Anyone use the "Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Filter"? I'm thinking about buying it to use for my tanks, but i noticed on a website it says "Comes fully assembled.
Water is not intended for drinking."

If it isn't clean enough for me to drink, why would I use it in my aquarium?

 

[ostrow]

I have no idea other than perhaps it leave carbon behind.

This is strictly a DI filter. Depending on the water you are filtering, you will go through these very fast. In Chicago, I got 25 gallons per cartridge. That was exorbitant.

You will save money with an RO/DI system. It will pay for itself in savings over the AP filters within 3 months or so. Check out ebay. A 4 or 5 stage system will work.

Search on osmosis reef in the ebay search window and you'll see a bunch of auctions. Should be able to land a good one (75GPD or so) for under $80.

 

[J-Money]

Thanks for the info . I keep thinking about getting an R/O system but I live in an apartment so I don't think I should be messing with that stuff much. All I need is to do something wrong and get evicted


I was thinking that I could use the TapWater Filter and a declorinator and that might work...Any other thoughts?

 

[ostrow]

You can hook up any RO/DI device to a normal faucet. They come with multiple options for connection.

The issue is only partly chlorine. It is all metals and other solids in the water, phosphates, etc.

I know someone who used to run 2 of the AP unites in series, (an old one first, then a newer one), but her tank was COVERED in algae, really not too appealing to look at. They liked it, but noone else was overly impressed.

I agree that as a rentor you don't want to be piercing water pipes. But you can just screw the thing into the faucet and be good to go, then unscrew it and put in the closet when done.

If you get one and need a faucet adaptor you can email me and I'll send you an extra, I have a bunch!

 

[3fsh]

R.O. filters are definitely the way to go! They are much cheaper at hardware stores, too... ie- Home Depot... That's where I got mine.

 

[J-Money]

the other day, I looked at Home Depot and the one the guy was tryin to sell me was a 12 GPD at that rate it'll take me 2 weeks just to fill up my tank. Also that unit was the most expensive one i'd seen ($350ish). I've been looking around online and see a few that are 50-100GPD all around the $200 range. Also, I haven't seen any that say they are detachable or non-permanant. Are all set up to be external?

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

Dude, run, don't walk straight to Ebay and get a RO/DI there. I just purchased a 100 GPD there for 82 bucks, it should be here tomorrow and comes with everything. Delivery is like 35 bucks, so you can't beat that price and they will also tailor it to what you need, if you ask and send you specific parts, if your situation is different from the norm. Don't even attempt the tap water. I tried it, too (I'm stubborn like that), took the chlorine out, but the phosphates and silicates killed me, diatom bloom everywhere!!!! After getting phosphate-removing media, I just bit the bullet and am installing my RO/DI under the tank. They have tons on Ebay for that price, so go get one. Save you the trouble that I went through! I'm sure if you let them know, they will help you with a model that will work for your apt.

 

[Navarre]

IMO A stable thriving reef tank needs a source of RO water be it from a store or an RO Unit. I personally would prefer my own RO unit as I have done tests on RO Water from stores and in some of them its not that much better than tap water )

 

[J-Money]

If I did get the tapwater filter and I got algae, would a cleaning crew and a yellow tang clean it all up? Also, is a tang compatible with a niger trigger and a fuzzy dwarf lion and a dwarf zebra lion?

 

[3fsh]

$350 for 12GPD?!?! Where do u live? I got mine for like $200 and it does way more than that... can't remember exactly how much. ) In that case... I would order it online from a good fish store. marinedepot.com has decent prices. Plus, they can hook up to a hose, faucet, etc.

 

[J-Money]

Thanks for all the help guys, I just won a R/O system off e-bay. The guy said he has the faucet connecter Guess I don't have to worry about the tang now