Tap Water Filter or RO Unit?

A

Aquartist

AC Members
Mar 19, 2010
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Cleveland Heights, OH
Hello,

I have a fully planted tank and have been using an API Tap Water Filter for the past year and a half to control the hardness of my water, but would like to go some other route that is ultimately less expensive. I have considered purchasing an R O unit. Any Suggestions?
 
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How hard is your water out of the tap? A lot of people have "liquid rock" for water and do just fine with planted tanks. It may not be necessary. Additionally with a RO unit you will still have to replace the filters.
 
I've been looking into getting an RO unit for myself, and so far I'm liking the 4 stage unit on this web site...
http://www.pwgazette.com/bwro.htm
It's $368 to purchase, but it has to be maintained just like any filter. I think I read that the Carbon filter should be replaced every year, and the RO membrane will last about 3 years. I think they list prices for those too. They can customize it to your needs.

I have a thread going asking about water filters, and people seem to think that it's unnecessary and even bad for the fish, that they need the minerals in the water. Just some food for thought.
 
StephenHall said:
I've been looking into getting an RO unit for myself, and so far I'm liking the 4 stage unit on this web site...
http://www.pwgazette.com/bwro.htm
It's $368 to purchase, but it has to be maintained just like any filter. I think I read that the Carbon filter should be replaced every year, and the RO membrane will last about 3 years. I think they list prices for those too. They can customize it to your needs.

I have a thread going asking about water filters, and people seem to think that it's unnecessary and even bad for the fish, that they need the minerals in the water. Just some food for thought.
Click to expand...
your mileage will vary

how long the membranes and prefilters et al really depends on how much you use it and how much TDS you have in the existing source.
 
Many tetras come from black water regions. I'd be doing peat filtration regardless.

As far as filtration goes, those tap water filters give too little for your money. If you're serious, R/O is the only cost to benefit worthy system.

But keep in mind that it will remove so much stuff, that you will literally have to replace it before you can use the water in your system. Sure, freshwater buffers are readily available but very expensive. This is why you rarely see freshwater people using R/O units except in very specialized circumstances. In the saltwater world, the elements are replaced into the filtered water by way of the salt mixes.

I would just be doing the peat filtration. I have never heard of harder water having any severely detrimental effect on plants except for very specific specimens, nor have I ever heard of algae being the result of hard waters. Algae is usually the result of too many nutrients and/or too much light not being absorbed by the plants.
 
Thanks everyone,
I use to run peat filtration then stopped. Based upon your recommendation I'll resume that aspect by just putting a bag of it in my Eheim canister. Typically I only add 2/3 the water I use for each water-change through the tap water filter the rest is tap water.However, I am thinking of filtering enough water to fill a large plastic garbage can from one tap filter all at once and store that water in the basement and use as needed. Does anyone think there would be a problem with that? My reason is that when I leave the tap water filter filled with tap water in between water changes it becomes less effective over time.
 
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