better than tap?

[cdn beaver]

I have only a small 25 gallon tank, and change only approx. 5 gallons of water every 1-2 weeks. Im looking for an alternative to the larger 100GPD RO units, when I came across a tap water filter made by aquarium pharmacuticles.

Does anybody have any experience with this unit? Is it a waste of money? Will it remove phosphates?

I realise this isnt as good is a six stage RO/DI unit, but is it a better alernative than using tap water?

Thanks for the help.

[Swimfins]

That ph bottle there in the pic makes me nervous. I don't think I'd try it. But, I'm curious......anyone?

Buy your r/o water at Loblaws its 2.09 or so for 11 litres :) I lug 2 containers home once a week for top offs and water changes. I waterchange 8 gallons or so per week.
Also 25g tank.

[cdn beaver]

Here in Thunder Bay, we dont have a Loblaws, but I have tried purchasing water for "The Real Canadian Superstore", and have found that it also contains high levels of phosphate.

Im trying to rectify an ongoing hair algae problem that I feel is due to high phosphates. At one point, I had a rock with hair algae so long that my tomato clown started hosting in it. :(

[cres]

The single stage units are typically only carbon or sometimes De-Ionizing resin.

If it is carbon only. I wouldn't recommend it.

If it is DI then it will be fine, but, be aware that DI resin alone won't last for very long and will end up costing more money. But, the initial investment is lower and if you aren't making that much water ...

[Peluche]

Those units are De-ionizing resins.

Good stuuf, but expensivein the long run if your tap water is hard .

[Bram]

Isn't 'real canadian suerstore' owned by lawblaws?
sorta like dominion = lawblaws out east?
i think i've been in one in london ontario and it was exactly the same.

[Swimfins]

I've been using the r/o store water and its been fine.
tomato clown hosting in hair algae?
sorrybut..snicker..that's just cute :)

Bram, Loblaws is in Ontario, that's where they came to Quebec from I think...??? I've never seen Real Canadian Superstore in Quebec lol, I guess cause the key word is CANADIAN...d'oh!

[reefmutt]

cdn beaver, those units are de- ionising and do a decent job, but they aren't cheap and you have to run water through them pretty slowly.
If you have phosphates in the tank you should be using a po4 removing substrate like rowaphos or phosban etc. Just using po4 free water wont remove it from the tank- po4 is always being produced in the tank- water changes can only do so much. In the long run it may be cheaper to get some po4 absorbing substrate, get rid of the po4 and then not have to rely so heavily on questionably clean water.

[LT Hook]

I did have one, i was able to make about 20G per filter. At $2/gallon it's cheaper to by distilled water at $1/gallon.

Same hair algea problem, i run carbon and poly filter, algea was gone.