Tap water filter?

[partobe]

Hi Everyone;
As I'm sure most of you know I'm new to reef keeping and Ive been having problems with my nitrates. I've removed all my bio balls sponges and pre filters. Ive done water changes every week for the last 3 weeks I've cut the feeding of my fish back to every other day. I'm hoping my nitrates will soon start to drop. I have checked them in the last week because I promised myself I would wait at lest 3 more weeks to see if they drop. I know most of you use revers osmosis water and I would love to have a ro unit but can't afford one at this time. Upgrading to MH and buying a new skimmer has put a bent in my budget . While at the lfs the salesman told me about "tap water filters" he said they are the poor mans ro unit.
Have any of you used them? Are they any good? Or should I just hold off until I can get a ro unit?
I have a 150 gallon 20 gallon sump lr ls and corlife skimmer.

[ScruffyRubicon]

Hold off! The filters in those don't last long without the other filters that an RO unit has. They are expensive to replace as often as you will have to.

[partobe]

Good to know ScruffyRubcon

[ScruffyRubicon]

I think I got less than 50 gallons (about 1 month) out of mine, whereas my RO unit last a little longer than 6 months without changing filters.

My Tap Water Filter is sitting in my basement collecting dust.

[partobe]

Ok so big diffrence. I could prob buy a ro unit for what I would spend in filters. I thought there had to be a catch.

[hng]

I used to use the "Tap water filter" as well. I think it's made by aquarium pharmaceuticals. It's basically a carbon filter followed by a DI chamber. The amount of water that you can produce depends on what your water source is like. With my home's water supply, the water coming out of the faucet has about 42 ppm of TDS and I got just about 50 gallons of water out of one cartridge, some people get more. One thing that I noticed with the cartridges is that they tend to separate out into layers and form streams where water bypasses the DI bed. It didn't happen with every cartridge, but on some of them. I have since switched to RO/DI and have no regrets. Got a used unit off ebay for about $60. I would recommend doing the same - by the time you pay for the tap water filter and a couple of extra cartridges, it's the same amount of money.

[partobe]

HI Hng
I just checked out ebay. They had plenty of new ro units but no used. I did a search for used reverse osmossis. I will keep checking. I would gladly give 60 bucks for one.

[hng]

Partrobe - there are always people looking to get out of the hobby or upgrade to a bigger unit. Keep looking and good luck!

[hng]

Take a look at this one. You would have to add a DI chamber to it for maximum effectiveness but that would cost around $40 or so.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KENT-MARINE-MODE...QQcmdZViewItem

[partobe]

Ok I know this sounds stupid but what is a DI unit?

[motorslave]

RO/DI is the only way to go. de ionizer (sp?) It is the only way toi realy remove what the municipalities put in the water. Also, when you find one make sure it uses common replacement filters and has a company behind it for service.

Robert

[partobe]

thanks guys

[motorslave]

Also another good idea is an inline TDS meter for the unit. It will let you know when its time to chnage the filter media (TDS= Total Disolved Solids!)

Robert

[NYer]

I got one on ebay for 100 bucks 30 gallons per day and takes 5 days to fill my tank but they are not that expensive

of course I bought that before buying lighting but I am new and have been told u must get the RO .

[motorslave]

Greta thing to have for a reef. it takes out the phosphates and other stuff the water is treated with

Robert