Best/most inexpensive way to get RO water for a noob?

[Piper1]

I am about to set up my first time tank (24g Aquapod) this week. What would be the best way to get RO water to mix for saltwater, as well as use for top offs? Seems like I read alot of threads that say the WalMart type RO waters that you buy in jugs are high is phosphates and people are getting problems with algae. I prefer not to buy a RO/DI filter that has to have plumbing hookups and is costly.

I saw this in another thread, is anyone familiar with it?
air-water-ice Mighty Mite w/DI

Do you just hook this model onto a sink faucet and get the water you need, then put it away till next week?

None of my LFS stores sells water, so I would have to get jug water I assume from maybe Culligan or something? Any suggestions for a beginner?

 

[AZDesertRat]

Any RO/DI unit can be hooked to a faucet or hose bib and put away when not in use.
The biggest problems you will encounter with small compact units such as that one and all the others is they use small non standard DI and sometimes sediment and carbon filters that have very low capacities and need frequent replacement. You will very soon, as in one or two replacements, have more money invested than if you bought the better unit to begin with. You will also need to get a TDS meter or you wil be making bad water and not even know it.
A good unit is going to cost right at $150-$160. It will include full sized sediment and carbon cartridges and will have a ful sized vertical refillable DI cartridge and canister. Some wil come with TDS meters and others may include a pressure gauge both of which you will want and need.
There are lots of vendors here on RC that also sponsor this forum which I would highly recommend since they support our hobby.
www.buckeyefieldsupply.com
www.thefilterguys.biz
www.spectrapure.com
'www.melevsreef.com
www.purelyh2o.com

 

[rsw686]

It is far cheaper to purchase and ro/di unit than to buy water. Plus with your own unit you don't have to waste time and gas lugging water around. You can get a faucet adapter so you just screw it onto the faucet when you want to use it.

 

[Steverino]

I have an RO/DI unit that I bought that does 75 gpd and I installed the whole thing for under $120 delivered. I have the faucet adaptor, I can use my laundry room sink or flip a switch and divert water through the filter system. I fill up a 5-gallon bucket with clean water, add salt and put a powerhead in it, measure the salinity, use a different bucket for siphoning out the tank. If I figure I use about 10 gallons a week, and stores charge about ?? $.50 a gallon, that would mean I paid off the unit in under 6 months, not to mention the time, gas, tax at the store.