Brita or Pur systems?

r0bin

New member
I was wondering, I am tired of buying distilled water. Could I use like a Pur 3 stage filtration that fits directly on the tap for my tank? Then I could just replace the filter every so often. I just dont know if I want an RO/DI system. They sound so complicated to hook up and all these meters and everything they say you need. They just sound to complicated.
 
RO/DI units are simple to hook up. if you can turn a screwdriver you can hook one up. all you need as far as /meters/gauges, are a TDS meter and maybe a pressure gauge. TDS measures the quality of water being produced. most you just dip them in a clean glass of water. simple!

using one of those faucet filters will get expensive real quick, and the water quality wont be improved that much over tap. all those filters are for is taste and odor. better than nothing but not worth it in the long run.
 
RO or RO/DI. Brita has NOTHING on an RO. It won't do much. RO's are sooo easy to hook up and they fitler many time more nutrients from the water. Belive me, its worth it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6940318#post6940318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paintbug
all you need as far as /meters/gauges, are a TDS meter and maybe a pressure gauge. TDS measures the quality of water being produced. most you just dip them in a clean glass of water. simple!
We're talking a 29g here, right? If you're doing 10% a week, that's five times the tank volume (149g) every year.

You can buy a Brita Disposable Faucet Filtration System for $39.99. It does 300 gallons, produces better water than tap, and can be hooked directly to your tap. So $40 will get you some peace of mind and 2 years of water from your tap.

For what it's worth, it is recommended that you spend more than $40 a year in replacing parts on many RO/DI systems.
using one of those faucet filters will get expensive real quick
The poster has a 29 gallon tank. Brita will be cheaper. RO/DI water is better, but is it worth the extra money? Many here will tell you yes. The official So you want to start a marine tank... page says:
One could also use a "hand held" water purifier, such as Nitragon, or a household unit such as the Brita filter. These units are actually small DI filters, and work quite well while fresh.
If you can't afford an RO/DI filter at the moment, some improvement is better than no improvement.
and the water quality wont be improved that much over tap
Please provide some actual, verifiable stats to back that up.
better than nothing but not worth it in the long run.
In the long run, an RO/DI filter will cost the small tank owner many more times the cost of a Brita filter. If you demand nothing but the purest water, Brita won't cut it. If you simply want better water than your tap, Brita will work just fine and for a lot less money.
 
I don't know how well that Brita unit will work. Even if it is a DI, the contact time is pretty small. I wish I could find some stats on it.

You'll also use more than 150g of water per year, due to evaporation losses. I'd guess I lose about a half gallon or a bit more per day in my 29g setups. A 5g container lasts about a week, roughly, depending on the season.
 
I have one of those 2 gal Brita filters jugs in my frig. I just did a comparison test for you. Keep in mind, the cartridge is 2 months old, but it has only has maybe 15 gals of water through it. I brought both water samples up to room temp, before testing ( if that mattered ).

1st number will be tap ( Well ), 2nd number will be Brita:

320..........240......PPM TDS
7.6 .......... 7.2.......PH
360.......... 216......PPM GH
0...............0......... Nitrate
0.5 .......... 0.5 ......Phosphate

Not enough of a difference in my mind, but I'm new to this, so maybe someone else can elaborate. I didnt test Ammonia or Trites, didnt think it was needed.
 
JimR your TDS says enough. those filters are nothing more than a carbon filter, and some fine mesh. they wont remove heavy metals.

this link also shows how expensive several different filters can get over a year http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.net/WaterFilter_Comparison.cfm . as you can see the Brita Faucet Filter is $214.95 per 1000gal. now i know thats alot of water, but when you put one of these on your faucet, you are going to use it more than just for your tank. and for $215 you can get a Typhoon III RO/DI and have some $$ left. i got my RO/DI unit off ebay for $117 shipped to my door. 10 months later i still have 0 TDS water being produced, without any filter changes. i also picked up a TDS meter for $25 shipped. i dont think the point is the expense anyway, r0bin isnt sure he can hook a RO system up himself. the hardest part of hooking one up is finding a place to hook it to. :D
 
Robin, do you have access to a "Water Oasis" or some other type of u-fill water machine at the grocery store? I found one locally that is reliable and fills for .39 per gallon. With the requirements of a 29 gallon, I think this might be the cheapest way. You'll also get a great workout :D.
Jon
 
Hi Everyone and thanks for your help. I have noticed the local Wal-Mart has some type of water machine (Culligan maybe) in the back of the store, but last time I was there, they were very inept about answering my questions about it. They said you have to buy the 5 gal container everytime & the water together which was about $10 a pop. Nobody seem to know much about it. Also for everyone's info the reason I am asking about the RO machine ect. is b/c I am about to set up at least a 75 gal. I noticed you referencing that I had a 29 so I think this is important.
 
r0bin, the size of your tank and the frequency of your water changes are very important in a cost analysis. An RO/DI system will always produce the best water, though.
 
I don't care if i'm putting water in a 5 gal tank or 500 gal tank. I would want the best water quality. Algae doesn't care how big your tank is. If there are nutrients availible, it will grow. Just go for an RO, you won't regret it!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6943086#post6943086 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paintbug
JimR your TDS says enough. those filters are nothing more than a carbon filter, and some fine mesh. they wont remove heavy metals.
JimR, if you have a new filter, I'd be interested to know how it tests. Generally, Brita pitcher filters are supposed to be replaced every two months. There is activated carbon in Brita filters, which does, in fact, become less effective over time. (Perhaps just sitting in a filter with residual water from filtration won't effect the performance, but I simply can not say. for certain.)
this link also shows how expensive several different filters can get over a year http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.net/WaterFilter_Comparison.cfm . as you can see the Brita Faucet Filter is $214.95 per 1000gal.
That link is demonstrably false, but possibly just outdated.

You can purchase a Brita Disposable Faucet Filtration System for $24.99 at Drugstore.com. These filters are good for 300 gallons.

( 1000 gallons / 300 gallons ) * $24.95 = $83.17

Furthermore, pitcher filters, for whatever reason, appear to be less effective than faucet filters.
and for $215 you can get a Typhoon III RO/DI and have some $$ left.
The replacement filters for the Typhoon III RO/DI cost $49.95. I've seen recommendations from others that these be replaced every six months, but you provide evidence that this may not be necessary.
i dont think the point is the expense anyway,
Expense doesn't seem to be an issue, but several people, including you, continue to say that Brita is more expensive than other RO/DI systems, which is not always going to be the case. A DI system will be cheaper to start and cheaper to maintain for a year or longer.

As for the notion that Brita does not remove minerals, the best I can do is tell you to read either the Brita website for specs on the product you are interested in or check the web. There seems to be very little information out there, but I have found a couple of links like this one reinforcing the notion that it does remove minerals, but that it's an imperfect method for doing so.

Perhaps you ought to consider a plain DI filter like this one. It's hard to say how expensive it will be (produces 25 gallons to 125 gallons per filter), but it seems rather straight forward. (Note that at 25 gallons per filter, this system would only produce 150 gallons of water for $80. At 125 gallons per filter, this would produce 750 gallons of water for $80.)

I should make it clear that I'm not proposing that the Brita filter is effective at doing much. Information on its effectiveness is sorely lacking. Perhaps WaterKeeper (or someone with expertise in chemistry) could offer their opinion, point to better information or even run some tests. Personally, I'd like to see a number of products tested so that a risk and cost benefit analysis can be done. As it is, comparing all of the different options is difficult given that this topic is complex and that these threads on RC generally tend to reinforce that "RO/DI is the only way." The problem with this message is that those who can't spend $215 may just continue to use tap water thinking there is no alternative.
 
If I were to test tap water, water filtered by a Brita filter, water filtered by just carbon, and RO/DI water, what should I test for?

TDS?
PH?
GH?
Nitrate?
Nitrite?
Phosphate?
Ammonia?
 
TDS, Nitrate, Phosphate. If there is any nitrite or ammonia in your tap you might want to contact the water company. :)
 
Let's see haven't I talked about this before?:confused:

Oh yes in the New Tank Thread I say-
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=1738522#post1738522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Sure you can use a tap water purifier, bottle distilled or from one of those water purifier machines if you have a 1 gallon nano but with a 110 your going to spend far too much money. Even if you use natural seawater you will need the RO/DI to make your top-off water. Investing in an RO/DI at the start just makes sense for the most important ingredient in your tank.

How a 29 still uses a bunch of water, maybe not as much as a 110, but still alot. A tap water purifier can only have a limited amount of DI resin in it unless you have a very large tap. I would say 300 gallons is mucho water for such a little filter to treat unless the water is very soft to start with. There is not RO in such units as they would be extremely slow so the DI resin must do everything. That means it is going to only treat 1/10<sup>th</sup> to 1/50<sup>th</sup> of the amount of water as a full fledged RO/DI. Want a lab test then just buy a TDS meter and see for yourself. A RO/DI should get at least 750 gallons or so of water under 5 ppm TDS. See how many you get under 5 ppm using a Brita or other hang on the tap filter. I bet you'll be very surprised how little it makes than meet the spec. See <a href="http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2">RO/DI FAQ</a> for more.
 
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