RO/DI headache

[seacowboy]

hello everyone, I'm sure some of you out there have pretty bad tap water like I do. I have recently had enough of algae and am looking into a filtering system for my tap water. Currently I have my eye on the 10 GPD Kent Barebones Unit and the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Filter. I only have a 10 gallon tank so I don't really need to be able to produce too much water.

My question is: If I go for the initially cheaper route of the "tap water filter" Will the cost catch up on me with the replacement cartridges? Also, I have fairly high phosphates around 1.5 ppm is either option better or worse at removing phosphates? And Lastly, is there an even better option that I have not thought of?

 

[jmac4978]

I would go with the RO/DI, or at least just an RO unit, no need to spend money on something you will want to replace in the very near future. The tap filter will filter the water, but there will be alot that will get through. As for the phosphates, you can simply add a buffer such as Phoslock to remove those. I just bought the cheapest RO unit it could find at my LFS. Its a coralife model that I got on sale for like 88 dollars. I cant tell you how much it has improved my 5.5 gallon in just a week! My params are the best they've ever been with everything zero'd out except a small ammonia concentration which is from somthing other than the water that I have to take care of. Plus, I just feel so much better knowing that I am putting quality water into a tank that I've invested a good amount of money into.

 

[triciod]

I agee with jmac. I just recently purchased a high quality RO/DI unit from ebay. i got mind for around $130 bucks including shipping. My LFS was selling their basic units for well over $200. Plus, if you are half as crazy as most of us on RC, you'll eventually setup more than one tank. If it were me...i couldn't be pacient enough for 10GPD...thats just me though.