RO in North Phx?

[jasandenaw]

So I used to buy all my RO from Pet Safari, until their recent closing that is... So my question is where do folks in North Phoenix buy their water? I don't care to filter my own, and prefer an option near the 101 and the 17. Aquatouch is a bit of a drive and Tropical Treasures doesn't sell water. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
James

 

[reefstew]

I would suggest installing a rodi unit. No more hauling heavy water jugs.

 

[Turbovr3six]

Top Of The Reef

 

[allsps40]

Go to SpectraPure in Tempe and get yourself a good RODI unit for your tank and house.

 

[jasandenaw]

unit not an option

unit not an option

Currently installing an RO unit at home is not an option... Finances are tight. Maybe in the future I will re-evaluate. For now just looking for a place that is close to 101 / 17 stack. I go through about 20g a week and don't mind hauling buckets. It used to give me a reason to stop in and browse the goodies at Pet Safari...not to mention they are nice folks and made the visit pleasant. More suggestions? ToTR is almost as far as Aquatouch so that's a no go unless there's no other option.

 

[allsps40]

In the long run buying a RODI is much cheaper. Think about the cost of the water you are buying $1 per gallon give or take plus the cost of gas to drive you to get water and your time. My RODI paid for its self a while ago and that even includes replacing filters. At 20g a week= about $20, in a month and a half you could have paid for a basic RODI (like I have). I figure it costs me $1 a month to make all the water I need at this point.

 

[jasandenaw]

I have no doubts that I will save money in the long run, its just that I simply have too much debt and no room on credit cards to buy a unit. Definitely considering for future use but for now, gotta get through a week or two more. 20g @ $.35 was just a bit over $7 with taxes and I can do that for another week or two until things quiet down. Again any non-RO-Unit-Installing options are welcomed. Anyone in the area care to earn a few bucks and sell me some of their RO water until I can get back on my feet?

 

[azshooz]

Fish only or sps/lps?

Water store water might do. Buy a handheld tds (cheap!) and test water at your local water store

 

[jasandenaw]

I'm running mixed reef... little bit of everything. So TDS levels do matter, but i did hear that there is a possibility that a Water & Ice store nearby might have RO and possibly even RODI water with 0 TDS. I'm going to look into that later today...

 

[buffalobunch]

^+1 for fish only or corals
Tropical Treasures sent out an email a few days ago that said that they have Catalina Ocean water now. Maybe you could top off with the store bought water for your evap.

 

[azshooz]

I used store bought water for a long time on my 30g mixed reef. Just make sure you either have them test the water while you're standing there looking at the results with them, or ask all the right questions (when was the last filter change, what do you filter with, etc) and judge for yourself.

 

[Willow01]

Well I know Don at Tropical Treasures got some of Pet Safari's equipment including the container for Catalina Water. (he said he was going to be taking that over pretty cheap from them or something along those lines.) You can always see if they got that equipment too. Other then that invest in an RO/DI unit.

 

[Reef-o-Roni]

If you need some to hold you over Im pretty much down the street from you.

 

[OwenInAZ]

When I lived at Cave Creek and Bell I went to the Water and Ice at 32nd St and Greenway. I'm not convinced a RO/DI unit is a good buy considering the ongoing expense of wastewater and the need for lots of cartridge changes in Phoenix (back of the napkin math here). For 25-35 cents a gallon I can keep the tank topped off relatively inexpensively. How anyone gets to a dollar a gallon is beyond me unless one drives a gas guzzling truck and drives across town for his or her water.

 

[dzrtrataz]

Aqua touch is at 32st and cactus. I know they sell both RO and mixed.

 

[jasandenaw]

did some recon

did some recon

So yesterday on my way home from work I did a little recon in this topic. Went to Tropical treasures and this is what I found out: yes TT has the catalina storage tanks from Pet safari, not planning to do RO or RODI just yet. But the water store just around the corner within the same stripmall has RODI down to 20ppm. Like Owen I don't see how folks think I'm crazy or spending ridiculous $$ buying filtered water from my LFS. I go to a fish store every two weeks anyway as I need a choco star that often to feed my harlequin. So I always planned water runs and starfish runs at the same time. And beyond that the fish store was only minimally out of the way on my drive home, hence my insistence on a place near 101 and 17, AT and ToTR are both a number of miles in the WRONG direction from my house when I'm driving to/from work...so those two really aren't an option. I've enjoyed buying water for a number of reasons... 1. I don't have to throw down $150+ just to get a unit 2. I don't have to have it installed in a "convenient" location in my house 3. no filter replacement costs that can become pricy (and I could find myself in a bind such as now and wouldn't be able to cover the cost of replacement filters...then what?) and Lastly its a reason to be at a fish store to "happen across an awesome sale, honey. I HAD to get that new coral!".

I'll figure something out soon. Down to my last 5gal topoff bucket today. Gotta get H2O in the next day or two....

Thanks for the input

 

[areucrazy]

Sent PM... Im at the 101 & 51st Ave... I can hook you up : ) I even have a chocolate starfish but I'd hate to know he was leaving as food! LOL.... Just started making some water... I'll have 30g at the end of the day if you need it : )
I have an idea! I need a bucket of salt soon and I also need some $$ to buy the salt.... SO...if there is anyone else close to me who needs RODI water let me know. I'll do the typical .35 cents per gallon. I use the Spectrapure Max Cap 90 set up and have recently replaced all my filters. PPM is reading at ZERO. Let me know : )

 

[jasandenaw]

Responded to your PM areucrazy . I'd be interested for sure... just came home to a blown MH ballast so there goes my chances of setting up an RODI anytime soon. time to start a new thread in search of cheap new lighting.... arg!!!!!! if it ain't one thing its another...