Manhattan water?

[Max Farber]

I'm a newbie and this is my first post. Just purchased by 14g Bio Cube yesterday and am stuck on...water.

Do I use and treat Manhattan tap water? (Probably not, right? High in phosphates, copper, other nasties, yes?)
Do I buy distilled water?
Do I buy an (in)expensive ($150-200) RO filter and hope my landlord approves?
Do I buy and schlepp RO water from my local pet store?

So Manhattan aquarists, what's the best solution?

 

[bigbris1]

Welcome Max!

Buy an RO/DI setup. It pays for iteslf in drinking water alone.

 

[KathyC]

Welcome to MR..you've already made the first great decision!! :flower:

Bris makes a good point cause once you see what garbage a rodi takes out of your tap water, you'll never want to drink the stuff again!

But...human nature dictates that you want to fill that tank up today..so best bet is to go buy some rodi water from your LFS to get started.

Watch the For Sale thread below for a used rodi, or you can pick one up for a good price usually in Ebay. I have one from Air Water Ice & couldn't be happier with it and their customer service (for reordering the filters).

 

[bigbris1]

I don't know why your landlord would have to be involved. Just make sure you get a T adapter used when installing the supply for an icemaker to the cold water pipe so the process is reversible.

Also, you don't have to install a saddle valve to your drainpipe if this is a concern, just stick the tube down the drain when making water & tuck it away when not in use.

I estimate that a 100gpd unit makes 1 gal in 15 minutes, so a 14 gallon fill-up should take about 3-4 hours. Not long at all.

 

[Max Farber]

RO/DI it is!

Thanks for all the kind and quick advice!

Clearly, RO/DI water is the way to go.

Any other recommendations (thanks, Kathy!) on good, inexpensive units?

 

[bigbris1]

Search ebay, craigslist & reef forums. I found mine (normally $300) for $35

 

[m'akoyPINOY]

welcome to MR!

 

[KathyC]

If you buy a used one, you'll probably have to replace all of the filters since you won't be sure of the history..if you get a new one, well, you can see where Im going...
Ideally, try and get one that comes with a TDS meter (either hand-held or inline) as that is the ONLY way to know for sure that you need to replace the cartridges

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Go to ebay and check out aquasafe units many of us here use em and love em :biggrin:

u wanna find yourself a 6 stage RODI... should come with all the connections you need and a tds meter and sometimes they throw in a pressurized storage tank..

 

[bigbris1]

PM sent Max.

 

[rookie07]

I bought mine from... thefilterguys.com
They were great, and great customer service from them...when It was time to reorder filter pad(or what ever they are) they looked up my previous purchase and found what I need to replace, great guys.

Best of luck, and welcome to your new life(its addictive)

 

[Lolli631]

Max,

Ive done the distilled water route, PITA. Tried water from LFS, not pure. For Xmas I got a RO/DI unit from FilterDirect on Ebay, couldnt be happier. TDS, PO4 and NO3 all 0 after RO/DI. Tank looks 100% better. No algae or phosphates and very low Nitrates. Invest the money up front you wont be sorry.

 

[lhkorn99]

Have to put my vote in for the thefilterguys.biz as well. They spent time with me on te phone several times before the sale and after the sale. The customer service is excellent and you will get a quality unit. I purchased the 75GPD RO/DI unit with a TDS meter. I think I paid $199. Well worth it.

 

[riff]

Another option is to get Petco Real Ocean Water. That's what I ended up doing. They ship free if you order over $50 worth, and they discount the water once in a while. It might be a good option with a small tank like yours -- especially if you have storage space and don't want to deal with making your own water.

 

[Max Farber]

Real Ocean Water

How long can the leftover bagged ocean water be stored for use in future water changes before going "bad?" How do you know when you no longer can use it?

 

[riff]

I'm not exactly sure how long the water lasts before going bad. I would presume a fairly long time -- but I'm no expert.