recommend a 3 stage water filter system

[-gb-]

Hello, I'm looking into installing a 3 stage filter system for my 60 gallon storage barrel. I'd look at RO but I don't have the cash and am concerned with increasing my water bill due to waste water.

Why I'm doing this:

1) I'm looking to take out chlorine, dissolved and particulate lead, chloramine as well as all the other nasties that are in my municipal water.
2) I'd like to stop using Prime. Trying to move away from the chemical soup I put in my tank.

I've seen the Pentek CBR2-10R carbon filters recommended on the forum. http://www.pentekfiltration.com/PentairFiles/Pentek%20Filtration/Literature/CBR2%20Series%20Spec%20Sheet%20310080.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRW4eRIkLt4

My questions:

1) Would a 2 stage filter work or would a 3 stage be recommended?

2) Any concern with using carbon. From what I've read in recent posts you do not want carbon in your aquarium's canister filters but using high quality filters like the CBR2-10R filter with carbon in it is ok??

3) If I use a 5 micron prefilter and the CBR2-10R filter (or something similar) what would I use in the 3rd filter chamber?

Any recommendations are welcome :)

Thanks,
Graham

[West1]

Hello there. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread. Have you contacted thefilterguys.biz ?
I purchased my 3 stage from them and should be setting up the rest of my drip system this weekend.
New to discus so I've been reading a lot.

Just wanted to recommend the filterguys to you

[-gb-]

Hello West1, thanks for the recommendation.

[100fuegos]

Personal experience:

Tap water -> 10 micron sediment -> 2X Zeolite -> 2X CAG ->2X Struded Carbon -> 2X inline Hydor heaters -> 2X Canister filters -> 2X more inline heaters -> aquarium.

All I have to do is open the faucet and aquarium slowly fills up.

Water slowly comes in through the two canister filters and the spry bar degassing at the same time. Two more heaters inside the aquarium that I only use during the water change. It takes around three hours to fill in 300 liters.

HIH

[-gb-]

Hi HIH, that's quite the setup!

[-gb-]

So what I'm thinking is setting up a 3 stage filter with the following filter setup:

1st) 5 Micron Sediment Filter
2nd) Pentek ChlorPlus 10 (to get out the chloramine)
3rd) Pentek CBR2-10

I'll use a 80GPD flow regulator.

[-gb-]

I installed my new water filter today and am about to do my first water change. I'll report back if I see any difference in my fishes behaviour.

http://i.imgur.com/eDIxvhW.jpg

[-gb-]

I've been using my new filtered water for over a month now. I had a problem with my fish always having cloudy eyes. After I installed the filtration this problem almost immediately went away. I find myself doing smaller water changes (50% instead of 75%) 5 times a week. This was a solution to a long standing problem. My fish are happier then they have ever been.

I'm also using a lot less chemicals to treat the water. I use 1/2 dosage of prime to treat any ammonia as well as the nitrates/nitrates that are in my city water.

[100fuegos]

Glad it worked so good for you, with the two zeolite filters I get rid of chloramines so no need to use any chemicals at all. No nitrates in my tap water.