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brokeinlbc
08-26-2009, 07:32 PM
First post pleasentries:
Hey everybody. I am trying to figure out the best way for me to effeciently do the proper amount of water changes. The tap water is ph 8.3, tds is 330. Obviously chlorimine and all the other fun stuff water in the desert (long beach) has. I have a rodi system in place but I dont like wasting all the water. not the price of it just the wasting of it. My tank is 125 gallons with 1 4 inch discus that I think is stunted. The other inhabitants are angels, bushynose plecos, few tetras, and an overzealous yoyo loach. Well basically I need to step up my water changes. Here is what im thinking.

I have a 5 micron and the carbon kind in the ro canisters but no ro. This does nothing other than remove chlorine and large sediment with no waste. However doesnt help with any of the other issues. I was thinking of filling an ro canister with peat and one with the di resin after the 5 micron and carbon. Would this be an effective way of filtering and softening the water to an acceptable level? What about with just running the water through the 3 filters without di filter? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. thanks sean

Jhhnn
08-31-2009, 08:54 PM
I doubt that peat will have the desired effect when used in a single pass filter.

If you use an aging barrel, then putting peat in a box filter, letting it work for a day or two will probably soften the water while lowering the pH. I say this because I used peat filtered water when keeping discus back in the early 90's- I've been away from the hobby for awhile.

At the time, iirc, I put ~1 cup of "pure canadian peat" (the black crumbly stuff from my local hardware store) in the box filter, let it work for a couple of days in a 30 gal container, which would bring my local tap water to a considerably lower pH and hardness... When I used the water, I changed the peat, started over.

You'll need to experiment with your water to see how it works for you. I'm not sure it's necessary for rearing young fish or keeping discus, at all- more than a few people are entirely successful rearing and keeping discus in water similar to your own. Breeding is a different story, apparently. I'd also try using DI resin after the carbon filter to see what you end up with prior to doing anything else...

rbarn
09-18-2009, 07:47 PM
Unless you are wanting to breed I would not worry about
softening the water.

Just use good chlorine GAC filter

Recommend the Big Blue 4" whole house canister filter (check ebay)
The huge contact time they have really cleans the water perfect.
Nothing else needed.

tcyiu
10-17-2009, 03:46 PM
Chloramine cannot be easily removed with consumer grade filters regardless of the claims of filter vendors. The required contact time with the filter media is too long to be practical. The simplest and cheapest way is to mix in de-chlorinator, preferably in a mixing/aging tank.

Other than the extra step of adding de-chlor, like rbarn said, unless you plan to breed, you really don't need to jump through too many hoops.

You can try conditioning the water, but my concern would be: if any of the materials change on you (peat is a natural material harvested from bogs. There is natural variability in the peat itself), you may have highly varying water conditions which could stress your discus.

My advice is to eep the workflow simple, and design it to be highly repeatable.

Tim

discusjoe27
10-20-2009, 06:34 PM
I forgot the brand, I think it's usa garden soil. lowers the ph, you just got to make sure it does have furalizer in it, and that it's pure garden soil/potting soil.
ask txredneck(jon) about it, he is the one that told me about it.

right now, my discus are doing fine in dechlornated tap, with a 7.2ph I'm doing 25% 2 times a week in a 75 gallon, with 4 sponge filters and 8 small discus, and 1 medium discus. but of coarse I'm buying from a breeder, that is in the same city and has the same water conditions so it makes things almost simple.

jeff@zina.com
10-21-2009, 04:34 PM
Using RO water would be the best option for the pH, though you may need to add buffering agents to keep it from dropping too low.

Jeff

ssevasta
01-03-2010, 11:03 PM
Ro right is a good buffering agent should you decide to go that route.