Tap Water Filtration

[Nu2Discus]

I just wanted to put up a little blurb about tap water filtration if anyone else is interested.

I was looking into getting some type of filtration for my tap water before I would let it age. I looked into a few options, and decided not to go the RO/DI route. I didn't want to deal with all the waste water and re mineralization. So I decided to just get a filtration system that used a sediment filter, and then two carbon block filters. They are supposed to also remove chlorine and chloramines.

The filter arrived yesterday, and I set it up temporarily to see how it works. It was quick to set up, and I ran some water and tested it. So far right out of the gate it appears to be doing a good job. I first tested my tap water without the filter. Tested positive for chlorine/chloramine, and neg for ammonia. I then tested the filtered water. Still negative for ammonia, had the same color using API test kit, as the regular unfiltered tap water. But it tested negative for chlorine/chloramine. It appears to be working right now. I'll have to see how long it works for.

[100fuegos]

It does work, and it woks wonders but watch out your chloramines. The CTO filters that remove chloramines are efective for much less water that it they were only removing chlorine. I use zeolites instead, they are easily rechargeable with standard table salt as many times as needed. Have to say that my tap water is chloramines free as a rule, but you never now when the water supply companies will flush the system or change without warning to something different.

[Nu2Discus]

Yea I know that chloramines really reduce the effectiveness of the carbon blocks. I'll keep checking the water to see when it stops removing the chlorine/chloramines and also when I start seeing the ammonia rise.

So you use zeolites to remove chlorine/chloramine as well? I thought the zeolites only remove ammonia.

I think I'm still going to use safe even though there is apparently no ammonia or chlorine in the filtered water. Are you using any prime/safe at all after you filter your water?

[100fuegos]

Yea I know that chloramines really reduce the effectiveness of the carbon blocks. I'll keep checking the water to see when it stops removing the chlorine/chloramines and also when I start seeing the ammonia rise.

So you use zeolites to remove chlorine/chloramine as well? I thought the zeolites only remove ammonia.

I think I'm still going to use safe even though there is apparently no ammonia or chlorine in the filtered water. Are you using any prime/safe at all after you filter your water?

Chloramines are a bind of ammonia + chlorine so zeolites will take care of them. Not using any chemicals at all nor aging my water as there is no change in PH. I add my WC water straight from my prefilters to the aquarium through some inline heaters and my canisters at a rate of around 50 G/H. It's been like this for a full year now. I change all my filters every three months, I know I can squeeze more from them but they are cheap and Discur are expensive.