[DJ88]

Hi Steve,

As a former Vic resident I'll try..

I used to just use tap water in my tanks and had problems with Cyano and hair algae. Lots.. The major worries that tap water puts into your tank is chlorine and other addatives as well as phosphates. Phosphates arent good things to have. You will notice that in alot of stores you can buy phosphate removers or sponges for use in your tank. Those are useful if you have a high level in your tank and need to remove them. The best way to get rid of them tho is to remove it from the water before it gets into your tank. This is where the RO/DI comes in.

RO(reverse osmosis) is a very very fine membrane which removes any matter within your water. down to 5 microns in the case of my filter. With this are pre and post carbon filters to remove things such as chlorine and other impurities. Once the water has passed through this part(the RO) it can be used in your tank without needing to have de-chlorinator added). But... There will still be phosphates. To get rid of this is where the DI(De-Ionizing) resins come into play. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Buy a TWP(Tap Water Purifier) from a LFS. Creatures has them. But it may be cheaper to get it through J&L here in Coquitlam. Can't remember Creatures price as it has been maaaaany moons since I shopped there. You use tehse by either hooking it up to your tap or hook it to the output of your RO to remove the phosphates. I wish I could explain how but I am no chemist.

Another option is what I use and that is a full DI cartridge added into your RO unit. I like this method as it is easy for me to hook it in line and forget about it.

MY RO/DI was purchased as Andrew Sheret In Vic. It is on Bay street near Dairy Queen.

The make/model number for my RO is an Aqua Flo E24TFC. It is a 24 GPD RO unit. The DI I ahd to put together by getting an extra cartridge holder form Andrew Sheret and get them to order in the DI cartridge. THE part number(I think) for that is, 155273-03 PCFI-10MB. That is what is written on the box I recieved from Andrew Sheret.

As for the hot water and using it in your RO. I woudl not use it with an RO as it will surely weaken the membrane, in my opinion, and shorten it's lifespan. Easy as that. Personally I see no reason why you would use hot. It costs you money to heat it and with an RO you do produce about 4 times the waste water as purified water.

I hope that helps a bit.. Keep in mind I dont know all the "in's and out's" of DI. but hope that this does help.

One thing to think about is that if you decide not to get an RO/DI right away any phosphates you put in your system will have to come out somehow. A phosphate sponge will not get it all out and it will sit in your sand bed and be consumed by various algaes and such at a later date. My 90 was really bad for phospahtes. It woudl slowly leech out of the sand bed. This kept my tank permanantly filled with algae. Even a voracious Tang and a cowfish could not keep it in check.

So there are a few words.. Hope they help..

If I have missed anything or made a mistake, I am sure one of the peanut gallery here will chime in.. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]