normal?

[WarDog]

Lots of people use tap water, but its not ideal. Better to have a ro/di filter. Just be prepared for high Po4, and the algae that comes along with it. But, that being said, everybody gets some form of algae.

Any chance you could provide us with some more details of your system?

[mike31154]

I started my tank with tap water years ago as well and would not recommend it. Too many unknowns being introduced into a more or less closed system. You will need to top off with fresh water due to evaporation and also do periodic water changes. Adding more tap water via top off & water changes will only concentrate those unknown elements & cause you all kinds of headaches down the road.

You should be able to obtain a copy of the water report your supplier (city of Edmonton?) publishes on line. This will show you the concentration of various elements in your tap water & the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Once you have that info, you can tailor the water filtration unit (RODI) to your particular needs. Folks in the greater Vancouver area are fortunate to have very low TDS right out of the tap, but I wager most of them still use a RODI filter for their aquarium. Perhaps a fellow Edmonton hobbyist will chime in here with more info on your local water source.

[cf1]

That's excellent info! Thx mike. Will need to find that out about the water here. How much a rodi filter go for? Thinking about getting one for the whole house and the softener too.

[mike31154]

RODI systems run between $150-200 and much higher depending on how many bells & whistles. Those commonly used in the hobby are in the $200 range and are not whole house. They will have one or two sediment filters, a carbon stage (perhaps 2 if your water is treated with chloramine), an RO membrane stage & finally a DI stage. Water softener may not be needed, again, find out more about your source water first. Best to look for a RODI unit on line, the local hardware stores charge much more & generally aren't able to provide customized set ups.

Many of us put a T fitting before the DI stage & make RO water for day to day use, coffee, cooking, wine/beer making, ice cubes and so on. Some RO systems include a small pressure tank & a small tap for pure drinking water, but these add complexity & cost to the system. This makes the system cycle often causing premature fouling of the RO membrane. Longer runs of the system (minimum 5 gallons) are much better. I find filling a standard water jug with RO water when I run the system a great way to have fresh water for household use on hand.

[cf1]

I have a mini RO filter right by the kichen sink which cost over $600. Smalk output though. Will look for those online. Thx

[mike31154]

$600!!! Does it at least use standard size filters or does the manufacturer have some funky proprietary configuration that forces you to buy theirs?

Here's a link to give you an idea, there are many other suppliers, even sponsors on this forum. From the US you of course take a hit on the exchange rate & shipping, so if you can find one in Canada, might save a few $$s.

I like these guys since I've found them to be very informative & helpful with info in tailoring a system to your particular needs without going overboard.
http://www.buckeyehydro.com/premium-rodi-system/

EDIT: Clear housings for the sediment filter(s) are a good idea & also a DI stage that is mounted upright vs horizontal. 75 gpd RO membrane is one of the more efficient at reducing TDS.