# RO units for "under the sink"



## Ejack (6 Jul 2008)

Hi Guys,

Contemplating getting a RO unit for the home. Not only for tank water but for general day to day water drinking too.
Anyone have any recommendations on one that is pretty easy to setup up and sits under the sink? I would prefer it that it didn't have additional tap to be installed on the sink unit but this isnt a major issue. Also how long do the filter in the unit last and how often do they need changing?

Any help on this subject appreciated

Cheers

Jack


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (6 Jul 2008)

Ejack said:
			
		

> Hi Guys,
> 
> Contemplating getting a RO unit for the home. Not only for tank water but for general day to day water drinking too.
> Anyone have any recommendations on one that is pretty easy to setup up and sits under the sink? I would prefer it that it didn't have additional tap to be installed on the sink unit but this isnt a major issue. Also how long do the filter in the unit last and how often do they need changing?
> ...



obviously I cant comment on your desire for RO for drinking, but why RO for a planted tank?  Theres little point in removing everything from tap water only to put it back in again (and more) with dosing.

RO units are expensive to run and have a huge waste (about 70%).  Unless you have a marine tank, I cant see any reason youd need to do this for planted.

Are you sure you mean an RO unit? and not a mains filter unit? The output of an RO unit is not even slightly enough for a tap arrangement.


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## Ejack (7 Jul 2008)

Cheers for the comments Matt,

Sorry for not being 100% clear with what I was after  and I think you are right, its a Mains Unit I was refering too wherby it filters i.e 80 litres a day 'drinkinging' water and discards the bad stuff.

Forgive me for being wrong; as I'm still very new to planted tanks and the various equipment, terminology and chemistry behind it all and I'm still trying to take it all in and understand it . But I was under the assumption that RO water was good for Plants and fish tanks when mixed with certain amounts of added minerals. Isn't that why places like MA sell gallons of it to people. Even had the store manager telling me how good it was for planted tanks and that I shouldn't even bother attempting a planted tank without it, and that our local water isnt too good for planted aquariums.
I was just thinking long run wise if RO water was that good and needed wouldnt it be worthwhile if I could produce my own RO instead of buying it all the time seeing as water quality in my Area is pretty poor.

Apologies if I'm coming across a little 'stupid' on the subject of Tank water and its chemistry, I'm probably confused myself somehow with understanding it all.

Jack


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (7 Jul 2008)

ahha! thats cool  not stupid at all! 

Id quite like an inline filter unit as i filter all my tap water what with the 41ppm NO3 in it!  Id not though filter water for the tank, as all that 'crap' just saves me having to add more crap in dosing.

Its worth getting a water report from your supplier. This is easy to do, just email customer services and ask them for a report stating what chemicals are present. They update these every 6 months.  Youll probably find that most of it is stuff thats actually useful in the tank anyway and any undesirables such as Chlorine and Chloramine can be treated out.


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## ceg4048 (7 Jul 2008)

Ejack said:
			
		

> ... I was under the assumption that RO water was good for Plants and fish tanks when mixed with certain amounts of added minerals. Isn't that why places like MA sell gallons of it to people. Even had the store manager telling me how good it was for planted tanks and that I shouldn't even bother attempting a planted tank without it, and that our local water isnt too good for planted aquariums.
> I was just thinking long run wise if RO water was that good and needed wouldnt it be worthwhile if I could produce my own RO instead of buying it all the time seeing as water quality in my Area is pretty poor.
> 
> Apologies if I'm coming across a little 'stupid' on the subject of Tank water and its chemistry, I'm probably confused myself somehow with understanding it all.
> ...



No, you are not stupid at all. Far from it.  8) You are merely still plugged into The Matrix.   
Of the 300+ aquatic plants species grown in the hobby, only a dozen or so actually do better in RO water. There is no need whatsoever to use RO water because RO water is devoid of any useful nutrients which are present in tap water. The store manager wants to sell you RO water for the rest of your life, so of course he will tell you to keep buying RO.

Unless you are breeding Central or South American fish species, or unless your tap water is high in toxins such as pesticides/herbicides there is no reason to go through the trouble of using RO water in a planted tank, which would then need to be reconstituted by the addition of minerals anyway.  

Cheers,


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