# HMA Filter - Which one to buy?



## James Fawkes (28 Jan 2015)

Hi there,

I'm planning a discus tank and am going to get a HMA filter for the water. A lot of people seem to go with the DD HMA filter which is around £85.

However, on eBay there seems to be ones available for a bout £35. I know these filters will need changing more frequently, but is there any other reason to buy the more expensive one?

Cheers


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## ian_m (28 Jan 2015)

You need to ask why ? Just as other people do is not an answer. Not convinced of the need in UK (and Europe) as there is nothing a good dechlorinator can't do and do it considerably cheaper... 

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/hma-filter.20656/


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## James Fawkes (28 Jan 2015)

ian_m said:


> You need to ask why ? Just as other people do is not an answer. Not convinced of the need in UK (and Europe) as there is nothing a good dechlorinator can't do and do it considerably cheaper...
> 
> http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/hma-filter.20656/



Thanks for the info Ian, I have read through that thread. Had a good search of the forums before posting the questions. 
It's more the worry that on the off chance my water supplier might add something pretty fatal for fish into the water. Discus are more sensitive to those sort of things,or so I'm told. So a HMA filter would negate that slight risk. At the minute I use Prime which does a great job, but surely it will be cheaper in the long run to use HMA? 

It would be far easier to just use dechlorinator of course.


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## ian_m (28 Jan 2015)

sodium thiosulphate is even cheaper.

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/chlorine-chloramine


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## ian_m (28 Jan 2015)

Not convinced a standard HMA will make chloramined water safe. I think I read that the carbon pre-filter in the HMA will break chloramine down and absorb the chlorine but leaves the ammonia to pass right through. This can be removed by some of the better dechorinators,  Amquel+ or water just stored. This ammonia may or may not cause issues, fish distress and or algae in a planted tank. 

http://forum.discusnews.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5722

Some water companies use chloramine all the time but chloramine is often emergency injected into the water supply after a supply breach.

You can get HMA filters with Chorplus pre-filters to remove chlorine and chloramine.


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## James Fawkes (28 Jan 2015)

Thanks for the advice Ian. That link basically answers my question about whether to go cheap or not. As is usually the case, you get what you pay for.

I'd definitely get one with chloramine pre filter, if you're going to the trouble of using a HMA filter you want to at least remove chloramines!

Perhaps I will stick with Prime, a 2l bottle costs £65, it would be easier.

Thanks for your help


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## ian_m (29 Jan 2015)

Also other thing to take into account is changing the filters regularly must be done, especially the carbon one. Quite a few HMA users, I have read about, monitor their output water (using pool chlorine test kits, which work fine apparently!) as the lifetime of the filter element depends on the quality of your incoming water. A "saturated" carbon filter obviously lets the chlorine/chloramine straight past. A lot of HMA users are in US, where water quality is clearly less than in EU in many areas and also from users of wells and local streams.

Some local fish shops (not on line I notice) have bottles of prime with +30% extra ie 650ml for 500ml price, which is how I got my 650ml for about £17.

So add prime job done guaranteed or use HMA but test water to confirm it is OK ?


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## James Fawkes (29 Jan 2015)

ian_m said:


> Also other thing to take into account is changing the filters regularly must be done, especially the carbon one. Quite a few HMA users, I have read about, monitor their output water (using pool chlorine test kits, which work fine apparently!) as the lifetime of the filter element depends on the quality of your incoming water. A "saturated" carbon filter obviously lets the chlorine/chloramine straight past. A lot of HMA users are in US, where water quality is clearly less than in EU in many areas and also from users of wells and local streams



You make a good point, the reasoning behind using a HMA filter was to reduce risk and know 100% the water is safe. It looks as though prime can guarantee that better than a HMA. Costs seem pretty even.

I'm going to stick with prime. My LFS which will be selling me the discus tell me treated tapwater will be fine, so the discus are used to the water around my area too.

Thanks


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