Water Purification

Carl,

That is exactly what I was thinking.  I was going to say that earlier, but decided to let it go.

Adam

Aren't we talking about make-up water here?  Can't use NSW.

Mark, I've given my reasons in past threads why I prefer RO/DI over cold sterile.  There is no easy way to tell when your cold-sterile filter material goes spent.  And there's too much magnesium, imo, in tap water.

Doberman, those cheap drinking water filters are usually just a particulate filter followed by some activated carbon.  They just remove smells and taste (organics).

Mark, I thought that this was pretty interesting from PBM's website. I know that we have discussed retroing RO to KS before...

I have several filter canisters, at home, can someone
purchase just the media and attempt to make their own
Kold Ster-il® System?

No! First, the Kold Ster-il® System is a U.S. Patented Product. Second, the filter media are subject to separate U.S. Patents. Poly-Bio-Marine, Inc.® will not allow it's patented media nor patented internal media retainers to be used in any other systems or canisters without a license and proof of product liability insurance. Finally, the addition of the Kold Ster-il's three filter media to any other filter canisters ---- is a waste of time and money. Our Patented filter media will not function in any other canister system ---- without the Patented (Filter Media) Retainer Assemblies. Poly-Bio-Marine, Inc.® did the research & development before applying for the Patent on the entire system and as such is protected under federal laws from: reverse engineering, usage of media in any other nonlicensed systems, and any pseudodesigns, copies, clones that attempt to make similar performance claims. The Kold Ster-il® System is the only system using 10" canister capable of 14.0 liters per minute and meeting Japan's 46 item drinking water certification.

Carl wrote: dehydrated water is the best alternative.

To re-hydrate it, do you just add water?

I have read that with di water, there can be copper traces due to the spiral tubing used in some di processes????

Repto, I think you're thinking of distilled water.  Distilling may use copper coils to condense the whiskey... err I mean water.  But more typical nowadays are glass condensers which obviously don't release copper.

(edit:  ya what shane said...)

I have been successfully running 2 tanks with tap water. Tank 1 for about 8 months now and tank 2 for 5 months now.

Tank 1: This tank has been on tap water only, for about 8 months as I said.  It has a protien skimmer and a fluidized bed filter in the sump.  I am running 5 55-Watt PC's.  2 10K, 2 actinic, 1 50/50. I had very little algae problems in this tank until I refilled the fluidized bed filter.  (It was used and had very little bed in the filter.  When I got the right media I filled it full.)  At this time the algae started growing on the glass very rapidly.  I had to clean it every other day just to have visibility.  After 3 days of no cleaning you could not see through the glass.  I learned that Fluidized Bed Filters needed at least 3 months to really "Kick In" so I decided to give it at least that long before doing away with it.  At the same time my Protien skimmer quit working.  I have since fixed the protien skimmer and the Fluidized Bed Filter has had it's 3 months.  I now have far less problems with algae although it still grows on the glass and must be removed weekly to keep it pretty.  I don't know if the algae problems I now have are due to the tap water or not, but I suspect that they are.

Tank 2: I just changed tank 2 to RO/DI 2 weeks ago.  Although I have not noticed huge amounts of algae growing in that tank while using tap water I have had low lighting on that tank until 1 week before the change to RO/DI When I added 2-250 watt 20K MH HQI's.  This tank also has plenty of caulerpa in the refugium and maybe this has been the difference.  I will say that there are several patches of cyanobacteria that have been everpresent in this tank since it was set up.  No matter what I do to remove it, it always comes back in those small areas.  I will keep an eye on this tank as more and more of it is changed to RO/DI water through top off and water changes over the next several months.

The calcium in these 2 tanks has always been at least 350 ppm even though I haven't added any except what comes in the tap water.  I figure I will have to start adding it to tank 2 now that RO/DI is the only water being added to it.  I plan to continue using tapwater in tank 1 for the forseable future so I will continue to keep on eye on that one as well and see if I can see any differences in how the two tanks get along.

I don't know if this is the kind of info Mark was looking for or not, but I thought this might be helpful.

Either is ok.

Some of the DI cartridges are not NSF-PW tested for potable water so manufactures suggest they not be used for drinking water... but you're most likely ok if you do.  I drink DI water at work often.  And I haven't noticed any side-effects... any side-effects... any side-effects. 

At home, I'm a tap water kind of guy (even though I have RO/DI there too).