[jsgates]

Went to the LFS today to see my tank, picking it up tomorrow. the 72 Oceanic Bowfront was not in stock, so they ordered me the Marineland 80 Ga. Bowfront for the same price. It looks really nice with the black Oceanic stand and the black canopy. I'm getting the AquaC Remora skimmer with the mag-drive 3 pump, and two Hydor Koralia 4 powerheads. Looks like lights are going to set me back $325 for 4 48" VHO T5 lights that I will have to rig up with some wood to fit them under the canopy. Is this a good price on this lighting. I learned today that I simply can't afford to keep hard corals, so I won't. Soft corals will be it for me. I did a lot of research and pricing before starting, but a couple of hidden costs are killing me. How bad is it to use plain tap water instead of RO water to fill the tank? Honestly, I can't afford the $200 for a RO system after investing in the tank and other equipment I planned to spend $300 on live rock so I am ok there, and $60 or so on salt initally. Lighting is costing a bit more than I thought it would, but I can handle that. The LFS will sell RO water, but it is $0.65 per gallon, or premixed w/ salt for $1.25 per gallon. I guess $52 to fill up the tank is not that bad, but how am I going to to get all those jugs of water to my house? Any suggestions as to what I should do? Water was the only thing I didn't take into account as a cost. Thanks for any suggestions or advice.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

your VHO kit is here for 359 including bulbs.T5HO Retro Kits - DIYReef

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I guess I am not a fan of two large pumps for circulation.whith the k4's you are going to have 32+x the tank volume in circulation.why not try two k3's and a k2 to mix things up a bit?And you will still have 28x flow.(not counting return flow)'with the lights you want and that flow the only major expense for hard coral is the coral themselves.

[dfurbee]

Please do not use tap water, it will give you nothing but trouble; I know from personal experience

[e_baer]

you can get an RO unit for 100$

[Tonz of fun]

I would not get water from your LFS unless Jesus is the cashier. You can get a good ro unit for a 100 smackers here is the link Mighty Mite with DI Added

[Arnold40]

Even if Jesus is the cashier I wouldn't buy. It might be wine.....LOL

[burdenpi]

get one of these, i did and i am getting 0ppm, cheaper than $200 and I you really shouldnt use tap water, you will live to regret it.
eBay Seller: purewaterclub com: Kitchen, Pet Supplies items on eBay.com

[jsgates]

ok, I am definitely getting a Reverse Osmosis system now. Took a Microsoft Certification test today for work and I passed. Boss gave me $100 for passing the test, now I can pick up an RO system! Yes! Prices look pretty good on ebay, but there are so many. I have an 80 ga. tank. How many stages should the filter have, and which filter will de-ionize the water in a reasonable time frame? I the Might Mite filter better than these ebay filters. Any suggestions appreciated. I looking to spend around $100 for an RO unit. Intial fillup with be a pain, but shouldn't be too bad for the water changes. Where do you guys store you de-ionized water, and how long can it be stored?

[jimw369]

I know a lot of people here like the Mighty Mite so Im sure its a great unit for $100. I did get one off of ebay for under $100 delivered. 6 stage RO/DI unit. If you have the room and can tap into your water line somewhere this ones works great. Makes 1 gal RO/DI water for every 2 gal waste water Made about 700-800 gal so far and still at 0 TDS. Replacement filters are under $20. Heres a pic of my set up if it helps.

[burdenpi]

I store it in a 30 gallon trash can. You can either get a float valve to start and stop the flow or start it in the morning, set a a timer and come back in a couple of hours. I got this one and I am really happy with it. Nice seller. Zero ppm 6st Reverse Osmosis RO+DI Water +$0 DI Filters - (eBay item 120157053607 end time Sep-07-07 20:27:52 PDT)

[thelastmucci]

I have a question about RO units. I think I'm going to get one off of ebay when the time comes however I see allot of people with there's just kinda hanging there. One person said that he has his in a 30gal trash can. How exactly do you setup one of these units. I mean I know it goes into your facuet but can't you just let the waste water drain into the sink and get some plastic tubbing and run that into a bucket. Am I crazy or am I stupid? The reason I ask is becuase I live in an apt complex that's run by HUD and I don't think they would be too happy if I start having 30 gal trash cans full of water...I have to keep the tank a "secret" as is.

[jimw369]

There is a RO unit out there that does not produce any waste water (I think). Some RB were talking about it a few months ago. Maybe Nativevaman or Glampka can steer you in the right direction with that. Probably more money though. Good Luck

[burdenpi]

no, i store the ro water in a 30 gal trash can, it supplies from the faucet and drains into a sink