How should i fill a 90?

[mopar9012]

I want to try to get my 90 running with water this weekend. Problem is I dont have a RO unit, and would rather not buy one. Any ideas? Has anybody on this site let somebody borrow an RO unit for like a day?

 

[hatessushi]

You can buy the water at walmart or some places have a water machine. You might want to invest in an RO system because you will need it for the top off water (evaporation) and also water changes. You can get one for pretty cheap and it will be way worth it.

 

[prk543]

You can get Distilled water from Walmart for 64 cents a gallon. Possibly cheaper from your supermarket.

 

[dmjordan]

if you don't want to invest in your own ro/di unit than it looks like you will be lugging jugs of purchased water to fill your tank.

 

[baloo6969]

buy an RO/DI unit. there cheeper in the long run. After top offs and changes...and its much easier to go to the sink and fill a bucket than going to the supermarket for water

 

[mopar9012]

i dont go to my supermarket. For top offs and water changes i would just get 5 gallon gas containers and that would be it. My LFS will give me water for free if i buy something, and even then i get water for free when i dont buy anything too.

 

[baloo6969]

if i *had* the $ to buy a 90gal tank, then spending money on an RO unit, that would be peanuts....just me though

 

[mx mr bean]

DUDE RO/DI units r they way to go!!!! ive added the costs up. my 90 gallon tank evaporates one gallon a day. apparently the distilled water i bought at publix was a little pricey put at a $1.09 per gallon i needed one for every day of the year.... this added up to $396!!!!!! that was just for top off water. for a water change every two weeks it cost me over $300. Not to mention gas money which is pretty high right now. Its great aswell to have water thats better than distilled at your finger tips for pennies a gallon! Btw I got the Kent Marine Maxxima HI-S 60 GPD.. another thing is u may not one a high number for GPD production but im glad i got the 60 apposed to the 30 gallon or less. u can make water much quicker. the system only ran me about $270 but compared to the money i was spending on gas, distilled water and saltwater from the lfs this investment was without adoubt one of the best ive done.

 

[am00re34]

i will agree with everyone else on here... get a RO or RO/DI unit. If you want a unit that does the job, but w/o the name brand price tag go onto ---- and look for them. No offense but with a unit like Kent your paying for the name. They are all essentially the same and my $90 100 GPD 5-stage RO/DI unit will put up the same if not better numbers then something like a Kent. The ---- one might not be as nice looking though, but the filters that the Kent unit uses are the same exact filters my cheap e-bay one uses. (i've checked the replacement #'s)
The unit you go for doesnt matter, just get one! the $100-300 investment is really worth it.

 

[lesleybird]

I live in Houston and a lot of the local fish stores already sell premixed saltwater.

 

[skipperdz]

walmart sells distillled and spring water in 3pks (3 one gals) pretty cheap. i have a 55g and i just buy 3-4 3pks and im good for 2 weeks...its cheaper and easier than owning a unit. id do this to set up and for top offs. its ALOT CHEAPER then buying premixed

 

[bjlled]

I carted water for my initial fill & 1 month. That was enough. RO system all the way. I paid 169 for it... thats it.

 

[aquaguy24]

i just got a 90g myself..and definetly geting a ro unit..my lfs sells real salt water for cheap but its much esier with the unit cuz u don't have to drive back and forth carrying loads of water..unless u like the workout..and if u buy ro water from ur supermarket by the gallon..ur gonna be carryingl like 70 or so gallon jugs all day just to fill that tank..

 

[milkman]

Water stores sell R/O water for .25 cents per gallon. I have one near my house that sell for .20 cents per gallon.

 

[renogaw]

with that much water going through them, how often do they replace their filters? i'm sorry, but the more i can control the more i can trust in the person working on my system. I don't have to worry about someone not changing the filter, or if they are just bottling pond water with a filter.
if you're in this hobby, you should know its expensive, but the right tools will make it less expensive in the long run, get an ro unit if you have the room for one.