Walmart Inline Hose Filter

[Jon M]

Saw someone post this on fb saying they used it to filter water to use for their aquariums. I don't see anywhere it specifically saying it removes chlorine, chloramine, etc. Anyone knowledgeable able to give me any feedback on this filter and if the water it produces is or is not as safe as seachem primed tap water?

CLEAR2O RV & Marine Inline Water Filter - Provides clear, fresh-tasting water when camping. https://www.walmart.com/ip/269825607

 

[duanes]

If you put your mouse on the small pics/views of the unit in the left of the add, there is a breakdown of what it supposedly reduces on the 4th view, the 1st in that list chlorine.
Being a solid carbon block, that is no surprise.

 

[phreeflow]

How can you tell when these solid block carbon filters run out…meaning, stop adsorbing chlorine? I get their usage but don’t understand how people know when they’re no longer active. Do you just test for chlorine occasionally? Also, is ammonia from chloramines taken care of by your filter once chlorine is stripped off?

 

[Jon M]

If you put your mouse on the small pics/views of the unit in the left of the add, there is a breakdown of what it supposedly reduces on the 4th view, the 1st in that list chlorine.
Being a solid carbon block, that is no surprise.

I see. But i see no chloramine. I assume one or the other is in tap water and it varies by geographic location? So how would this hold up for a water conditioner substitute? Does carbon remove chlorine AND chloramine? And are there other agents a water conditioner lime prime removes that this wouldn't?

How can you tell when these solid block carbon filters run out…meaning, stop adsorbing chlorine? I get their usage but don’t understand how people know when they’re no longer active. Do you just test for chlorine occasionally? Also, is ammonia from chloramines taken care of by your filter once chlorine is stripped off?

Not sure. These are questions I'm trying to find out to see of this is a valid substitution for water conditioners. I can say the description says 3+ month life depending on water. I do know someone that uses a system similar to this and his I'm pretty sure told u the life of the cartridge based on gallons, ex: you've changed 400g of water in ur tanks cartridge is good for 1000g, so he'd just underestimate the life of the cartridges to be save and change em. Realistically if I changed one of these once every other month it would be cheaper than the amount of prime I go threw.

 

[duanes]

How can you tell when these solid block carbon filters run out…meaning, stop adsorbing chlorine? I get their usage but don’t understand how people know when they’re no longer active. Do you just test for chlorine occasionally? Also, is ammonia from chloramines taken care of by your filter once chlorine is stripped off?

Because tap water residuals are different everywhere you go depending on source, there would not be any standard for how long it would last.
The only way to know would be to regularly test water coming thru it .
Where I lived in Milwaukee and our lake Michigan derived tap water was treated with 1 ppm (in winter) chloramine, I would expect them to last a long time.
But in areas where a 3 ppm chlorine is the rule, because a tap water source was riveting, a shorter lifespan would be expected, and more testing required.
In the lab, we used carbon blocks on water treated with chloramine, they would remove the chlorine part of the chloramine ion, but not the ammonia part.

The test strips found at places that sell pools would come in handy.
In the lab we used these units

 

[phreeflow]

Because tap water residuals are different everywhere you go depending on source, there would not be any standard for how long it would last.
The only way to know would be to regularly test water coming thru it .
Where I lived in Milwaukee and our lake Michigan derived tap water was treated with 1 ppm (in winter) chloramine, I would expect them to last a long time.
But in areas where a 3 ppm chlorine is the rule, because a tap water source was riveting, a shorter lifespan would be expected, and more testing required.
In the lab, we used carbon blocks on water treated with chloramine, they would remove the chlorine part of the chloramine ion, but not the ammonia part.
View attachment 1531757
The test strips found at places that sell pools would come in handy.
In the lab we used these units
View attachment 1531758View attachment 1531759

Thank you Duanes. I assume the ammonia part of the chloramines will be treated by the biological filtration in our aquariums?

 

[duanes]

Thank you Duanes. I assume the ammonia part of the chloramines will be treated by the biological filtration in our aquariums?

This is how I have done it for years.
To treat chlorine, and chloramine in my tanks, I have always used Sodium Thiosulfate, which neutralizes the chlorine ion, but not the chloramine part of the compound.
So I always add new tap water to my sumps first, instead of directly to the tank, so the beneficial bacteria, and plants in he sump/refugium, had first crack at that part of the ion.

Before the addition ofSodium thiosulfate above, after below.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Carbon filters are one of the more expensive ways to dechlorinate. Like Duane, Sodium Thiosulphate is about the cheapest, next would be something like Seachem safe which is in the region of fractions of a cent per liter. There's a post floating somewhere around the board where I did the research and math.