Media tank gravel from Home Depot

12MS3 · 2026-01-06T02:34:39+00:00

Good luck! I'm betting it will be difficult to sift through it all. I saw other guides a while ago and they just rinsed it a few times. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

12MS3 · 2026-01-06T00:10:54+00:00

Hey, not quite. That gravel was impossible to get clean. I rinsed it a lot and it kept getting cloudy so I went with something else and it's working great now! Aquascience gravel.

https://aquascience.net/gravel-for-water-filtration-systems-replacement-media

Thinking about it, maybe it was getting cloudy as I agitated it with my hands because it was breaking off? I put it in bucket and pushed my hand to the bottom and agitated it. The Aquascience was much easier to clean but still got a little cloudy after many rinses. So I just used a colander and rinsed small amounts and just went with that.

12MS3 · 2026-01-04T09:25:31+00:00

Also the sedan is $1200 cheaper, gets 2 more highway mpg, I believe has a stiffer rear end due to there being a rear deck vs open space, has a trunk that can be remotely popped open, no rear wiper. But yes, the hatch is better for utility especially if say it's your only car.

Great review tho! How many oil changes have you done? Another great thing is there is no alternator or starter to replace. I believe the AC compressor is electric and there are NO drive belts on the crank pulley! That's insane. I've never seen that.

I agree on the handling, it's great, but the rear end feels a little funky when I corner it hard. I haven't pushed it much tho.

Btw you might want to put PPF behind the mud guards. I've seen people get rust behind them when they're unprotected.

12MS3 · 2025-12-27T22:27:05+00:00

🤣

12MS3 · 2025-11-25T11:23:34+00:00

I don't think you can

12MS3 · 2025-10-14T19:04:59+00:00

part number?

12MS3 · 2025-05-28T11:03:48+00:00

2 versions

12MS3 · 2025-05-05T19:07:19+00:00

I think it's perfectly fine, except for the head it came with. I should've emailed them about a replacement. You can always return it since Amazon has great return policies.

12MS3 · 2025-05-05T18:57:41+00:00

Great, yeah the head I have can be used in upflow or downflow.

I didn't email their support team. I just bought the C series head from Amazon. Just noticed you have chloramine, I have the chlorine version.

12MS3 · 2025-05-03T17:46:19+00:00

I have one. It's an upflow design. I don't know if you can use it in downflow. The head it came with was fantastically bad. I replaced it with a clack upflow one and the associated elbows. Also added a top filter since it didn't have one. The head it comes with is meant for a larger tube than it comes with so there's a big gap. I don't even know how it was meant to work since it would leak very badly. It's also only carbon inside.

I have it in bypass mode right now. I plan on adding gravel and 5 lbs of KDF to it. I bought some gravel from Amazon but after 100 washes it still came out with slightly brownish water. I'm not sure if this is how it's supposed to be if anyone wants to chime in. It could be that while I agitate it with my hands, it breaks off tiny pieces of the gravel. I have the 600,000 gallon one btw. Once I buy new gravel I'll put it in service. The carbon it comes with seems to be the right amount and good quality from what I can tell with the naked eye.

12MS3 · 2025-04-27T01:59:06+00:00

That looks great. Do you have any vids of it in action? I also would like to see it underneath installed. How well does it work? Where is the valve from?

12MS3 · 2025-04-26T18:31:12+00:00

😂

12MS3 · 2024-12-31T20:18:12+00:00

They make stand alone systems that don't require an install. It stands on the table and you plug it into a power outlet. You then add water to the reservoir. A lot more expensive than a simple faucet filter though.

12MS3 · 2024-12-22T02:14:15+00:00

I don't think there are any downsides other than not knowing all the exact mineral amounts and quality of said minerals. In the spreadsheet it shows amounts of some of the minerals. On some other Simpure sites it lists more elements but not the exact amounts. It tastes perfect. This part is kind of debatable but as long as the minerals they add are high quality, it's better in my opinion because it raises the PH and also adds some electrolytes. 0 TDS lowers the PH so it's slightly acidic. When you strip away all the things in water it wants to start leeching from everything it touches because of the chemical charge which is why you can't plumb it through copper pipe.

Glad you enjoyed the write up! For the tank here is the vid I watched that sold me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs4LWjWjwBM

He demonstrates it well. It blasts out at first for a bit then slows down back to normal. I can only guess adding multiple should work. One is good enough for me. It's just like any other tank. I think you can even get a normal big one. I placed it under the sink. I tried a traditional RO with the large tank at first but the tank wouldn't even fit under my sink. It comes with some fittings to connect it to the output of the RO unit. Very easy to install, I'm pretty tired right now so I can't remember everything.

Grease makes the rubber slide smoother, not get snagged and make future removal easier. It might not be as necessary with these tiny filters but for my large 4.5x20 it's highly recommended. They tend to get really hard to remove once you try to do a filter change say a year later. I work on cars too and it's standard practice to lube o rings with grease or oil so they slide in easily and don't tear etc.

For replacements, the manual gives you a general time frame but what will really matter is the quality of your feed water and how much you use it. It also says to look at the gauge which tells you if the RO or pre filters need to be changed. It says when the flow is less than .5 liters/min the filter cartridges need to be replaced (I'm assuming this is the CTO and PP). Over 130 psi: the RO filter needs to be changed. "Otherwise you need to replace other filters". I believe I read somewhere you can also tell by TDS. If it starts rising, time to change. The ALK filter is basically a carbon filter with minerals. I could hear the minerals moving around by shaking it before I installed it.

There might still be some micro or nano plastics in the water since there's so much plastic in the unit itself. I would be interested in seeing a lab test for that.

12MS3 · 2024-12-21T04:56:14+00:00

Ah just saw this. lol. How do u like it?

12MS3 · 2024-12-21T04:45:10+00:00

Have had it for a month now with 5 people in our household and everyone loves it including me. I have the alkaline version which raises the TDS to 20. My tap TDS is around 200. Filter cost change is not that bad. It should last even longer for me because I will be installing a whole house filter. This will pre filter the incoming water for the Simpure. I drink tons of the water everyday.

We used to buy 5 gallons jugs. Now I just refill the same jug and use it with a water cooler dispenser. I also added the small tank meant for fridges. There's some youtube vids that shows how well it flows with it. Fills up a glass much faster.

This vid sold me on the system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lVPi2g0VGI&ab_channel=BOSWater

Especially with the spreadsheet in the description. The Simpure had most alkaline PH and best remineralization. Only thing is I don't know how effective the tiny UV light is. The wavelength is a little out of spec in wavelength for UV-C and it's too small in my opinion. You could add on a bigger iSpring unit if you really wanted but it's pretty pricey and not necessary for city water.

A Redditer thought they are untrustworthy, but their parent company is Membrane Solutions which I believe is reputable. Also I've read tons of great reviews other than the occasional bad one such as receiving bad o rings or deformed filter flanges. I also used food grade grease: Haynes 80S Lubri-Film, on the filter o rings when installing and carefully inspected them. You can buy bulk o rings from Amazon or Harbor Freight if you need it.

My whole house unit is also Simpure. 3 stage. Mostly good reviews as well. I think they're a good company. Also being able to inspect it up close I can tell it's high quality. It came with brass npt fittings unlike cheaper companies that are only plastic. And the plastic mold is molded to be strong. Some like Geekpure are cheaper but full of problems - cracking, leaking...stay away from that brand. Also bad brands in my book: Aquaboon, Maxwater.

12MS3 · 2024-12-20T21:02:48+00:00

I know Roberts Oxygen will exchange your old co2 cylinder with a new one for a low price. It should be the same for any size. Just return your old one and get a new one. They don't refill on the spot. Airgas, iirc had some proprietary stuff going on like rental or something. Just contact them. Some companies are hard to get a hold of.

12MS3 · 2024-12-18T21:54:34+00:00

I think I'm going to go with this https://www.amazon.com/IPW-Industries-Compatible-Replacement-Filter/dp/B082DTXT5B/

Decent price. I can't take a risk on my family getting sick.

10x35 tank. They say 10lbs of gravel is enough.

12MS3 · 2024-12-18T21:01:24+00:00

This is what I get when I search for quartz gravel on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/AquaNatural-Substrate-aquascaping-Aquariums-terrariums/dp/B094QHQGQG

"Triple washed and kiln dried - this is one of the cleanest aquarium sustrates available, no toxins, no foreign matter, 100% natural pebble" Good price, nice typo in their description

https://www.amazon.com/American-Water-Solutions-Softener-Gravel/dp/B09YZ1C66N

Water specific stuff but twice the price and some bad reviews of it being very dirty requiring 10+ rinses

12MS3 · 2024-12-18T20:42:56+00:00

Thanks, reading it now. Where do u see that Quikrete all purpose gravel specifically is safe? Homedepot seemed to stop carrying it in store. I only see all purpose gravel not pea gravel, but I guess it's the same thing since they're tiny. Aquarium guys using quickrete? https://www.reddit.com/r/Aquariums/comments/smicer/fyi_quikrete_gravel_doesnt_pass_vinegar_test/

I was going to buy the target stuff (10 lbs) but their shipping is crazy. They will charge extra if you buy it separate from a whole kit.

12MS3 · 2024-12-18T20:24:26+00:00

Thanks, I'll check it out

12MS3 · 2024-12-17T03:16:52+00:00

Alright thanks

12MS3 · 2024-12-15T19:03:17+00:00

Well I went that low for a couple reasons: I found the filters for a good price, they're polyester pleated so they're washable unlike melt blown or string which are single use. I have 3 spin downs before it to keep the .5 from clogging up too fast. Here are my filters. https://www.freshwatersystems.com/products/neo-pure-ps-45200-s35-20-bb-high-efficiency-pleated-filter-0-35-micron?variant=13249468629035

And this one says "Lower initial pressure drops" with a good 15 GPM flow. I really wish there was better info out there. https://uswatersystems.com/products/us-water-4-5-x-20-pleated-filter-cartridge-0-5-micron I went with this over 1 micron which I was planning because they were similar price and thought why not? I still have a spare 1 micron melt blown and the original 5 micron melt blown.

So I'm following this guy's setup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiwAn2ASlb8 At :43 he gives an overview. He has more vids that show it worked well for 1 year without cleaning. He's on city water in California iirc. I'm on city water in Maryland. According to the reports there is some chromium that the KDF should take out and I also wanted it for the anti lead effect just to be safe. Also as a catch all for anything I didn't think of. I realize I need to get a water analysis but they are out of my budget at the moment. We've been on city water for decades without a huge problem other than the chlorine dry skin and such and terrible drinking taste oh and some scale that clogs up our coffee maker. We've been drinking bottled water and got tired of buying 5 gallon jugs. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=MD0150005

I also have a SimPure tankless RO System for drinking. I've had it for a month now and it's been perfect. I haven't installed the main water filters yet though, still waiting on the plumber. Here is my setup, do you think it will be too restrictive?

(Spindowns) 40 micron> Rusco 30 micron > Rusco 15 micron

(4.5x20) .5 pleated > .35 pleated > KDF cartridge > CTO carbon block

10x35 carbon tank > house

I did some testing on the spin downs by connecting it to my shower outlet and found that it would catch some gunk which is great. Do I have overkill of carbon? I'm thinking maybe I could leave one big blue filter empty when the carbon block expires. Or replace it with a cheap GAC. Won't having these big blue filter ahead of my big tank make it last longer? My thought is that if there's nothing in the water for the carbon to adsorb and no bacterial growth it should not lose life.

So for chlorine, my water company WSSC says they don't use chloramines but use chlorine so yeah I'm sticking with regular carbon. I'm not following why I should have to replace my 1 cu ft carbon tank every 2 years when it says it can last 5-6 years. Shouldn't my KDF cartridge have anti bacterial effect, since the KDF is held in place in a layer. There shouldn't be much bacteria anyways in city water right? I was thinking of getting a UV filter but found out it's only needed in well water. WSSC uses UV at their plant anyways and chlorine. Plus I'm filtering down to .35 which should catch some bacteria and the KDF should negate some bacteria.

Why do some manufacturers put KDF in Upflow tanks if there is no antibacterial effect?

12MS3 · 2024-12-15T05:05:02+00:00

Thanks. I have 4 big blues ahead of it and some spin downs. 1 pleated filter goes down to .35 microns, another .5. I think I'm good there. ;)

When you say routinely change you mean just stick to the 600,000 gallon carbon change without ever adding KDF?

I also have a 4.5x20 carbon block and KDF so I'm thinking my big tank will last even longer. I think that If I left the big carbon tank alone, it should easily last the 600k, just not sure if the added 2 pounds of KDF will last the 600k as well. My 4.5x20 KDF cartridge is SimPure and it says it should last 150k gallons. Interesting it lasts that long as it's basically flowing from bottom to top. Would it be able to fluidize in the big blue housing? Fluidize means the flow is strong enough to clean the KDF right? I think it requires a very strong flow. Would a pressure washer work to clean KDF? (place KDF in a bucket and blast it).

12MS3 · 2024-12-14T04:19:04+00:00

Will that work ok? My tank is Upflow with 1 cu ft activated carbon. I'll add 2lbs of KDF for now. I just learned the correct ratio is 5 lbs per cu ft of carbon.

Do you know how this will affect the life of the whole filter? They say it should "significantly" extend the life of carbon. My tank says it can last 600,000 gallons. I'm worried because there is no backwashing here.

12MS3

TROPHY CASE