Water filtration question

[Johnenewt1]

Hi. I have a 150-gallon fish tank full of 25 African Cichlids (the most peaceful - yellow labs, acei, rustys, peacocks, etc.), and I'm tired of seeing 1 fish die every 2-3 months. One time it will be eye cloud, another will start to get internally-looking bloody/torn fins, and yet others have no physical signs at all and just perish. The PH is always 8.0 (monitored twice/day), the temperature is always 80 degrees, I have a built-in filtration system at the back of the tank, plus an external canister filter going. I use a de-chlorinator, cichlid salt, cichlid minerals, dry aragonite, texas holey rocks, long air-bubble wand, etc. I feed them the purest food available - Omega One veggie line, plus seaweed flakes, and do a water change every 10 days. I believe the reason they are dying is because our water is very rusty. We use a $6 monthly whole-house filter cartridge which removes rust, chlorine, etc., but we don't believe it's enough, so now we would like to strip the water completely of all its qualities. So here's my question... What can I buy so that I can strip out every property of water from my tap (and of course treat the water myself later), while at the same time still have the same heavy water flow coming out of the sink's faucet, so I can still use my 30 foot python siphon tube between the sink and the fish tank? I basically don't want to sit here for 3 hours while doing a water change because I can only buy something that has a little trickle of water coming out of a separate small spout on the sink. I still want to use the main sink faucet (full pressure), with my python tube, with whatever you can recommend I buy. Is it some sort of reverse osmosis system? Also to mention - I do not want to store water. Is what I want to do impossible? If not, please send suggestions and/or links of what I can buy. Any help would be greatly appreciated! :) Thank you.

[SergeS]

The only thing I am aware of is a reverse osmosis unit. They're very inefficient as you already mention. Other than that? No idea. But, after reading your post, I seriously doubt that the water quality is the reason for the unexpected deaths.

Species that are - on paper - friendly and peaceful, can still become agressive if the circumstances are right (or rather: wrong). A 'pop-eye' infection is, for example, very often a symptom for stress caused by ongoing agression. I've seen it in my tanks with males that were chased around all the time by other, more dominant, males.

Unexplained deaths cóuld be explained if the fish was chased and hit something (a rock) while trying to get away from another fish. Not unusual, especially with Mbuna! I'm not saying this is the case, but when I read your post, I think everything was already done that could be done to make the water 'fish-friendly', and water is just one of the many factors that make up a well balanced tank. That's why I thought of the behaviour in the first place, rather than the water quality.

Having said that, maybe you do too much to the water? Chlorine removal? Yes, but only if there is chlorine in the water to start with. Cichlid salt? Why? What does it do (proven effect, I mean, not what is on the packaging!)? Cichlid minerals? Same question. No need to, assuming you feed them properly. Dry Argonite? Sounds like something from Superman IV. Does it do anything to the water?

I don't know what's in the tapwater where you live, I'm just wondering if you're not fiddling with the water too much, and by doing so you do more damage than you would want to (for all the right reasons!). Less is more, in my opinion, but like I said, I have no idea what sort of chemicals can be found in your tapwater. I guess I'm lucky enough to live in a country where the tapwater is drinking water - I simply hang a garden hose in the tank and open the faucet for a water change

[Tr182md]

If all you want to do is remove iron the easiest way is a water softener. There will be trace salt in ther but for Mbuna that is fine. You will have to add GH back. I used cichlid buffer/salt for years with good effect. Probably not as needed as I once thought but it is easy. I was on well so I added whole house softener and no change I water flow. For draining tank I never liked python setup. I got a medium powerhead and clamped a tube on there. Dropped into tank for water changes. Python wastes a lot of water.

I agree stress could be part of it. Watch your fish. See if you can find any behavior that shows they are not getting along. Overstocking is helpful with this.