I live in a super desert environment, it's too hard as water/dissolved minerals and makes brown algae grow like crazy. I've tried water softener pads and phosphate removers to little avail and I Have a shit ton of algae eaters

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Aside from the brown algae, it's just generally really hard to water change or top off with distilled water which is quite expensive. I usually just use my garden hose from the front door and add dechlorination.

I cannot install RO in my rented home, though it's a large home with a backyard and I've collected the rare rainwater on occasion.

What are some other options / DIY I can do to make large amounts of distilled water, RO, w/e else? I have the space and money, but I'm also not willing to waste money on bottled water.

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