picking RODI unit

[james1990]

Picking up RODI from my LFS has been convenient so far as they are around the block but Im now looking into an RODI unit.

MY LFS sells BRS brand and I do like their dual reactor so I would like to get one from BRS. but im not sure what the difference is 75gpd or 150gpd and how many stages I need.

Im upgrading to a 150 SPS/some LPS display, and a 60gallon frag tank connected by a 100gallon sump so im going to need alot of water. Is the 5-6 stage worth its price to have the cleanest water in the tank? I dont want a problem finding filters after the sale.

If there is other brands besides BRS that would help too.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

There are many... You can go to saltwatercritters.com, airwaterice.com

Those are 2 other places i trust along with brs.com

Go with the 150 gpd and i would go with as many stages as you can afford the cleaner the better

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I have the 5 stage +1. The one thats $199.99 I love it. They're awesome customer service wise as well.

http://thefilterguys.biz/ro_di_systems.htm

 

[james1990]

it seems they make a 6stage 75gpd or a 5stage 150gpd..what are the differences? is the extra stage worth going down to 75gpd? thats just the rate at which it makes water per day correct?

 

[rebelson]

If you want a quality unit look at the one I am selling:

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...iser-six-stage-ro-di-150-gpd.html#post1272282

 

[Tonyscoots84]

When it comes to rodi me personally. i always buy new...

 

[fishman1069]

I got mine from filterdirecr.com 6 stage 100 gpd unit with pressure gauge George $150 shipped! This is my second one, i sold the first a couple of years ago due to a break from the hobby.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

When it comes to rodi me personally. i always buy new...

+1

I also personally think 6 stage units are overkill. Yes many will say the more purification the better but my 5 stage has yet to fail me and its less to buy as well as maintain.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

My 4 stage works awesome

 

[rebelson]

Cause we all know that the plastic tubing, fittings, canisters etc. deteriorate with use and NOT the filters. LOL

When it comes to rodi me personally. i always buy new...

 

[Buckeye Field Supply]

Picking up RODI from my LFS has been convenient so far as they are around the block but Im now looking into an RODI unit.

MY LFS sells BRS brand and I do like their dual reactor so I would like to get one from BRS. but im not sure what the difference is 75gpd or 150gpd and how many stages I need.

Im upgrading to a 150 SPS/some LPS display, and a 60gallon frag tank connected by a 100gallon sump so im going to need alot of water. Is the 5-6 stage worth its price to have the cleanest water in the tank? I dont want a problem finding filters after the sale.

If there is other brands besides BRS that would help too.

Hi James. You posted some good questions.

We recommend you start with a 4 STAGE system:
Sediment filter->carbon block->RO membrane->DI stage.

Add additional stages ONLY if you are trying to address a particular water quality issue. For instance, if you are using well water that carries lots of sediment, you might want to add a second sediment filter. If you are using city water that contains chloramine, you'll want a second carbon stage.

Instaed of focusing on the number of stages, here are
some things to look for in a good system for this hobby:

• No more than 4 stages (sediment, carbon, RO, DI) unless you have specific water quality issues you want to address
  
• Standard-sized prefilters, membrane, and DI cartridge
  
• Brand name, high-rejection membrane
  
• Specifications provided for each stage
  
• Pressure gauge after the prefilters and before the membrane
  
• Thermometer
  
• TDS meter (handheld or in-line)
  
• DI bypass
  
• Vertical DI stage
  
• Refillable DI cartridge
  
• Rust-proof bracket
  
• Quick connect fittings
  
• No water from pressurized storage container delivered to DI
  
• Flush valve
  
• Clear housings
  
• High-quality instructions written in clear English
  
• Customer support before, during, and after your purchase
  
• A vendor involved in your hobby

Russ
Buckeye Field Supply

 

[Buckeye Field Supply]

Here's some things to think about re the gpd rating on an RODI system:

Membranes differ in many ways, including 1) how well they clean the water, 2) how fast they produce purified water, and 3) the pressure they require to meet the manufacturer's specified water production rate.

Here are the specs on the membranes we use most often in systems sold into this hobby:

One of the most common, and best ways to set up an RODI system is to have the system fill some sort of UNPRESSURIZED reservoir/tank. You can then draw pure DI water from this tank for water changes and for top offs. You can set this up so that it is entirely manual, or automated to whatever extent you'd like.

The use of an unpressurized tank reduces to a large extent the importance of using a RODI system that produces water very quickly. Let's say you need 15 gallons a week for top off water, and you have your RODI system set up to automatically fill your 15 gallon top off tank every Saturday morning. Do you really care if it takes 3 hours, or if it takes 6 hours for the system to fill that tank? In most cases people don't care - in a few cases they do. We'd be happy to talk through this in more detail if it would help you. Realize that you can get RO membranes that will fit a standard membrane housing that produce as little as about 6 gallons a day - these wouldn't be practical for use in this hobby in most instances - so we suggest you limit your membrane selection to the range of 50 gpd to 150 gpd. It's easy to set us a system to produce more than 150 gpd but again that's not needed by most hobbyists.

If you look at the chart about you'll see that some membranes have a higher rejection rate than others - that means that the membrane will clean the water better. When you deliver cleaner water to the DI resin stage the DI resin will last longer. So in most instances it makes sense to use a membrane with a very high rejection rate. You should know that membranes need adequate water pressure to meet that facory specified rejection rate - so for many people the 150 gpd membrane requires more pressure (65 psi) than they have available (unless they get a booster pump). If you think through the info in the chart above you'll see why the Filmtec 75 gpd membrane is the most popular in this hobby. It has the best combination of low required pressure, high rejection rate, and fast production.

Russ
Buckeye Field Supply

 

[Buckeye Field Supply]

Go with the 150 gpd and i would go with as many stages as you can afford the cleaner the better

No offence intended Tony - but we disagree with this "myth." It is widely held however and we try to kill it everytime we see it.

More stages does not equate to cleaner water!

For example, if one carbon block removes all the chlorine, why buy a system with multiple carbon stages?

Be careful here - some vendors use very low quality filter cartridges and you'll need two to do the job of a single good filter.
Over time, the cost of ownership will be higher if you use multiple low quality filters.

So unless you have particular water quality issues, select a system that uses a depth sediment filter rather than a standard poly sediment filter. Select a system that uses a single high quality carbon block rather than a low quality block or one or more GAC prefilters.

Russ
Buckeye Field Supply