RO/DI units

[strgazr27]

One of the last "Pieces" that I need is an RO/DI unit. I am currently looking at the Filter Guys OCEAN REEF + 1 FIVE STAGE 75 GPD RO/DI. I like the price and the fact I would be supporting an MR vendor but wonder if there are better setups for the same money?

Also, can the drain line be run slightly higher than the unit?

Built in TDS meter or stand alone unit?

Will a Rubbermaid container store the water sfely/effectively or should I spring for a stand alone tank?

ANY other help or suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ryangrieder]

Check out air water ice. Love them. Cheap, and amazing. Both my buddies just bought one the same week, both different units, saw both of them, amazing.

 

[strgazr27]

Ryan,

Thanks! They do look like nice units.

 

[ed51802]

best bang for your buck is on ebay (pure water club) check them out you wont be diasapointed

 

[dotc0m]

I'd steer clear from mighty mite from air water ice. Their carbon inline seems to clog up a lot. Even with a prefilter 1 micron sediment. My second one just clogged and I'm almost fed up with them. Running out of cheap solutions.

 

[jerl77]

tb aqutics has one works very well

 

[strgazr27]

best bang for your buck is on ebay (pure water club) check them out you wont be diasapointed

Ed is this the unit your talking about ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUARIUM-RO-DI-...623?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588c93a62f

 

[ed51802]

very similar but its from pure water club and a little cheaper i got mine for 109.00 free shipping. i always used declorinated tap but had random out breaks of algae. i finally got an ro/di. good luck with your purchase

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

you can make one for cheaper then buying it from a company. just get an inline carbon filter which are the cheapest because you dont have to replace actual carbon filters its just a brand new housing and you just plug it in every time. same thing with sediment filter (inline) then buy a reverse osmosis housing and however many gpd filter you want and then a di housing and buy some di resin and ro tubing. the tds meter i think cost around 25-30 inline or handheld the unit gets hooked up to a sink or hose so the pressure is what pushes the water so you can put the waste water and good water tubes as high as you like. just remember when you set it up the sediment filter comes first. then the carbon, then r/o then di. i built a 100gpd filter for only about 60 bucks.

 

[strgazr27]

you can make one for cheaper then buying it from a company. just get an inline carbon filter which are the cheapest because you dont have to replace actual carbon filters its just a brand new housing and you just plug it in every time. same thing with sediment filter (inline) then buy a reverse osmosis housing and however many gpd filter you want and then a di housing and buy some di resin and ro tubing. the tds meter i think cost around 25-30 inline or handheld the unit gets hooked up to a sink or hose so the pressure is what pushes the water so you can put the waste water and good water tubes as high as you like. just remember when you set it up the sediment filter comes first. then the carbon, then r/o then di. i built a 100gpd filter for only about 60 bucks.

$60 ?? Where did you get the stuff from? Possible to post a picture or parts list?

Thanks

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

i got everything from ebay. just type inline carbon filter, inline sediment filter, di housing, reverse osmosis housing, reverse osmosis membrane (about 80% of the price) and some di resin and you can use r/o tubing which is like a hard air tubing also get a flow restrictor see what the membrane is rated for but those are really cheap. also they have those little clips to put the together i have mine just layed out flat and connected with the clips to stay together.

 

[strgazr27]

I don't know how you did it for less than even $100 based on what I could find. I spent over an hour last night and couldn't put anything together for less than that. Just the 3 housings alone are $42 from the cheapest on Ebay. For what I am looking for I doubt a DIY is going to save me any money....

 

[prattreef]

I think your 1st instinct of going with a MR vendor is a good one. Both The Filter Guys and Air, Water and Ice ( and probably others) offer affordable, quality units with great customer service and obviously support the site which members really need to take into consideration more often than they seem to.

 

[Clownfish]

Does the pure water club come with instructions to install the RO/DI system?

 

[ed51802]

Yes it does I set mine up in about 10 mins. Flushed the system for about an hr and was making water for top off
Sent from my SPH-M910 using Reefs

 

[Imbarrie]

I would buy a good quality assembled unit. I love my AWI. Whoever you buy from make sure replacement filters are easy to find. Some are proprietary and way over priced.

 

[masterswimmer]

I would buy a good quality assembled unit. I love my AWI. Whoever you buy from make sure replacement filters are easy to find. Some are proprietary and way over priced.

+1

Not to mention the orientation (or the way they are mounted) of the canisters makes a huge difference in performance. Listening to some of the DIY mavens putting their own units together, I can tell you the efficiency of their RO/DI is not nearly equal to a quality built unit. Will they get zero TDS from their filter? Probably. However, their DI resin will need to be replaced MUCH quicker than on a quality unit. They will need to replace their membrane (most expensive component) much faster too. A well constructed RO/DI should have a membrane that can last for years.

Matching the proper micron rating of the sediment filter to the carbon filter is something I haven't even heard mentioned in the discussion here.

There are very good reasons those units only cost <= $100.

When people are anxious to put $100/polyp zoo's and $300 1/2" frags of chalices into their tanks, and only spend $60 for the water these animals live in something is backwards. Do the right things for your critters and put their 'homes' together properly. Quality water is the bare minimum we should be providing them. FYI, I'm not recommending anyone spend $500 or $400, or even $300 on a quality RO/DI filter. There is a happy medium between less than $100 and what a decent RO/DI will cost. Oh, this doesn't include a booster pump if your pressure is insufficient to drive the filter.

Russ

 

[strgazr27]

Russ,

Great info! As soon as I sell the stuff I have on here I will be in touch. My street pressure here is about 80-90 pounds if I remember from doing my sprinklers. No need for a booster pump correct?

 

[masterswimmer]

Russ,

Great info! As soon as I sell the stuff I have on here I will be in touch. My street pressure here is about 80-90 pounds if I remember from doing my sprinklers. No need for a booster pump correct?

Man, I wish I had 70-80 psi. If you have 80-90 psi you're all set to go. I get about 35 psi and my RODI goes drip........drip.........drip..........drip :sad2: The booster pump makes a world of difference :spin:

R

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

on the one i made its 60 psi the only thing is that the temp is like 50 so is slows it down alot. i have sediment first, then carbon, then r/o, then di which i think is standard anyway. but you said the layout can effect the performance, should i stack it like a triangle so the r/o is on top because thats how i see all the professional units with everything vertical and then the r/o horizontal on the top so the closes i can get to that is to stack it up so the r/o is on the top. any other suggestions?

+1

Not to mention the orientation (or the way they are mounted) of the canisters makes a huge difference in performance. Listening to some of the DIY mavens putting their own units together, I can tell you the efficiency of their RO/DI is not nearly equal to a quality built unit. Will they get zero TDS from their filter? Probably. However, their DI resin will need to be replaced MUCH quicker than on a quality unit. They will need to replace their membrane (most expensive component) much faster too. A well constructed RO/DI should have a membrane that can last for years.

Matching the proper micron rating of the sediment filter to the carbon filter is something I haven't even heard mentioned in the discussion here.

There are very good reasons those units only cost <= $100.

When people are anxious to put $100/polyp zoo's and $300 1/2" frags of chalices into their tanks, and only spend $60 for the water these animals live in something is backwards. Do the right things for your critters and put their 'homes' together properly. Quality water is the bare minimum we should be providing them. FYI, I'm not recommending anyone spend $500 or $400, or even $300 on a quality RO/DI filter. There is a happy medium between less than $100 and what a decent RO/DI will cost. Oh, this doesn't include a booster pump if your pressure is insufficient to drive the filter.

Russ