2 quick inquiries for the many geniouses of the forum :)

[AngelLeah1981]

Hey Peoples !

1. I want to buy an RO/DI unit for my 120 gallon (not yet set up) saltwater aquarium. I want the unit to be very good but I don't want to go crazy. "I don't have a money tree out back." ha ha. The thing I'm trying to figure out right now is what I need to look for in a RO/DI system ....just 5 stage? or anything else? I heard that the $70 unit at PetsMart is worthless. shrugs shoulders. I'm willing to spend up to $250-300 but definatly don't want to if it's not necessary. I see the units at all different prices. Also, a while back someone told me they use their unit for drinking water and I always saw this as a plus especially considering I spend around $70-80 a month in Walmart bottled water !!!

2. I'm not even sure I will need a UV sterilizer but I saw what appeared to be a great deal and am wondering if you would mind checking it out for me. I would really appreciate it.
It's #5 on the list:
Louisiana Reef Club :: View topic - Equipment for sale WITH PICS
Also, he said "Here is a link to info on the model that I have. They will kill anything that is in the water.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~AV2241.html
Please give me your thoughts on this deal.
Leah

Quick info: I try my best not to overfeed. LOL

 

[AQTCJAK]

I sell the filter direct model 6 stage with to DI units that if your water pressure is good it will produce 110GPD

Filter Direct Online Store (C)

you UV link doesnt seem to work

 

[AngelLeah1981]

They should work now. Sorry.
What is better for fish and drinking water ? 7 stage with uv? I just now saw that. I thought it only went to 5 stage.
Thanks.


Oh, one more thing: How big of a quarantine tank would you do? .....especially since later on I want a Powder Blue Tang. I know these are extremely difficult but they're my favorite so I have to at least try it. (unless it could get ich and kill all my fish) Is this possible? I hate the idea of a tank going constantly (using my power and water and paying for the equipment) just for it to sit there most of the time with no fish in it. That kills me but if it's necessary I will do it. I would be constantly fighting off the urge to put fish in it. LOL

 

[JWarren]

Personally, I would not spend the money on a UV unit, especially for a new tank. I used to run them when I had my fresh water business, but have never run any since I have been doing saltwater and have never seen the need on a properly maintained saltwater tank.

An RO/DI unit will save you a lot of money and back ache. You want to make sure you get one with a DI bi-pass. You don't want to drink DI water, only RO water. Get yourself a TDS meter. You will want to know the quality of your water source as well as how well your RO/DI system is performing. Over time the filters will become spent. The TDS meter will tell you when it is time to change your filters.

I looked at the unit JAk sells and they appear to be good units. He also has the TDS meter. I did not get mine from him because the company I decided to go with is local to me and I can stop in and get whatever I need without paying for shipping. But, Jaks unit will also do a good job for you.

A QT is nice to have. There are instances where I find it very handy to have and everything has a pit stop in the QT before going into the main tank. A 10 gallon tank will do fine. Mine has a marine land bio wheel filter system and PC lighting. Very inexpensive and very low maintenance.

 

[burning2nd]

thefilterguys.biz

get the ocean reef II it will be just what you need for the right price...

 

[Jason25]

I bought mine on EBAY, it's a 100gpd unit and I love it. I got for somewhere between $80-$100 brand new. It is a 6 stage RO/DI unit.

 

[lcstorc]

I would check out the one Jack recommended. He is one of our sponsors and has very good recommendations. If not that I would check out the filterguys. They have a good reputation.
As far as the UV, I have one and rarely use it. If it is a really good deal you may want to have it around but I wouldn't call it necessary.
QT tank now is very very important. Everything should go through qt before being added to the tank. If you plan on getting a tang then I woild go with a 20g. QT can be quite inexpensive. Just keep an extra spomge or some bio-balls in your sump to cultivate the necessary bacteria and use in the qt when you need it. There is no reason to keep it up an running all the time. You will have to be prepared for a lot of water changes on the qt.
Hope that helps.

 

[BobBursek]

Ditto thefilterguys.biz give Jim there a call and discuss you needs and whatyou water is, he can look up your water report on line while you are talking, unless you are on a private well, great knowledge, CS, and pricing.

 

[naperenterprise]

The Filter Guys are good, thats what I have...

But I would trust AQTCJAK, he wouldn't sell it if it wasn't what you need.

So my vote for you is to PM AQTCJAK and get more info from him on your RO/DI unit.

 

[HowardW]

What seperates the top quality units from the 'cheap' ones on Ebay and elsewhere are the quality of the pre-filters, the type and quality of the membrane, and what kind of final DI they use.

The 2 things you minimally want to look for in a quality RO/DI unit are a Dow Filmtec or GE membrane (either the 50 or 75GPD but not the 100GPD because that's not really a membrane at all but rather a nano filter) and a full size vertical final DI cartridge. What makes many of the lesser quality units seen on Ebay and elsewhere less expensive is cheaper lesser quality pre-filters, an off brand membrane that may have a poor rejection rate, and a small horizontal final DI cartridge which are prone to channeling and not as effective or long lasting as a full size vertical one.

I would also recommend The Filter Guys or Spectrapure.

 

[BuckeyeFSupply]

We recommend against focusing too much on the number of stages in a RODI system. Instead, understand what is in each stage - if you have questions feel free to ask.

Russ

 

[Frankie]

Hmmm. My tank looks great and I run UV 24/7. I am not to worried about killing good stuff. I add it to my tank all the time. You would be amazed at how bad stuff can form though and when it takes hold......

 

[AngelLeah1981]

JWarren, how long do you quarantine before you put the fish/inverts in the main display? Doesn't it drive the fish crazy being in such a small tank? Could it stress them and make them die? or no? Please don't take what I'm saying offensively. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Thanks for clearing that up about the qt. That makes a lot more sense.

You will have to be prepared for a lot of water changes on the qt.

Why??

HowardW, 2 people told me to get a horizontal and you're saying vertical. Do you mind to explain? Thank you all.

 

[Anselth]

You have to change water frequently in a QT tank because it is such a small environment, pollutants will accumulate quickly. In addition, if you are using medications in the tank, live rock is useless for filtration (the beneficial organisms will die), therefore no ammonia is processed uot of the system.

 

[JWarren]

Leah,

I put everything in the QT for about 3 weeks. This gives me a chance to observe what I put in for any signs of trouble. I try to control what I put into the main tanks as I don't want an outbreak of anything. My QT is 10 gallons, if I were going to house bigger fish I would invest in a bigger one but as it is, I don't run any tanks bigger than 120 gal and I get my fish small.

I don't buy anything for my tanks from anyone I don't know to be experienced aquarist's and generally order what I want. This has eliminated a lot of problems with getting fish in poor health because they are generally hand selected by who I buy from since most of the people I deal with make runs down to Miami to bulk houses to get their stock.

I don't medicate my QT and it is setup like any other tank. I choose to use dips for medical treatments of new inhabitants, I've never had the need to medicate the QT as a whole but I could if it were necessary and being that it is only 10 gallons it would be easy to empty and setup again if need be. I do 50% water changes on this tank once a week and it stays very clean with just one Marine land bio wheel filter and an air stone. I have 65 watt PC lighting on this tank as well. Since the tank is setup like any other tank, new inhabitants don't have any problem being in it for 3 weeks. I keep the QT's water peramters the same as the main tanks also. That's how I run my QT.

There are folks that run an empty QT with nothing but water in it and will use it to medicate and treat livestock. I see this as a hospital tank and also as a QT. In either case the objective is the same, have a place for livestock that you place and observe or treat.

 

[rmlevasseur]

I got my RO/DI on ebay and love it. Easily as good as the SpectraPure I bought for double the price. The final DI chamber on my unit can be run vertically or horizontally.

 

[AngelLeah1981]

If the medications make the rock useless for filtration then what do you do? I'm not using a canister filter or bioballs. I mainly use the rock for filtration.

I choose to use dips for medical treatments of new inhabitants

Do you have a link for this? How long have you been using the dips?

I am VERY sensitive to water taste. So If I buy a 5 stage unit which is what I'm leaning more towards now I will have to add something to the water to drink it? ...to replace the natural electrolytes? Does it have a taste? Anyone have a link to this? ...sounds awful. Do I add it to water I'm going to drink AND for the fish? Do you have to wait a period of time to drink the water after adding this stuff?
My tank is 120 gallon. How many gpd do you all suggest? Does it even matter much?

If I don't buy a pressure tank and faucet how big does the storage container need to be? I won't be setting up my 120 gallon for a few months so until then can I just make as much water as I can drink? Or do you have to do so much a day? Is it true you have to constantly use the filters so bacteria doesn't develop?
I hope someone can answer this.

Also, someone was telling me if I buy a SpectraPure I will have to add stuff to the water to drink it. Is this true? ....or is this only true with the SpectraPure? Maybe you can't get the water after RO maybe you can only get the water out of the filter after the DI. I'm not sure. Here is the link though and the model is called MaxCap. Untitled Document
One more thing. I can't stand water that has a taste to it. Oddly enough I even think Evian water and Dasani taste bad....because of this do you think I need to buy a unit this expensive? It's $330 !!

 

[Anselth]

I can't speak to the taste of RO water, but as for the rest:

Treatments such as copper and other medications will kill the beneficial organisms found in live rock. They can be used in a QT/hospital tank, but not in a tank that holds live rock. This is why many advocate setting up a QT tank with a small filter and inert materials like PVC pipe and fittings to provide hiding spots.

You definitely don't want to add anything to your RO water that is going to be used for the tank. The purpose of using the RO system is to clear out any impurities in the water, additives would defeat the purpose.

Higher GPD in household units is normally achieved by using a membrane with a lower rejection rate. More water flows through it because it allows more impurities to pass. a 60 or so GPD unit would be fine for a tank your size (I use one for my 110 and 70). Once you get past the initial filling, you're only going to need to make 35 gallons or so at a time.

 

[JWarren]

If the medications make the rock useless for filtration then what do you do? for a 10 gallon do a search on Marine land bio wheel filters they hang on the back I'm not using a canister filter or bioballs. I mainly use the rock for filtration. Do you have a link for this? How long have you been using the dips? About 28 years.

I am VERY sensitive to water taste. So If I buy a 5 stage unit which is what I'm leaning more towards now I will have to add something to the water to drink it? ...to replace the natural electrolytes? No with a RO/DI system, make sure you get a system with a DI bypass. Then you get RO drinking water. See my link below. Does it have a taste? My RO water has no real taste, but after you drink it for a week or so then try your tap water, you will really see the differance. You don't have to add anything to RO water. Anyone have a link to this? ...sounds awful. Do I add it to water I'm going to drink AND for the fish? Do you have to wait a period of time to drink the water after adding this stuff?
My tank is 120 gallon. How many gpd do you all suggest? Does it even matter much? 75 - 100 gpd will do you fine. Get a rubber maid trash can for RO/DI for the tank and create a resevior with an auto shut off valve. I run my RO drinking water off into a 2 1/2 gallon jug that fits in the fridg. that has a pour spout. I fill when I need to. I don't have a pressure tank or faucet.

If I don't buy a pressure tank and faucet how big does the storage container need to be? I won't be setting up my 120 gallon for a few months so until then can I just make as much water as I can drink? yep! Or do you have to do so much a day? Is it true you have to constantly use the filters so bacteria doesn't develop? I have not experienced this, cause I use mine all the time, at least three times a week. I let it flush for two minutes before running out water, if it sets for more than a couple of days.
I hope someone can answer this.

Also, someone was telling me if I buy a SpectraPure I will have to add stuff to the water to drink it. Is this true? ....or is this only true with the SpectraPure? I guess it's just that product, never heard that before Maybe you can't get the water after RO maybe you can only get the water out of the filter after the DI. I'm not sure. Here is the link though and the model is called MaxCap. Untitled Document
One more thing. I can't stand water that has a taste to it. Oddly enough I even think Evian water and Dasani taste bad....because of this do you think I need to buy a unit this expensive? It's $330 !! Nope! Mine was $145 and the best thing I've done in a long time, well, since my old one went bad. It was over 10 years old.