Grocery store RO or DI

[sylvius]

So I took the advice of my LFS and set up my tank (55g FOWLR) with tap water, but after reading these forums for a while I have decided to transition over to RO.
My local Whole Foods has two spigots, one listed as RO and the other as DI (both $0.39/g). I imagine I should use the DI, but is there anything removed in DI but still present in RO that would make the RO preferred.
Also, the AquaPlus I have been using for the tap water says it also helps coat the fish, or some such thing that sounds like marketing crap. Do I still use any of the AquaPlus in the DI water or just add it to the tank as is?
Thanks!

 

[michaeltx]

RO and RO/DI is the same water except the DI part is an added filter at the end of the stages.
ask the store how often the change the filters an unkept ro or RO/DI unit will only work as long as the stage filters are changed ocasionally. persoanllyl I would invest in one with a drinking water attachment to it and be done with it. the only cost after purchase is the filter cartridges.
as far as the additive. there was never a need for it and personaly I dont add anything to the tank I cant test for some things sre unusable and stay in the tank so everytime you add it it can concentrate it into the tank and cause problems later.
HTH
Mike

 

[sylvius]

Thanks for the info. I like to think Whole foods maintains their filters since so many of their shoppers are picky about things like that, but you never know...
So how important is the DI filter? The RO-DI systems seem more expensive with the added cost of another replacement filter. Does RO get rid of phosphate since that is one of the things I am worrying about...
Also, I see units where the output can be doubled for just a few extra dollars (eg. one I saw posted is $193 for 35gpd and $211 for 60 gpd). Is there any downside to the higher output ones or just buy the most I can afford?
Thanks!

 

[michaeltx]

check the replacement filter costs on them some people like the lower GPD rating I had a 50GPD and it did great the DI membrane gets everything out of the water to a certain size I usually just go RO and test but even RO gets rid of 99% of all polutants.
mike

 

[spartanph]

You can pick up an inexpensive TDS meter and test the quality of the water. I picked one up at my local water conditioning store for $25 made by hanna instruments.
I'm glad I did because I tested the RO water from my LFS and it came out at 81 ppm which is really high. Changed to a different LFS and it is 16 ppm.
When you add DI it will be less than 5 ppm.
My tap water was something like 360 ppm.

 

[crimthann]

I picked one up called typhoon 3 from airwaterice for 199 that does 75 a day. Came with a tester thing. When i tested it out it had 0 - 1 ppm. Figured it's cheeper and easier than buying them at the store for a buck a gallon and hauling it back to my house every water change.

 

[f14peter]

Originally Posted by Crimthann
I picked one up called typhoon 3 from airwaterice for 199 that does 75 a day. Came with a tester thing. When i tested it out it had 0 - 1 ppm. Figured it's cheeper and easier than buying them at the store for a buck a gallon and hauling it back to my house every water change.
Clearly one of those "More expensive now, cheaper later" things. Factoring in gas and time for trips to the LFS or grocery store w/dispenser on top of the cost of the water itself, it adds up real quick.
An anology, if I may . . . In another hobby of mine, an airbrush is a popular item and many starter airbrush sets come with a small can of propellant which are also available seperately. Great, but they don't last very long and one finds themselves constantly running back to the hobby store for more cans (Besides a few other negative issues, the cans have an annoying tendancy to expire right in the middle of a project!). In no time at all, the amount of money spent on propellant cans would exceed the cost of a small air compressor.
Spend a bit more now, save a lot more later.

 

[sylvius]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will look into getting a nice RO system. I guess with an autoshutoff valve I can just fill jugs of water whilst at work and even a low daily output won't be such a limiting factor (except when setting up a new tank, which probably won't happen often).
Do others agree that the typhoon 3 is a nice system or any other recs for specific systems?

 

[acrylic51]

Yes highly recommend the Typhoon III and even with the 75gpd unit you'll still get 98-99% rejection rate.......

 

[f14peter]

Originally Posted by sylvius
Thanks for the advice. I think I will look into getting a nice RO system. I guess with an autoshutoff valve I can just fill jugs of water whilst at work and even a low daily output won't be such a limiting factor (except when setting up a new tank, which probably won't happen often).
Do others agree that the typhoon 3 is a nice system or any other recs for specific systems?
Can't comment directly as my Tiffie III hasn't arrived yet (Today or tomorrow!), but they're highly recommended.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by sylvius
is there anything removed in DI but still present in RO that would make the RO preferred.
RO leave quite a bit of Silicates and Phosphates, DI removes most of these compounds.
Silicates could be useful for growing diatoms and sponges, phosphate is useful for growing cyanobacter and hair algae.

 

[catawaba]

How about the Kent Maxxima series?

 

[acrylic51]

Nice units IMO, but for the price I'd still go with the AirWaterIce.....

 

[sylvius]

Those airwaterice ones seem nice. For the price, difference between typhoon and typhoon 3 it seems like the biggest difference is the DI bypass, along with a little included TDS meter. Is it worth it (I doubt I will be using this for drinking water)? For $10 less than the typhoon3, you can get typhoon with built in TDS meter and autoshutoff float...
Are there other benefits to typhoon3 that I am missing? Though I certainly agree with the earlier post that spending less now might cost more in the long run (which applies to many, many situations but unfortunately our societal obsession with spending less even if it is for a far inferior product drives businesses to make crappy, essentially disposable products that always cost more in the long run, but I'll get off my soapbox now ~ ).

 

[1journeyman]

Contact airwaterice. They are great folks. They'll answer your questions honestly.
The much overlooked value of having your own water system is that you'll be much more likely to top off on time and do frequent water changes.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
Yes highly recommend the Typhoon III and even with the 75gpd unit you'll still get 98-99% rejection rate.......
What does rejection rate mean?

 

[acrylic51]

The amount of impurities the membrane rejects......The differences in the Typhoon and Typhoon 3 are small but worth it IMO....DI bypass, FastFlush valve, and the other I can't remember off the top of my head....

 

[1journeyman]

Ahh, makes sense, thanks..
I recently purchased the Typhoon 3. My tap water tests at 560-600ppm. (that seems really high to me...) Water coming out of the machine at 0.0

 

[acrylic51]

Yours tests that high???? I'm just curious.....I'm not a water spec person, but doesn't the government set limits on the amount in the water???? I thought mine was bad out of the faucet at 146 :scared:

 

[1journeyman]

I know... I've been meaning to call the water company about that. The water tastes great but that just can't be healthy.