Question on RO/DI

alison

Member
Hi,
Wanting to setup my Reverse Osmosis system ASAP and wondering which one to get?
Everyone has told me to get a SpecraPure Maxcap RO/DI and I am really leaning this way but worried about longterm cost in the DI part of it. I don't care too much about upfront cost just longterm cost in filters.
Does anyone here have the 90 GPH one? I am leaning towards this one.
Thanks,
Alison
 

mr. green

Member
Do you need a 90gpd? Might be able to get a cheaper one, just make storage bins for your water. Turn it on in the morning, shut it off before night.
I am going to purchase a Typhoon 3 due to the reviews and some of the extras you get with it when ordering it.
I have read some other sites where certain posters seem to favor the SpecraPure a little too much. Seems like a good unit, little pricey, but I sometimes wonder what there motive is pushing this unit so hard.
 

alison

Member
Thanks for all your replies. What stats are you talking about with the RO that are zero?
Your silicates or something?
I guess a lot of the biggies on sites said something about Specrapure is best with their cartridges and technology being more advanced. Especially another popular Reef site. I had 10 replies swaring to the Specrapure and especially the kind I mentioned but I wanted more opinions. A couple people said the 90 is overkill but that is the smallest model in that Specrapure they sware by. They said that you want a Ro/DI and the type of Spectrapure I mentioned was best but it's expensive and I don't know longterm cost for replacement cartridges and also there are so many vast opinions and if everyones stats are 0 then it doesn't really matter. I talked to my local LFS reef guy and he said they are all made pretty much the same.
Now I am totally confused. I just figure a hundred or two upfront more is nothing if the water is better and totally removed of silicates especially with having the DI attached and the overall longterm cost isn't much more. But if they are all the same then I would rather put that towards a calcium reactor or something else that I need.
More opinions and advise? Thanks again..... :help:
 

joncat24

Active Member
i like the coralfe pure floII.. cartridges are cheap and easy to find. and the units themselves are easy to use and cheaper also. The way I look at it is simple....0 tds is 0 tds no matter whether you use a $500 unit or a $125 unit. My pure flo II cost me $138 with shipping and a whole set of crtridges was $25 with shipping.
Like you said, I would rather spend that extra $250-300 on something else like corals and fish or anything else. I have read the threads on he other forum also, and to be homest ,I think some of those people are in with spectrapure somehow.
WWWAAAYYY too much $$ for a ro/di unit. My 50gpd unit is plenty for my 180 and 29 for top offs and water changes, and I do 10% on each every week. Just my .02 on the subject
 

alison

Member
JOncat24 thanks for the reply. So your subject .02? What does that mean?
Thanks and how fast can you fill a 5 gal bucket?
 

chinpokomon

Member
I find production will depend on your water pressure my 50gpd coralife only produces 30gpd @ 45psi (60+psi recommended) I never bothered with a booster pump it fills my 50g blue drum in about a day and a half and the water quality is fine so I’m happy. I would expect 1-3 gallons an hour for a production rate depending on your pressure (just a guess). If you have the space I would invest in a heavy-duty plastic trashcan or drum to mix your seawater in and leave a prominent note to remind yourself the RO unit is on (it sucks if you forget). If you use a long run of tubing to reach your container use a small air pump to dry the tubing after you drain it this will stop the tubing from turning black inside. It may take a day or two to dry. Note don’t use the air pump to drain the tubing the backpressure can damage the pump only use it to dry the tube after it is drained.
 

mr. green

Member
Originally Posted by joncat24
i like the coralfe pure floII.. cartridges are cheap and easy to find. and the units themselves are easy to use and cheaper also. The way I look at it is simple....0 tds is 0 tds no matter whether you use a $500 unit or a $125 unit. My pure flo II cost me $138 with shipping and a whole set of crtridges was $25 with shipping.
Like you said, I would rather spend that extra $250-300 on something else like corals and fish or anything else. I have read the threads on he other forum also, and to be homest ,I think some of those people are in with spectrapure somehow.
WWWAAAYYY too much $$ for a ro/di unit. My 50gpd unit is plenty for my 180 and 29 for top offs and water changes, and I do 10% on each every week. Just my .02 on the subject
I cannot agree more!!! 0 TDS is 0 TDS. I really don't understand why people beat this subject to death on other boards. Now, as far as membrane life and availability, that could play a different part in selecting a unit. But I have read on the other reef board over and over again how the Spectrapure technology is so advance and you get, ready for this "pure 0 TDS water". Again, 0 TDS is the same no matter what. Read up and see what you can afford and what you like. Some units are better than other but that applies to everything. Cost is a huge factor, but why pay more for the what you can get with a less expensive unit.
 

joncat24

Active Member
Originally Posted by alison
JOncat24 thanks for the reply. So your subject .02? What does that mean?
Thanks and how fast can you fill a 5 gal bucket?

that means my 2 cents worth.....lol

the rate depends on water temp also...so when it is warmer I can fill a bucket in about 2 hours
 

alison

Member
Thanks again,
You all have been great. Ya I talked to a couple local reliable LFS stores and they all said don't waste your money. They all are built roughly the same.
Sounds like it is down to either a Corallife or a Typhoon III or Kent. What's the diff?
Do you all know?
I want to have it automatically setup in my Laundry room with a 50 gal drum and backwater into the washing machine. Which one would be a little better do you think?
Thanks,
Alison
 

mr. green

Member
Originally Posted by alison
Thanks again,
You all have been great. Ya I talked to a couple local reliable LFS stores and they all said don't waste your money. They all are built roughly the same.
Sounds like it is down to either a Corallife or a Typhoon III or Kent. What's the diff?
Do you all know?
I want to have it automatically setup in my Laundry room with a 50 gal drum and backwater into the washing machine. Which one would be a little better do you think?
Thanks,
Alison
If you do a search on the Typhoon 3 you will come across a site that sells it with a TDS meter and a pressure gage mounted.
 

bambam_250r

Member
Originally Posted by Mr. Green
I cannot agree more!!! 0 TDS is 0 TDS. I really don't understand why people beat this subject to death on other boards. Now, as far as membrane life and availability, that could play a different part in selecting a unit. But I have read on the other reef board over and over again how the Spectrapure technology is so advance and you get, ready for this "pure 0 TDS water". Again, 0 TDS is the same no matter what. Read up and see what you can afford and what you like. Some units are better than other but that applies to everything. Cost is a huge factor, but why pay more for the what you can get with a less expensive unit.

I agree with this also. I got mine for about $135 shipped to my house. 0tds then jumped to 5 tds and I noticed the other day my DI resin was gone. I bought ALL 4 filters, MEMBRANE included for $67 shipped to my house. 0tds again. I have a 100GPD membrane and my unit came with a 3 gallon under sink tank so it makes it easier to top off my tank or do water changes.
 
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