RO/DI really needed for Fish + Dead Live rock system?

pegasus

Well-Known Member
I'm posting this link for comparative purposes only. I started with a cheap system similar to the Aquatic Life unit in the link above. By the time I was through replacing all of the parts, my system looks almost identical to the one in the following link, with the exception of me having two dual TDS meters, 100 GPD RO membrane, and a 100 PSI booster pump. I basically bought two systems to wind up with what I have now... grrrrr!!!

http://www.**************.com/brs-6-stage-universal-plus-ro-di-system-75gpd.html
 

1guydude

Well-Known Member
Pressure gauge and hand held Tds meter are something I recommend to new ppl using reverse osmosis De ionized filters. Higher pressures r good for less waste water making ur filter more efficent.
For every 1 gal of clean pure water u get 2 or 3 gal waste lol.
The worse the initial tap water the more high end unit ull want. Hths
D
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
Pressure gauge and hand held Tds meter are something I recommend to new ppl using reverse osmosis De ionized filters. Higher pressures r good for less waste water making ur filter more efficent.
For every 1 gal of clean pure water u get 2 or 3 gal waste lol.
The worse the initial tap water the more high end unit ull want. Hths
D
I use depth sediment filters, as they trap more particulate and last longer. I also use a 1 micron carbon filter, followed by a .5 micron carbon filter. The cheap sediment and carbon filters I had used from the beginning allowed a lot of stuff to pass through, and killed my RO membrane in a year's time. With good filters, an RO membrane should last about 3 years. Cheap filters caused premature failure of the membrane, so I had to buy a new one in 1/3 of the time I should have. Buying cheap filters ended up costing me more.

Before I installed my booster pump, I was getting 1 gallon of clean water for every 3 gallons of waste water. After I installed my booster pump, I tested the ratio by putting the product line in one jug, and the waste line in another jug. Both jugs filled at exactly the same rate, which means my product/waste ratio is 1:1. That's as good as it gets, so I'm extremely happy that I added a booster pump. It paid for itself in "un-wasted" waste water... if that makes any sense. LOL!!!
 
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1guydude

Well-Known Member
That's the basics. I need a booster pump I thinks pegasus.

My water is going through a 10 micron sediment I think. Than a carbon block followed by a small ed carbon block. Than ro and and di. Mines a 5 yr old typhoon reef keeper I think from air water and ice. The hose adapter I like but gotta bring bring in during the winter.
D
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
That's the basics. I need a booster pump I thinks pegasus.

My water is going through a 10 micron sediment I think. Than a carbon block followed by a small ed carbon block. Than ro and and di. Mines a 5 yr old typhoon reef keeper I think from air water and ice. The hose adapter I like but gotta bring bring in during the winter.
D
While a booster pump will help with production, it's not required on 50 or 75 gallon per day units. If yours is a 100 or 150 gallon per day unit, then a booster is necessary. I have a 100 GPD unit, and the water pressure in my house tested at 37 PSI. Even now, the gauge on my unit stays on 37 PSI when it's not running. With the (up to 100 PSI) booster pump, it's usually operating at 75 PSI when it's processing water. It will work without the booster pump, but water production is very slow, and there is three times as much waste water. With the booster pump, it makes clean water twice as fast, and reduces the waste water by about 66%.

I bought a "tee" and connected my RO/DI to the cold water line under my sink between the water shutoff valve and the faucet. This way, I can turn the water off if I need to work on the tube going to the RO/DI. I also have another shutoff valve at the RO/DI so I can turn off the water when I need to change the filters or DI resin. This is my RO/DI system (in basement) after I replaced all the cheap stuff with quality parts. The blue/white product line (tube going down) has a tee on it. One side of the tee has a tube that goes to my ATO in the refugium (below and left of RO/DI), and the other side of the tee has a tube that goes to my 30 gallon mixing vat (below RO/DI). There is a float valve in the mixing vat to turn off the water when it gets full, and there is also a shutoff valve outside of the mixing vat that I can turn off if I need to remove the vat for cleaning. I have 2 dual TDS meters so I can check the TDS going into the unit (source line), after the sediment/charcoal filters, after the RO membrane, and after the DI resin.

20150307_152302A.jpg
 

john suh

Member
TY All. Just ordered that RODI unit based off the recommendations here and Mr. Saltwater tank on youtube. Ordered it last night and they already sent me a tracking number. Should arrive mid week. :D
 

john suh

Member
**Update**

UPS tracking states the RODI is on truck scheduled for delivery today!

Also based off suggestions here, ordered a TDS meter on Amazon, got it yesterday. My reading shows 238. So it sounds like the best case scenario was to start the new tank off with 100pct zero TDS RODI water but since the system is running and cycled, not gonna restart.

Hopefully as I make my continued weekly water changes with my new RODI unit it will continue to drop that reading in the aquarium on a gradual basis as it's systematically being diluted with RODI water.
 

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
When I was In that situation, I planned to do more frequent water changes but the suggestion I was given by someone here was to double the volume I change each time instead to dilute the residual tap water faster. I did that for about a month.
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
**Update**

UPS tracking states the RODI is on truck scheduled for delivery today!

Also based off suggestions here, ordered a TDS meter on Amazon, got it yesterday. My reading shows 238. So it sounds like the best case scenario was to start the new tank off with 100pct zero TDS RODI water but since the system is running and cycled, not gonna restart.

Hopefully as I make my continued weekly water changes with my new RODI unit it will continue to drop that reading in the aquarium on a gradual basis as it's systematically being diluted with RODI water.
You should be okay. I started off with tap water and it was several months before I got an RO/DI unit. I did several frequent water changes after I got my unit, and eventually replaced all of the tap water... so it's all good. You can do the same.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
I been reading posts on RO/DI units. Is it really required for my Fish + Dead Live rock system or is it merely a placebo effect? I've read success stories from those using tap water with PRIME conditioner as an example...
Absolutely no need for ro/di IMHO for a fish only system. And probably not for reefs tanks either but that is much more controversial.

In a tank balanced out and stabilized with marco algaes, any potable water is acceptable because the macros condition that water to a very healthy environment for fish. Which is way I ran a mixed reef tank with untreated tap water and no water changes for 9 years with a very heavy bioload.

my .02
 

john suh

Member
So I installed the unit per instruction book, turned the faucet on, water pressure reads 49-50 so is within recommended parameters etc. I have one problem (no surprise, eh) lol, I let it run a good 15 minutes and have not seen a trickle of water coming out the waste or RO line. Is this normal when starting up for first time?
 

bang guy

Moderator
No, something's wrong. It should just take a minute to fill up all the stages with water and then water should immediately start flowing out of the waste line.

Can you tell which stages have water and if any are empty?
 

bang guy

Moderator
Absolutely no need for ro/di IMHO for a fish only system. And probably not for reefs tanks either but that is much more controversial.

In a tank balanced out and stabilized with marco algaes, any potable water is acceptable because the macros condition that water to a very healthy environment for fish. Which is way I ran a mixed reef tank with untreated tap water and no water changes for 9 years with a very heavy bioload.

my .02
This is excellent advice for hobbyists wanting to proudly display one of these:

 

john suh

Member
No, something's wrong. It should just take a minute to fill up all the stages with water and then water should immediately start flowing out of the waste line.

Can you tell which stages have water and if any are empty?
This is the unit I bought, http://www.buckeyehydro.com/premium-rodi-system/

The last chamber to the left is filling very slow, to a trickle. The first 2, the middle and right side filled very fast when I turned the faucet on.

What should I check next? Thanks!
 

bang guy

Moderator
I believe the last stage (far left) would be your DI chamber. I would expect that one to fill slowly on a 24gpd unit. I think that's fine and working. What I don't understand is why you're not getting waste water out yet. For every cup of water going into the DI you should have 3 or 4 cups of water coming out of the waste line.

Did you install the flow restrictor in the waste line yourself or did it come pre-installed?
 

john suh

Member
And the one on the left, they stated to install the filter with the rubber housing faced upwards which I have done.

As a test, I removed the RO membrane and ran it empty and all 3 chambers immediately filled up and I had a good flow of water coming out the waste line.

So assume it is the RO membrane as the culprit, what should I check there?
 
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