Dr G's cheap 3 stage ro/di filter replacement filters.

jsrosas · Nov 4, 2014

Hiya all, sorry for this newb question. I am reefing on a budget and so I bought the 3 stage cheap economy Dr G's ro/di filter. I am regretting it now, but hey times being I had to keep stick to a budget. So its time now to replace the filters, and I am wondering can I buy one of the replacement packs from Bulk Reef Supply? Dr G's manual talks about a DI resin cartridge, 2 micron carbon block which also works as sediment pre-filter (??),High flow/ high rejection TFC membrane(even more ??), Etc, Etc. Nothing like the descriptions I see on Bulk Reef Supply.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I am thinking of getting the follow filter pack:
Matrikx 6 Stage DELUXE Replacement Filter Kit - Bulk Reef Supply

And this is the filter I currently have:
Dr G's Marine Aquaculture - 3 Stage Economy RO/DI Filter

All is running well on my system and my corals and fish are in great shape and condition. Amonia, Nitrates: 0. Ph: 8. Phosphates:0. All api test kits. So please help me decide what filters to buy, and please remember I am on a budget and have no option to replace the entire unit. Hopefully next year. Thanks in advance for any input and suggestions you can make.

Ricks@reef · Nov 5, 2014

Okay, I'll offer you some advice. First of all you don't need to replace your Ro/Di unit there is nothing wrong with it. Let's just kick it up a few notches. I would by a extra 10" canister from BRS. Around $15.00 and a bracket to mount it on the wall next to your system. Then to improve the overall performance and save your first cartridge which is your carbon block add a .5 micron pre filter to the new canister you have installed. These are what the high level systems use. 0.5 Micron Depth Cartridge - Buckeye Hydro This will greatly improve your existing system and protect yohttp://www.buckeyehydro.com/0-5-micron-depth-cartridge/u carbon block from being a seditment filter. You will also need a few fittings to connect it to your existing setup. That is a very inexpensive upgrade. I would also invest in a tds meter at some point so you will know how your filters are performing. The filter replacement pack you choose is for a different system, yours is a three stage unit which you can now make into a four stage unit. When you get ready to replace your other filters get them from the same place I have given you the link to. That's is all they do, they are experts at water filtration. It's all very easy to do, good luck!

jsrosas · Nov 5, 2014

Hi Ricks@reef thanks a lot for your response, the extra canister and 0.5 micron cartridge are a great suggestion. I will get those next month, I hope.
Do all cartridge fit any kind of canister? Is there any diameter or size specific to any cartridge?
Do you know of any cartridge packs for 3 stage ro/di? Buckeye's lowest is 4 stage and the cartridges do not have the same specifications as the one I own.
Again thanks a lot for your reply.

AZDesertRat · Nov 6, 2014

Tell me you didn't pay anywhere near $185 for that system?

You could have had a real reef quality system with a 1 micron near absolute sediment filter, 1 micron carbon block, 90 GPD specially treated and batch tested high rejection rate RO membrane, full size vertical refillable 20 oz DI filled with reef specific SilicaBuster DI resin, an inline pressure gauge and a capillary tube flow restrictor for only $125 here www.spectrapure.com .

Problems I see with what you have are 1. It is using the carbon block as a sediment filter so once the carbons billions of tiny microscopic pores are plugged or fouled with silt, sediment, particulates and colloidal materials it is useless for removing chlorine. Any decent system should have a separate sediment filter in front of the carbon so it is protected to do its job. The 2 microns is also pretty coarse compared to better systems with 1, 0.6, 0.5 or even 0.35 or even 0.2 microns. You can see 40 microns with the unaided human eye so 2 microns is actually pretty big. The better the sedimen tand carbon filters, the longer the RO membrane will last and the better it will work meaning the DI will also function better and last longer. The RO membrane is only 24 GPD so very very slow compared to most system with 75 or 90 GPD membranes which are the same physical size and cost the same or within $5 of each other. It does not have a pressure gauge which is an extremely important piece of the system since it helps you determine when to change sediment and carbon block filters and helps you determine the efficiency of your system.

You are going to spend $20-$25 for another 10" canister with fittings, $25 or so on a quality sediment and carbon block filter, $18 to $25 on a refillable DI cartridge and quality DI resin and you really should spend $15-$20 on an inline pressure gauge and you will still have a 24 GPD RO/DI system or you could bite the bullet and spend $125 on a 90 GPD system with a better, faster, more efficient RO membrane that will save you money from then on since DI will last at least twice as long if not longer and with the better sediment and carbon filters they too will last longer as well as the RO membrane since it is better protected.

jsrosas · Nov 7, 2014

AzDesertRat, thats what I am planning on doing. I will upgrade hopefully by next year. I see this system will burn cartridges, in the mean time I do not have the budget to do a full upgrade, so I am replacing the cartridges for now and later on replacing the entire unit. I can find other use for those canisters anyways.
But yes I would not recommend anyone buy that unit, unless you are planning to use it for drinking water, even then maybe not lol.
Thanks to all for your input. I was unsure as well as to what carbon block to get exactly for that reason, it works as a sediment filter. I will upgrade that soon.

AZDesertRat · Nov 7, 2014

Get no larger than a 1 micron carbon block.

jsrosas · Nov 8, 2014

Aye captn, thanks a lot for all the input.

AquaFX · Nov 11, 2014

The replacement cartridges should be the the same 10 x 2. This is a standard size for most residential systems.

jsrosas · Nov 11, 2014

AquaFX thanks a lot for that info. I was not sure if different companies make different cartridges and canister fittings.

AquaFX · Nov 12, 2014

Glad I could help. There's always the chance that they make theirs slightly different; however, it's pretty much an industry standard (for residential systems) 10 x 2.