Is this the proper ro/di for a reef?

goodtimes

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I found this unit locally and it's a good price but not sure there's a di with it. Is this a good ro/di unit for a reef. Any help is appreciated.
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1391709467.611480.jpg
 
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The RO systems we use are intended for drinking water and re-stamped with a reef brand name most of the time. That looks like a standard RO system with a nice dual membrane included. I am not seeing a DI section, but you can buy one from bulk reef.
 
No its is not a good system for reef use. It is a single RO membrane drinking water system with a very odd ball sediment filter, carbon,sediment filter then the RO membrane configuration. Better reef systems have a single low micron sediment filter followed by a 0.5 or 1.0 micron carbon block followed by the RO membrane without a second sediment filter which is unneeded unless the system is using granular carbon (which has an extremely short 300+/- total gallon useful life, or 240 waste gallons and only 60 treated gallons). On the top is a horizontal granular carbon filter never used for reef systems, only for a drinking water system to make the water taste better but the drawback is it degrades and adds TDS back into the treated water. Finally I do not see a full size vertical refillable DI filter which all good reef systems come with. It appears all the little white filters are taste and odor carbon filters like above the membrane but cannot see the labels.

You can buy that system brand new on ebay for around $60-$70 shipped and thats about what it is worth. There are things I would not recommend such as the old compression nut style fittings which are prone to leakage, the small taste and odor carbons which will get thrown away if you plan on using it for a reef and what really concrens me is the brass fitting on the top which should never ever be used with RO or RO/DI water as it adds copper into the treated water.

I rarely advise anyone to buy a used system if they are serious about reefkeeping and plan on staying in the hobby for long. You usually end up inheriting someone elses problem or it is in need of a RO membrane replacement which is the most expensive part. A new reef quality system can be had for around $130-$170 and is very different from what you see there.

One of the best RO/DI vendors around is right there in your home state Buckeye Hydro, Russ will not steer you wrong. Or you might look at others such as Spectrapure or PurelyH2o. All sell true reef quality systems for less than $200 complete.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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