Reverse osmosis and protein skimmer

[Josh_boss]

So I mix in the salt after the tap water is run through the system? Also dechlorinate after as well? Like in a bucket

I had a cheap 7 stage from eBay, worked like a champ, the psi needed to be higher because I was on catchment tank water so I added a booster pump. It was 100gpd and I had a TDS meter. To start the tap was 58ppm where I lived so not to bad, after the system it was zero TDS. You don’t need to de-chlorinate the water after the rodi system. After you get clean water from the unit, mix your salt with a strong enough circulation pump and a air stone (air stone is option I don’t use one) then drain your tank and add your clean water. Where I live I don’t use a RODI anymore but I do run a oversized skimmer that I got online and love the one I bought. I’ll upload a pic and maybe you can get one too.

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

With a RO/DI, you'll hook it up to whatever line you can. Let it run for a few minutes to clear the lines. Make sure you have a place to drain the rejected water. After several minutes start collecting the clean water in a bucket,barrel, etc etc. Then once your desired amount is done, take about 5 gallons and store it for top off, (you need an ATO on your list as well). Whatever is left should be used for your water change. Add your salt, something for circulation, and a heater to heat the water to whatever the recommended temp is. Mix the water for the manufacturer recommended time frame, afterwards it should be clear. Check the parameters and make sure they are what they should be and not TOO different from what your tank runs. Once that's all good, drain the amount of water you will be replacing, replace the water, and top off with RODI until your next change. Sounds like alot, but it really isn't.

 

[Josh_boss]

I very much recommend skimmer (keeps your water much cleaner).

RODI - it is a must, will pay for itself. I recommend one that you can attach easily (think to a sink). The easier it is to use, the more you will use it. It removes lots of nasty from your tap water.

I would add one more thing - Auto top off (ATO). This will keep your salinity and other levels more consistent, and you don't get 'peaks' during the day (and you don't have to remember to add water 3x a day).

I never had a auto top off but adding a little over a gallon after coming home from work was a bunch to add at once so I picked up one and welded together a acrylic box to fit near the sump (holds 4 gallons) and the tank is much more stable after the ATO. Idk what you guys use but this one works great for me. I added a picture of the glue encase someone is wondering what one I used to melt the acrylic together

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

I never had a auto top off but adding a little over a gallon after coming home from work was a bunch to add at once so I picked up one and welded together a acrylic box to fit near the sump (holds 4 gallons) and the tank is much more stable after the ATO. Idk what you guys use but this one works great for me. I added a picture of the glue encase someone is wondering what one I used to melt the acrylic together

I use the smart micro. Excellent little ATO for cheap, I splurged on a trigger ATO reservoir

 

[davescj]

I cheated - used a Home Depot bucket (5 gal), a cheap pump to push water into the sump, and a float lever to activate (brand name is "ATO", I had my LFS build it into my system when I started...plumber I am not).

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

I cheated - used a Home Depot bucket (5 gal), a cheap pump to push water into the sump, and a float lever to activate (brand name is "ATO", I had my LFS build it into my system when I started...plumber I am not).

An ATO is an ATO, i don't think you can go wrong with that

 

[Ldoughty]

With a RO/DI, you'll hook it up to whatever line you can. Let it run for a few minutes to clear the lines. Make sure you have a place to drain the rejected water. After several minutes start collecting the clean water in a bucket,barrel, etc etc. Then once your desired amount is done, take about 5 gallons and store it for top off, (you need an ATO on your list as well). Whatever is left should be used for your water change. Add your salt, something for circulation, and a heater to heat the water to whatever the recommended temp is. Mix the water for the manufacturer recommended time frame, afterwards it should be clear. Check the parameters and make sure they are what they should be and not TOO different from what your tank runs. Once that's all good, drain the amount of water you will be replacing, replace the water, and top off with RODI until your next change. Sounds like alot, but it really isn't.

Okay cool, doesn't sound too bad. Thanks a lot

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

Okay cool, doesn't sound too bad. Thanks a lot

Thats why we're here!

 

[Sebastiancrab]

for about a year I was buying RO water From the water dispenser outside the supermarket. And I had a device to test total dissolved Organics. The water was pretty close to Pure. Today I just got my RO filter and in the planning stages to install. Only cost me $65. Free shipping

What did you purchase?

 

[andrewey]

Probably something like the RO buddy- you can get a 4 stage (including DI) for around that price. Unlike many other "travel" RODIs, it doesn't use any special cartridges that you can't pick up later. I used something like it for years when I had a smaller tank and had no complaints.

However, if you see yourself staying in the hobby for a while or upgrading to a larger tank in the future, it might be worth looking into a "standard" RODI like the ones listed above. They'll run a higher GPH (which is crucial if you have a larger tank) and will save you a bit of cash on filter replacements (long term). Most people will say this is necessary, but in truth, you can get by with the RO buddy just fine if all you plan on keeping is your biocube. If not, consider the investment and the pros/cons of getting the better, albeit, more expensive unit.

 

[andrewey]

Also, you'll see opinions differ in this hobby based on personal taste/experience. For example, I never ran an ATO on my biocubes. One was run with the hood and had 1 cup of evaporation a day (easily done by hand) and the other I removed the hood and had 2.5 cups of evaporation per day. I rigged up a gravity fed "ATO" out of airline tubing and a 2 liter bottle placed on a shelf above the tank. Tools like an ATO are great and make our lives easier and aid in the stability of a tank, but before you run out and buy hundreds of dollars of equipment all at once, I'd really take it one step at a time and see what problems you have and what tools can fix them. A RO unit is almost a must in this hobby, but on a biocube, the rest is optional and can wait. If you're diligent about your maintenance and water changes, you'll start to see if and when a skimmer/ATO/better lighting, etc. will help. Sometimes you'll learn you have a thriving saltwater tank without many of the gadgets you thought you needed Each tank is different

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

+1 on the ato and that small of a tank. On my 100+/- system I lose a little more than a gallon per day. It made sense for me to add one in my situation. I didn't want to continually lug around a gallon of water and manually top off every day. You probably won't have that much to worry about on that front.

Plus some people just like manually doing every thing with their tank maintenance.

 

[Schreiber]

I use the BRS 4-stage RODI & highly recommend it.

I did the math for my 55 gallon & it paid for itself within the first 3 months- especially considering how much water you need to fill & cycle the tank to start. The math will be a bit different for your smaller tank, but it will absolutely pay for itself in the first year.

Cost savings aside- you can't put a dollar value on the convenience. I only live 3 minutes from an aquarium store & even that would get super old driving back & forth with 10 gallons every week.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Always remember if your home isn't setup for water softener, All RO membranes good for 2-3 yrs, max. Water hardness hard on membranes.

 

[HawaiianReef]

So which specific RODI would you all recommend?

That all depends on where you live, or more directly, what your water quality is to begin with.
Some states the tap water holds heavy metals. In others it doesn't. The "DI" (de-ionize) removes the heavy metals if your water has them. Some people run DI without checking their water for heavy metals, or TDS (total dissolved solids) just to be sure.

You need to also know your water pressure. If it's low you'll need a booster pump. I'm not sure what "low" is, as I never had a need for a booster pump. I run my system at 70 psi off the tap.

In your case, I would suggest a Home system. A home system is set up under your kitchen sink and uses an accumulator ( container that stores the filtered water). The accumulator is necessary because the clean water coming out of the system is just a slow stream. The home system will also come with a small faucet that you install above the sink. This way you can have your filtered water for your water changes and be able to use the system for you and your family to have bottled water quality on tap for food and drinking. The difference of the systems as usually around $50 or so. Do Not buy a system from a big box store like Homedepot. They charge much more than places like BRS.

I looked around and found a home system, RO/DI with a booster pump for $200. It should go less than that if you start eliminating any parts like the pump and/or DI.

NU Aqua Platinum Series 5 Stage 100GPD RO System with Booster Pump

5 stages of purification and ultra efficiency with the installed silent high performance booster pump. 100% Money Back Guarantee. 3 year warranty & Free Shipping.

nuaquasystems.com

David

 

[fishbulb]

+1 for RODI from a reputable vendor. Personally, I also think it will be easier for you to shop later on for a high quality used skimmer, but a used RODI will need all new filters and membrane if not stored properly. That makes a used unit nearly useless in my opinion unless you really trust the source. So spend you bucks on a new RODI and shop for a used skimmer when funds permit!

 

[HawaiianReef]

BOTH. Most importantly a RODI unit. The skimmer can wait, its not necessarily "needed" , but it will make your life easier when it comes to nutrient export. Especially if you have no means of export at the moment

Tank details?

Hey there, I'm sort of new to this hobby, only had my tank a few weeks. Wondering if it's worth it to get either a reverse osmosis system or protein skimmer in the future. Thoughts?

Here's an article on RO systems:

The Basics of an RODI Filter

An RO membrane forces molecules through a semipermeable membrane (certain substances can pass through but not others) to form a less concentrated solution then you started with. The inside of the membrane looks like so: Some of the things...

www.reef2reef.com