Rodi suggestions

Sapper Ski · Aug 15, 2019

As the title states, I’m looking to upgrade my 4-stage robuddy to a 6 stage rodi. I’d like to keep the budget under $150 if at all possible. If it’s more, I’ll deal with it.

I was looking at this

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Coral4coral · Aug 15, 2019

I would go with brs brand rodi units they are very reasonable for there quality and there quality is pretty good in my own opinion

vetteguy53081 · Aug 15, 2019

BRS or Marine depot units

Opus · Aug 15, 2019

The one you have pictured is kind of a waste because you will have to drop the last filter because it actually adds things back to the water. This assumes you aren't going to be using it for drinking water also. Personally I don't like RO units that put the DI filter horizontal, they don't seem to be as efficient. Really can't say much about the filters they use since they are rebranding. I did see they are 5 micron which IMO is the bare minimum. I prefer 1 micron or smaller.

JoshH · Aug 16, 2019

If you're going to upgrade, I would expand that budget to around $2-300. An upgrade is only worth it if it truly provides benefits over what you have now. And with $150 I personally don't think you will find a system MUCH better than the one you have now. Once you start getting into systems with PSI Guages and TDS meters the numbers add up quick.

KStatefan · Aug 16, 2019

What does your current system not do that you are wanting it to do? You can always add to it instead of complete replacement like adding a 2 or 3 stage DI

Sapper Ski · Aug 16, 2019

I just haven’t heard good reviews on the robuddy. Also, I typed 4 stage when it’s actually only 3. Just noticed it when I was reading the responses.

My ultimate goal for the tank is an anemone and sps corals. Which I know will require more equipment than I have right now. Just moving forward one step at a time. My filters on my current ro unit need replaced and if I’m going to dish out the money to replace the filters, I’d rather upgrade the system as well.

KStatefan · Aug 16, 2019

I would contact BuckeyeHydro or Spectrapure with your water specs and get their recommendations .

Sleepydoc · Aug 16, 2019

you can’t go wrong with BRS, Buckeye Hydro or Spectrapure. Russ from Buckeye is extremely helpful.

Sapper Ski · Aug 16, 2019

I’ll have to find the letter from the city with their water test results. At the moment I can only test the basics (no2, no3, amm, alk, calc, and mag). I don’t have a tds tester. I judge when I need to replace my ro filters when my rate slows. Not ideal, but until now I haven’t wanted anything that required pristine water. I’ll try and get ahold of buckeye first. I can swing for a more expensive unit, just can’t right this very second.

James77 · Aug 16, 2019

There is no need for so many stages, the majority of the time it is useless.

A couple high quality sediment and carbon blocks are all you need, with a good membrane, then DI resin. Dow 75 GPD is what I use, and just be sure your flush water ration is what is recommended.

Many great vendors are listed above, I have dealt with all of them(all are great). I will single out Buckeye as having taken time to correct mistakes I made and he is very informative. I had fallen into the trap of getting a system that produced 2x the RO water. That was done by sacrificing flush/waste water. That fouled my whole filter system, and Buckeye helped me straighten it out.

Opus · Aug 17, 2019

Sapper Ski said:
I’ll have to find the letter from the city with their water test results. At the moment I can only test the basics (no2, no3, amm, alk, calc, and mag). I don’t have a tds tester. I judge when I need to replace my ro filters when my rate slows. Not ideal, but until now I haven’t wanted anything that required pristine water. I’ll try and get ahold of buckeye first. I can swing for a more expensive unit, just can’t right this very second.

Usually the city posts it on their website in pdf format. Unless you have chloramines or something else unusually high such as silicates, you can probably get by with the normal 4 stage unit. Skip the inline tds meter and invest in a hand held unit, they are more precise since they compensate for temperature.

The robuddy isn't a bad system, it is just usually frowned upon because it uses non standard sized cartridges so you have to buy the ones from Aquaticlife which means they charge more than the normal 10" sized ones. Looking at the specs the sediment is 1 micron and the carbon is 5 micron so they should be ok. Not sure who makes the ro membrane so I don't have an opinion on it. You say you only have 3 stages so I assume you are missing the DI stage. If I was you, I would invest in the DI stage I have linked below (or one similar) plus a handheld tds meter like the one I have linked. That will give you 0 tds water and you can use the tds meter to evaluate your RO unit's performance and decide if you want to replace it later on. This will give you time to save up if you decide that is what you want to do. To make a good decision, you really need to know the tds of your tap water and the tds of your water after the ro membrane. This will tell you how well your current ro membrane working. Most good ones today are around 98% efficient or better but they are usually only guaranteed to be around 96%. I have a 99% Spectrapure membrane and my tap tds is around 450 and I get around 3 to 4 tds after my ro membrane.

Single Deionization Canister

Single Stage deionization canister. Perfect for adding a DI stage to your RO system or adding an additional stage to your current system. Comes with the Canister, Cartridge full of DI resin, and 5 feet of 1/4" tube. Features Perfect for adding a DI stage to your RO system or adding an...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

TDS-3 Handheld TDS Meter & Thermometer

The TDS-3 Handheld TDS Meter from HM Digital is a useful tool to spot check the TDS of your home water supply or RO/DI unit output. This unit features a digital display, built in thermometer, and comes with a carrying case. As with all HM-Digital products, the TDS-3 comes factory calibrated.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Sleepydoc · Aug 19, 2019

James77 said:
There is no need for so many stages, the majority of the time it is useless.

A couple high quality sediment and carbon blocks are all you need, with a good membrane, then DI resin. Dow 75 GPD is what I use, and just be sure your flush water ration is what is recommended.

Many great vendors are listed above, I have dealt with all of them(all are great). I will single out Buckeye as having taken time to correct mistakes I made and he is very informative. I had fallen into the trap of getting a system that produced 2x the RO water. That was done by sacrificing flush/waste water. That fouled my whole filter system, and Buckeye helped me straighten it out.

I upgraded from a 5 stage to a 7 stage system (sediment - carbon block x2 - RO - DI, then added Cation & Anion before the mixed bed DI stage) My anion resin depletes far quicker than the cation resin, and I found that I go through less resin this way. The extra two canisters weren’t that expensive, so for me it was worth it. It’s also easy to add them later on, so it makes perfect sense to start out with a 5 stage and see how things go.

stacksoner · Nov 15, 2019

Sleepydoc said:
you can’t go wrong with BRS, Buckeye Hydro or Spectrapure. Russ from Buckeye is extremely helpful.

Just stumbled upon Buckeye Hydro. It seems like their prices are easily 30+% cheaper than BRS and Spectra. Is this spot the real deal?? I feel like it's too good to be true.

SDK · Nov 15, 2019

If you don't have chloramines in your water, a BRS 4 stage 75 GPD is right about $150 and well worth the coin. If you can add $60 more, get the value plus at just over $200. The TDS meter will help you get the most value out of your filter cartridges.

I would also advise waiting a week or two. If I remember correctly, BRS dropped RO/DI units for Black Friday. You may be able to get the value plus for close to $150.

James77 · Nov 15, 2019

slewrock1 said:
Just stumbled upon Buckeye Hydro. It seems like their prices are easily 30+% cheaper than BRS and Spectra. Is this spot the real deal?? I feel like it's too good to be true.

Yes Buckeye is a great site, they always slip my mind when suggesting companies. They used to be BuckeyeFieldSupply. But Russ there is very helpful, my RODI had fouled with bacteria several years ago, and he was more than helpful helping me correct the problem. I had used 2 membranes to double output. But that also reduced flush water, so bacteria took over. Always stick with one membrane.

But yeah, you can't go wrong with Buckeye.