RODI System

[Thefishguy]

Hey everyone,

Since this is my first post on R2R, I will share the basics of my tank I am setting up. It is a 180 gallon, with a 39 gallon trigger sump. Not sure if these specs matter, but twin overflows with dual 1" drains and dual 3/4" returns. I already have all the sand and dry rock inside the tank with the tank plumbed and ready for water. I am glad I started reading around online about water before filling though, I have read you should never use tap water not even to start the cycle. I almost filled the whole tank today with tap water. I have been running a 55g saltwater fish only tank for over 5 years now using tap water, never had bad algae issues on that tank, so I am not sure why it would make a huge difference with a reef? Only thing I would be worried about is copper leaching into the water from the pipes and faucet.

So my question is, would it be a terrible idea to fill it all with tap water for the cycle and slowly change it out with water changes with RODI water? Or should I just wait until I get my RODI system and an extra brute trashcan to store the water in to fill the tank? I was also looking at getting the Aquaticlife RO Buddie RODI system as I can get that for under $80, but after reading around it seems that the SpectraPure is the gold standard for RODI systems. Is there a big difference between the 2 systems and if so should I just go with the SpectraPure to be better off long-term? I am sorry for all the questions at once, just reading a lot of conflicting info online so I decided to just ask. With the brute trash can, what size should I get for a 180? I was thinking around a 40 gallon to hold enough for 20% water changes or should i go bigger or different container all together?

Also, I have no live rock in my 55, so I plan on using some of the sand from that tank in my new 180 to help with the cycle. I also jumped the gun and forgot to leak test my system before adding the dry rock/sand so should I leak test everything with tap freshwater with the dry rock and sand all already in there or is it to late and I just have to hope everything is sealed up and add all saltwater to the system right away since I have the dry rock/sand in already. I figure freshwater is fine since it is all dry with no bacteria living anyway, just want to check though for the tap water thing. I hope I wasn't too all over the place lol. Any help is appreciated and if you need anymore specs from my setup just let me know! I look forward to getting to know everyone around here!

Thanks
Tim

 

[clsanchez77]

I'd wait and go all RO/DI. That is what I did and you don't have to worry about residuals.

Having said that, Im sure you will be fine as the residuals will be negligible. But we go through so much trouble to obtain 0 TDS, why add them due to impatience?

 

[Mandrew]

BRS makes good RODI units and they're typically cheaper than spectra pure. It's not about the plastic housing anyways, it's about what filters you put inside of them [emoji6]

 

[clsanchez77]

BRS makes good RODI units and they're typically cheaper than spectra pure. It's not about the plastic housing anyways, it's about what filters you put inside of them [emoji6]

I agree with this. I have the BRS water saver plus, pretty sure this unit was cheaper than spectrapure and performs top notch. I added a few bells and whistles myself to get better performance. If your area uses chloramines to disinfect the water instead of chlorine, the dual carbon blocks will save your RO membrane. I also like the dual DI membrane as it ensures I get 0 TDS every bucket.

 

[PatW]

Like the others, I would go RODI from the get go. I use a BRS 6 stage. It has a sediment filter, 2 carbon filters, the RO membrane followed by two DI canisters. I like 2 DI canisters because that way I can completely deplete a DI canister without getting more than 0 tds water and I don't waste the DI resin. I use color changing resin. I have the 75 gpd membrane and it works fine. The tds of my tap water is about 140. It comes out of the DI membrane at 2 tds. My water pressure is about 55 psi. A bit low but it seems to work fine.

I use a 44 gallon Brute trashcan for my RODI storage and it has the BRS auto shut off valve. Get the valve. It will save you from floods and it is cheap.

BRS has a pile of you tube videos on RODI systems. There are other systems. Spectrapure is very popular.

 

[Big G]

Hey everyone,

Since this is my first post on R2R, I will share the basics of my tank I am setting up. It is a 180 gallon, with a 39 gallon trigger sump. Not sure if these specs matter, but twin overflows with dual 1" drains and dual 3/4" returns. I already have all the sand and dry rock inside the tank with the tank plumbed and ready for water. I am glad I started reading around online about water before filling though, I have read you should never use tap water not even to start the cycle. I almost filled the whole tank today with tap water. I have been running a 55g saltwater fish only tank for over 5 years now using tap water, never had bad algae issues on that tank, so I am not sure why it would make a huge difference with a reef? Only thing I would be worried about is copper leaching into the water from the pipes and faucet.

So my question is, would it be a terrible idea to fill it all with tap water for the cycle and slowly change it out with water changes with RODI water? Or should I just wait until I get my RODI system and an extra brute trashcan to store the water in to fill the tank? I was also looking at getting the Aquaticlife RO Buddie RODI system as I can get that for under $80, but after reading around it seems that the SpectraPure is the gold standard for RODI systems. Is there a big difference between the 2 systems and if so should I just go with the SpectraPure to be better off long-term? I am sorry for all the questions at once, just reading a lot of conflicting info online so I decided to just ask. With the brute trash can, what size should I get for a 180? I was thinking around a 40 gallon to hold enough for 20% water changes or should i go bigger or different container all together?

Also, I have no live rock in my 55, so I plan on using some of the sand from that tank in my new 180 to help with the cycle. I also jumped the gun and forgot to leak test my system before adding the dry rock/sand so should I leak test everything with tap freshwater with the dry rock and sand all already in there or is it to late and I just have to hope everything is sealed up and add all saltwater to the system right away since I have the dry rock/sand in already. I figure freshwater is fine since it is all dry with no bacteria living anyway, just want to check though for the tap water thing. I hope I wasn't too all over the place lol. Any help is appreciated and if you need anymore specs from my setup just let me know! I look forward to getting to know everyone around here!

Thanks
Tim

Avoid the "Diatom" problem if at all if possible. I'd wait for the RODI. I like my 4 stage from BRS. Works great. Here's a pic of my mixing station:

 

[Thefishguy]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I am sorry i got super busy with work but i did end up getting an rodi system and running that into a 44 gallon brute trash can, like PatW. I do think I will get a float valve to avoid floods as i did flood my basement the first night lol. Wasnt from the trash can overflowing though, I put the waste water line down the sink like they showed and it ended up popping out and i can only imagine how many gallons were on the floor. I now have that strapped to the laundry water basin so it wont fall again. Tank is now about half way full, will add another 40 gallons tonight, than another 40 before work tomorrow, hopefully will fill the tank to where i can start running the sump. For everyone who reccommened BRS rodi systems, that was my first choice honestly, i have watched a lot of their videos for reefing and they have been extremely helpful! I ended up going with the spectrapure Maxpure 180gpd, I believe it is a 4 stage but it looks to have 2 membranes so do the 2 membranes count as 1 stage? I thought it would be called a 5 stage since it has 5 chambers the water goes though. I ended up going with this though because it was at the store for $220 plus 15% off, plus had some return items so me being impatient just decided to get that, i felt it was a good deal. The psi gauge is reading a steady 40psi, takes ~8 hours to fill the 44 gallon trash can. Not sure if its worth it to get a booster pump if i am basically filling that once a week from now on? I dont mind it running overnight to fill a day or 2 before the water change, if its okay to sit with the lid and add salt the day of water change?

Also is there anywhere i can get a tds meter locally that is inexpensive? I did not measure my tds from tap water or rodi water, I just followed instructions and flushed the system for an hour than ran 2 gallons of rodi, than started to use as the directions said. I actually collected about 4 gallons before running so i am assuming it would measure 0 tds.

I really like your set up Big G, I am thinking of raising my trash can on a platform and adding a bulkhead, or putting my pump that is running my 55g inside and getting a 30ft hose from the trashcan to tank to make it even easier. Any problem with mixing salt in the same can as rodi water because thats what i have been doing. I also have some filter pads in my 55g thats okay to put into the new 180 right? The tap water from that wont be enough to effect 200 gallons of water i assume, but should help the cycle finish quicker. Is it also okay if i put the rodi saltwater into a smaller 20g trashcan with wheels to wheel over to the tank to fill from or is that cross-contaminating since I use that trash can for my 55g water changes, i think im over thinking everything as thats what i usually do lol.

Everyone has already been extremely helpful and i really appreciate everything I will definitely be a regular on this site as often as i can! hopefully one day soon giving advice to other young reefers! If there is anything else you recommended me do or any equipment i should get that i may not have please dont hesitate to say something i would really appreciate it. I plan on growing softies and lps, so would 2, 950gph powerheads plus my 2 returns pushing around 600gph each be enough flow for what i am looking for?

Thank you everyone for all your help already! Sorry for the books i keep posting lol I just have so many questions that I want to make sure I am doing everything right from the start. P.S. My lights are 2 LED Vervves, got them for $330 each so half price I couldnt turn it down for a name brand light on a budget! I just hope they are as good as I am imagining, reviews seem to say they are just under radions so I'll take that as I was looking into the hydra 52's or chinese leds lol. I also may add 1 or 2, 24" Coralife T5 Fixtures that hold 2 T5s each as they are on clearence at my work lol, if you cant tell I am looking for bargins to start this, and then add and upgrade as time goes on. If you dont think the t5s are necessary or are please let me know as I am not sure how quick they will sell at work.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Big G]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I am sorry i got super busy with work but i did end up getting an rodi system and running that into a 44 gallon brute trash can, like PatW. I do think I will get a float valve to avoid floods as i did flood my basement the first night lol. Wasnt from the trash can overflowing though, I put the waste water line down the sink like they showed and it ended up popping out and i can only imagine how many gallons were on the floor. I now have that strapped to the laundry water basin so it wont fall again. Tank is now about half way full, will add another 40 gallons tonight, than another 40 before work tomorrow, hopefully will fill the tank to where i can start running the sump. For everyone who reccommened BRS rodi systems, that was my first choice honestly, i have watched a lot of their videos for reefing and they have been extremely helpful! I ended up going with the spectrapure Maxpure 180gpd, I believe it is a 4 stage but it looks to have 2 membranes so do the 2 membranes count as 1 stage? I thought it would be called a 5 stage since it has 5 chambers the water goes though. I ended up going with this though because it was at the store for $220 plus 15% off, plus had some return items so me being impatient just decided to get that, i felt it was a good deal. The psi gauge is reading a steady 40psi, takes ~8 hours to fill the 44 gallon trash can. Not sure if its worth it to get a booster pump if i am basically filling that once a week from now on? I dont mind it running overnight to fill a day or 2 before the water change, if its okay to sit with the lid and add salt the day of water change?

Also is there anywhere i can get a tds meter locally that is inexpensive? I did not measure my tds from tap water or rodi water, I just followed instructions and flushed the system for an hour than ran 2 gallons of rodi, than started to use as the directions said. I actually collected about 4 gallons before running so i am assuming it would measure 0 tds.

I really like your set up Big G, I am thinking of raising my trash can on a platform and adding a bulkhead, or putting my pump that is running my 55g inside and getting a 30ft hose from the trashcan to tank to make it even easier. Any problem with mixing salt in the same can as rodi water because thats what i have been doing. I also have some filter pads in my 55g thats okay to put into the new 180 right? The tap water from that wont be enough to effect 200 gallons of water i assume, but should help the cycle finish quicker. Is it also okay if i put the rodi saltwater into a smaller 20g trashcan with wheels to wheel over to the tank to fill from or is that cross-contaminating since I use that trash can for my 55g water changes, i think im over thinking everything as thats what i usually do lol.

Everyone has already been extremely helpful and i really appreciate everything I will definitely be a regular on this site as often as i can! hopefully one day soon giving advice to other young reefers! If there is anything else you recommended me do or any equipment i should get that i may not have please dont hesitate to say something i would really appreciate it. I plan on growing softies and lps, so would 2, 950gph powerheads plus my 2 returns pushing around 600gph each be enough flow for what i am looking for?

Thank you everyone for all your help already! Sorry for the books i keep posting lol I just have so many questions that I want to make sure I am doing everything right from the start. P.S. My lights are 2 LED Vervves, got them for $330 each so half price I couldnt turn it down for a name brand light on a budget! I just hope they are as good as I am imagining, reviews seem to say they are just under radions so I'll take that as I was looking into the hydra 52's or chinese leds lol. I also may add 1 or 2, 24" Coralife T5 Fixtures that hold 2 T5s each as they are on clearence at my work lol, if you cant tell I am looking for bargins to start this, and then add and upgrade as time goes on. If you dont think the t5s are necessary or are please let me know as I am not sure how quick they will sell at work.

Thanks everyone!!

Bulkheads work great on "flat" surfaces; "uniseals" work great on "curved" surfaces, like on the side of trash cans, buckets, etc. BRS sells them.

 

[clsanchez77]

Bulkheads work great on "flat" surfaces; "uniseals" work great on "curved" surfaces, like on the side of trash cans, buckets, etc. BRS sells them.

You can technically use uniseals on flat surfaces as well, Im just not sure how much pressure they can handle. Their real downfall is they don't "support" the pipe like a bulkhead. Also, if anyone is interested, US Plastics does sell "curved wall" bulkheads. I have used these quite successfully if you want something more rigid.

 

[Big G]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I am sorry i got super busy with work but i did end up getting an rodi system and running that into a 44 gallon brute trash can, like PatW. I do think I will get a float valve to avoid floods as i did flood my basement the first night lol. Wasnt from the trash can overflowing though, I put the waste water line down the sink like they showed and it ended up popping out and i can only imagine how many gallons were on the floor. I now have that strapped to the laundry water basin so it wont fall again. Tank is now about half way full, will add another 40 gallons tonight, than another 40 before work tomorrow, hopefully will fill the tank to where i can start running the sump. For everyone who reccommened BRS rodi systems, that was my first choice honestly, i have watched a lot of their videos for reefing and they have been extremely helpful! I ended up going with the spectrapure Maxpure 180gpd, I believe it is a 4 stage but it looks to have 2 membranes so do the 2 membranes count as 1 stage? I thought it would be called a 5 stage since it has 5 chambers the water goes though. I ended up going with this though because it was at the store for $220 plus 15% off, plus had some return items so me being impatient just decided to get that, i felt it was a good deal. The psi gauge is reading a steady 40psi, takes ~8 hours to fill the 44 gallon trash can. Not sure if its worth it to get a booster pump if i am basically filling that once a week from now on? I dont mind it running overnight to fill a day or 2 before the water change, if its okay to sit with the lid and add salt the day of water change?

Also is there anywhere i can get a tds meter locally that is inexpensive? I did not measure my tds from tap water or rodi water, I just followed instructions and flushed the system for an hour than ran 2 gallons of rodi, than started to use as the directions said. I actually collected about 4 gallons before running so i am assuming it would measure 0 tds.

I really like your set up Big G, I am thinking of raising my trash can on a platform and adding a bulkhead, or putting my pump that is running my 55g inside and getting a 30ft hose from the trashcan to tank to make it even easier. Any problem with mixing salt in the same can as rodi water because thats what i have been doing. I also have some filter pads in my 55g thats okay to put into the new 180 right? The tap water from that wont be enough to effect 200 gallons of water i assume, but should help the cycle finish quicker. Is it also okay if i put the rodi saltwater into a smaller 20g trashcan with wheels to wheel over to the tank to fill from or is that cross-contaminating since I use that trash can for my 55g water changes, i think im over thinking everything as thats what i usually do lol.

Everyone has already been extremely helpful and i really appreciate everything I will definitely be a regular on this site as often as i can! hopefully one day soon giving advice to other young reefers! If there is anything else you recommended me do or any equipment i should get that i may not have please dont hesitate to say something i would really appreciate it. I plan on growing softies and lps, so would 2, 950gph powerheads plus my 2 returns pushing around 600gph each be enough flow for what i am looking for?

Thank you everyone for all your help already! Sorry for the books i keep posting lol I just have so many questions that I want to make sure I am doing everything right from the start. P.S. My lights are 2 LED Vervves, got them for $330 each so half price I couldnt turn it down for a name brand light on a budget! I just hope they are as good as I am imagining, reviews seem to say they are just under radions so I'll take that as I was looking into the hydra 52's or chinese leds lol. I also may add 1 or 2, 24" Coralife T5 Fixtures that hold 2 T5s each as they are on clearence at my work lol, if you cant tell I am looking for bargins to start this, and then add and upgrade as time goes on. If you dont think the t5s are necessary or are please let me know as I am not sure how quick they will sell at work.

Thanks everyone!!

Based on your plan you may want to check out "bif24701" "Saltwater Mixing Station assistance" posting. He used Brutes and was the inspiration for my system. Cheers!

 

[Thefishguy]

I tried to search for the saltwater mixing station assistance by bif24701, but the only posting that came up from the search result was this posting lol. Am i looking at using 2 uniseals for a mixing station? I assume I would use 1 on each brute? I have looked at a few posts about mixing stations and the setups seem pretty straight forward, but I am confused on why you connect the 2 containers, in my case the brutes, is this just so the water balances itself out from the rodi system? Or is it to send water from the ATO container to the SW container when youre ready to mix the salt you just open a ball valve connecting the two and let it flow over?

Also while talking about the RODI system, how do you know when to replace the membranes and the DI resin? I have the spectrapure color changing DI resin, and when I first set it up the DI resin container filled completely with water, now it only fills about halfway, but the resin hasnt changed color at all? The psi is also still at 40, so that hasn't changed I would assume that would either lower or raise when the membrane needs to be changed? I know I should replace the first filter because that one is pretty brown now. I plan on ordering uniseals, replacement parts for the rodi system and a TDS meter so I can always test my TDS before adding, but I just dont want to use all the replacement parts earlier than I need to. I have ran probably around ~220 gallons through the RODI system give or take ~20 gallons if that helps know the life of the parts better.

Things have settled down at work so I am hoping I can now start to be on here more consistently and not a hit and miss like it has been the past few weeks.

 

[Big G]

Try searching for "Saltwater Mixing Station assistance" That's the place where the tread starts. Very cool setup.

I used unseals on the top of my tanks to move water from one tank to the other. Works great on curved surfaces, like tanks, barrels. I prefer bulkheads but they don't work on curved surfaces unless you can find some that are made for curved surfaces. I hear they do make them; never seen them. Important to note that unseals work great if: the hole drilled is the right size, the pipe going into the uniseal is not bending or pulling at an awkward angle.

In my setup one tank has the RODI water; the other tank is for mixing the salt. The pump moves the RODI water into the salt mix tank. The pump mixes the RODI water and the salt. And then it is also used to pump, via a drinking water quality hose, the mixed saltwater into my display tank. No more bucket brigade!

220 gallons is not much unless the water going into the system is really high TDS. Changing the first filter also depends on your water source. It is always always a good thing to keep that first particulate filter in good shape. I buy them by the case. 40 psi is kinda low. Anything below 50 psi and your output suffers as the psi decreases. The guys at BRS did a video on how psi effects performance of RODI systems. They also sell a easy to hookup inline TDS meter that can give you both the readings going into the DI filter and after the DI filter. Highly recommend it.

 

[Thefishguy]

What is the drinking water quality hose you use? I wouldnt be able to use just vinyl tubing to move it from the saltwater mix can to the display tank? Also I have been looking at quite a few setups and theres a few that I like the design of so I might try to mix a few setups together to create something that would work best here. I am assuming I will have to use uniseals on the brutes, so should I order them from BRS along with the TDS meters? I guess I should also order a case of the filters too. I still need to buy another powerhead to for my tank, I was looking at the PP-15, the WP-40, or the CP-40. I really would love to have MP-40s, but I just dont have the cash for those, when the Jebao's do the same thing as the ecotechs for 1/4 of the price. Unless anyone could recommend a good wave maker for $100 or under would be best. I know this is jumping topics so I can create a new thread about what wave maker to get if that would be more helpful.

I would like to know which is more important to get first though, the wave maker or all replacement filters for the RODI system. I do have 2 aqueon powerheads in there right now, but I want to get a real wave maker. Also, how can I get higher psi through my RODI, I assume its only with a booster pump? I just didnt know if they were worth spending on right now when I still need quite a bit of stuff thatll still cost a few hundred.

 

[Big G]

They sell lots of "white" hoses for RVs. Got mine from Amazon. Lots of folks don't like using clear vinyl tubing because it's not really made for pressure and worry about bursting. I have clear vinyl tubing and I use it to drain my tank.

Absolutely, make your water mixing station yours!

Yep, I got my uniseals from BRS. They also sell the inline TDS meter.

I like Hydor Koralia powerheads. I have several and they work great. Pretty good prices on Amazon. Not a big fan of Jebao - zero customer service. Took a DC-4000 pump out of my DT because of the loud whining noise. So I use it on my mixing station out in the garage.

When you stop and think about it, we primarily focus on "water" and "water conditions". Everything else comes second: fish, corals, etc. So making sure your water and water system and water maintenance system is pretty darned important to your success as a reefer.

Wave makers are great for enhancing your coral's health. But do you need them at the start of your tank?

If your water pressure is a bit low, you will produce more waste water; and you will produce less RODI; and you will use up your filter materials with less end product. BRS has a nice video where they investigate water pressure and RODI performance. Highly recommend it.

BRS has a nice booster pump system.