Which Ro/di unit to get

[ichthyogeek]

Check the spreadsheet I sent at the beginning of the thread! It's a fairly good one, but I think there are better ones that will give you better bang for your buck if this is a long term investment. You can switch around filter units with the standard units, so this one might be better for what you want:
https://www.buckeyehydro.com/value-rodi/ (rated at 75 GPH)

 

[BullyBee]

Check the spreadsheet I sent at the beginning of the thread! It's a fairly good one, but I think there are better ones that will give you better bang for your buck if this is a long term investment. You can switch around filter units with the standard units, so this one might be better for what you want:
https://www.buckeyehydro.com/value-rodi/ (rated at 75 GPH)

I did and it seems pretty on par with everything else. Nothing special but not bad by any means.

that’s what I got from it anyway. Am I missing something?

 

[Ippyroy]

I recommend going with one of the units from BRS or melevsreef or spectrapure. You would always have the ability to upgrade the unit and hook it up for drinking water. They are basically all the same components with same, or at least similar filters. They all tend to last a long time and the replacements are much easier to get and are interchangeable. The RO buddy will work, but the filters don't last as long and you can't add a booster pump which will help make water faster now a second DI unit which will greatly decrease the amount of waste water. I have seen BRS put their units on sale fairly often. Good luck and any of them will work.

 

[ichthyogeek]

I did and it seems pretty on par with everything else. Nothing special but not bad by any means.

that’s what I got from it anyway. Am I missing something?

So with the "standard" 4-stages, you can basically mix and match the filters to find the best price. Ex. even if you get the buckeye hydro ones, you can use BRS sediment and carbon filters, and (probably) also the DI resin as well, which can save you money in the long term. The twist-in and portable kinds are more exclusive and you can only use what they provide, which tends to be more expensive long term.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Brs
Spectrapure
Marine depot klearwater

 

[howme127]

I was curious if someone with more knowledge would be willing to overlook my water quality report and let me know if you think a 4/5/6 stage RO/DI system should be used.

Report:

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/article/244813

Thank you!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Depends on what you want! Do you want to save money? Space? Wasted water? All of them are pretty interesting variables, and it's also confounded by the various sizes of RODI filters. I've compiled a spreadsheet of some of the better known 4-stage RODI units below.

This is really cool!

 

[AKReef]

I would check out the BRS Youtube videos on RODI systems. Some of them are very educational and will address when you might need specific setups or not. Most RODI systems all do the same thing with the same filters. Some just use fancy canisters and others are basically off the self canisters and filters that they assemble together. You could do the same thing on your own if you wanted, but they've done the hard part for you buy packaging it up in a nice kit.

What's important are the filters/stages and the order you put them in. Water pressure and temperature will certainly affect your water production efficiency. Everyone's setup will be different, but I would just go with a BRS system and upgrade pieces accordingly.

Edit to add: also, most local water filter stores will test your water for free if you bring them a sample. I wouldn't listen to anything they say on the type of system to install, as they will oversell you badly, but their test results will at least tell you what you're dealing with.

 

[K7BMG]

So first off I am always concerned with my water quality for my reef tank.
After all it is the first step in the process and the most important.

I will always choose what I feel is the best.
Two different experts in the water industry have told me that the Dow Corning brand of RO membranes simply can't be beat. No reason for me to doubt them.

BRS uses Dow Corning.

Step 2 I like money to be in my pocket instead of someone else.

I chose the BRS 7 stage.
It will do what every you need.
It will work for a 10g Nano to a 1000g dream system or more.
Yes it is more expensive initially, but is it over time?

In the long run, your money in resin will go down the drain when using mix-bed resins.
The 7 stage uses separate Cation, Anion, and Mix-bed.
You will deplete Anion two to three times faster than Cation.
So instead of throwing away perfectly good Cation resin you can simple replace the Anion.

You see most folks here talk about upgrading. Have you noticed that?
Why do they say that? Because most have upgraded.

Buy right buy once, keep your long term money in your pocket.

It will be the best $340.00 you will ever spend on the health of your reef tank.

 

[Lp1977]

I've had a few through the years and must say without a doubt that the Spectrapure Mega Maxcap 5 Stage w/manual flush has been the best I have had. There are many that will give same results/features and use the same filters as Spectrapure minus there mixed DI cartridges $$. Just make sure whatever you buy has a flush valve or you add one to your unit. Will save you $$$'s in the long run.

 

[QandnotU]

I got the 100 gpd BRS 4 stage initially. I have a Red Sea Max Nano (20 gal). I have since upgraded the RO and plan to upgrade the DI to make the unit a 200 gpd 7 stage.

I should've just spent the money on the 200 gpd 7 stage initially. I also upgraded to the feed water pump ($120 on amazon).

I definitely recommend the BRS 7 stage 200 gpd + booster pump to everyone.

 

[howme127]

Just bought a BRS 7 stage 150 GPD!

 

[ChrisNH]

I got the BRS 7 stage for my 40B (and other uses) and have no regrets. It’s well put together. the only extra thing I got was a nicer fitting to install it in my water line.

 

[billwill]

They’re basically all the same. Filmtec is the main ro cartridge unless you buy spectra pure. All the rest are the the same canisters and parts. The chloramines thing is definitely worth paying attention to. The biggest deal is the placement for you based on or plan. If you’re only making 5 gallons at a time I STRONGLY suggest setting up where your bucket is either in a sink or your bathtub. Ask anyone in here who’s done it this way how many times they’ve flooded an area, and I promise the answer is not zero.

 

[howme127]

I'm putting it in the garage next to the on demand water heater with a mixing station. Everything is already setup with escapes out side and emergency drainage including the main shutoff being right there. I'm hoping it all works out just right. Thanks to everyone for the quick advice too!

 

[Buckeye Hydro Verified Sponsor]

Thank you for doing this! Very nice and simple enough even I can understand it!

Realize that the reported ratios are not accurate. These ratios will change with your water temperature and your water pressure... and if you work with a good vendor the ratio can be modified at your request.

Russ

 

[Jmass015]

My recommendation would be a BRS 5 stage RO/DI 150 gallon per day water saver with the booster pump.
I filter water by the bucket to and it takes 25-30 minutes per bucket with the booster pump set at 70 psi.
I get 0TDS.
But our water is pretty clean before the filter.

 

[Crotalus]

Give www.fountainheadwatersystems.com a look. The have a section especialy for aquariums. Very nice and knowledgeable people. Save a lot of money. 4 stage 150 gal/day for $104. You can add more stages easily if you wish. I added a second DI for $25 if I remember correctly.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Realize that the reported ratios are not accurate. These ratios will change with your water temperature and your water pressure... and if you work with a good vendor the ratio can be modified at your request.

Russ

That's very true. The information I collected was based off of information gathered off of the vendor's websites, user manuals, etc. In cases where I couldn't find any information about waste:RO water ratios, I approximated using data from the RO membrane and from other vendors that used the same membrane. Those are highlighted in red, since I can't verify what the reported ratio is, but allows for the general person to make a "best guess" approximation.

 

[Buckeye Hydro Verified Sponsor]

That's very true. The information I collected was based off of information gathered off of the vendor's websites, user manuals, etc. In cases where I couldn't find any information about waste:RO water ratios, I approximated using data from the RO membrane and from other vendors that used the same membrane. Those are highlighted in red, since I can't verify what the reported ratio is, but allows for the general person to make a "best guess" approximation.

Even if that information was reported on the vendor's website, the ratios would no longer be accurate once installed. Bottomline: that is not a criteria I would suggest buyers consider. They can tweak the ratio to whatever they'd like.