# Ro/di Filters



## Guest

what do you recommend? ive been running my tank for over a year just with tap water, which has been great, but i do fight algae. but so do people who use R/O water. I was thinking of giving RO a shot. But im on a budget. the salt and bulb replacements are expensive enough not mention the investment in the tank, sand, liverock, filter, light fixture, skimmer, fish, coral, etc... Not only the R/O filter investment, but than a big drum, plus a ton of waste water costs, plus filter replacements, etc.


----------



## shiver905

An RO/DI is a great investment.

You can buy a good one for <150$ Plus about 20$ for a TDS meter.

You can use old salt buckets to store your water.


----------



## Ægir

swampassj said:


> what do you recommend? ive been running my tank for over a year just with tap water, which has been great, but i do fight algae. but so do people who use R/O water. I was thinking of giving RO a shot. But im on a budget. the salt and bulb replacements are expensive enough not mention the investment in the tank, sand, liverock, filter, light fixture, skimmer, fish, coral, etc... Not only the R/O filter investment, but than a big drum, plus a ton of waste water costs, plus filter replacements, etc.


People with RO/DI water shouldnt fight algae unless they have a heavily stocked predator tank, over feed, under skim or filter, too long of photoperiod or have sitting waste (low flow)... Its not just reverse osmosis, but DE-IONIZED also... pure water. And all of those other things are easy to fix once you understand the problem.

I got my housing from ebay... 6 stage 120 gpd for like 120$, after making 400 gals of water to fill and cycle my tank I purchased quality filters and put them in. Once a year I would replace the whole deal (mostly because of the DI resin), and twice a year I replaced the first few stages.

RO/DI filters are easy to maintain, and the only filter that costs a bunch is the RO membrane... by FREQUENTLY replacing your sediment filter and first carbon filter (first 2 stages) you can protect the membrane and have it last for years. I would also recommend an inline TDS meter, so you know EXACTLY when to replace your filters. Like i said before, 0TDS PURE WATER is the goal here.

All I will say is I have seen LOTS of people think they can just use tap water, or drinking water... but constantly battle an algae farm, and cant get anything to live before being overgrown. I started with well water, and even that didnt cut it... after a few weeks of switching it was a major change in things.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I bought a cheap unit from PureWaterClub.com, it was around $100 shipped for a 5 stage and it came with a saddle valve for the feed line, a drain valve to connect to a drain line for waste water, and an auto-shut off kit with valve and float. I spent about $30 on the HM dual inline TDS meter from eBay and $30 at Home Depot for a 32 gallon BRUTE can for storing water and I was all set. I've been running 0 TDS for a few months now but I'll use higher quality filters to replace the ones it came with when the time comes.


----------



## wizardslovak

BEst Prices i found so far 
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/reverse-osmosis-filters-and-systems/reverses-osmosis-deionization-systems


----------



## hyphen

i bought mine used with a big box full of extra filters and a handheld digital tds meter for $100. it's a 5 stage, 60gpd kent marine maxxima.

if you look around on craigslist, ebay, and reef sites you'll be able to score some major deals.


----------

