# RO/DI a MUST?



## jc_19 (Jun 16, 2005)

Pretty much what the topic says. Is this something you MUST have to start a tank, i set one up a few years ago and only used tap water. Now im reading up on things to start one again and everyone is all over this RO/DI system, which i found a decent one for like 120$ but thats quite a dent. I read the saltwater on a budget thread and a few starting saltwater tank threads here and the RO/DI was not once brought up


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

jc_19 said:


> Pretty much what the topic says. Is this something you MUST have to start a tank, i set one up a few years ago and only used tap water. Now im reading up on things to start one again and everyone is all over this RO/DI system, which i found a decent one for like 120$ but thats quite a dent. I read the saltwater on a budget thread and a few starting saltwater tank threads here and the RO/DI was not once brought up


Yes, i am going to say its a must, as i would never do it.

Unless you want an algae farm, and to battle problems forever. I have seen several people try it, even from a well and fail miserably.

Best bet if you dont want to buy one right now, find somewhere you can buy it by the gallon... such as an LFS or, water place like culligan. If you are doing a small tank you wont have problems, if were talking like a 125 gal tank then its nice to have onsite, and not have to transport it.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Ægir said:


> Pretty much what the topic says. Is this something you MUST have to start a tank, i set one up a few years ago and only used tap water. Now im reading up on things to start one again and everyone is all over this RO/DI system, which i found a decent one for like 120$ but thats quite a dent. I read the saltwater on a budget thread and a few starting saltwater tank threads here and the RO/DI was not once brought up


Yes, i am going to say its a must, as i would never do it.

Unless you want an algae farm, and to battle problems forever. I have seen several people try it, even from a well and fail miserably.

Best bet if you dont want to buy one right now, find somewhere you can buy it by the gallon... such as an LFS or, water place like culligan. If you are doing a small tank you wont have problems, if were talking like a 125 gal tank then its nice to have onsite, and not have to transport it.
[/quote]
Agreed. For any large tank you definitly want your own unit. For anything under 30g you could concider buying. 120$ isnt really that much in a sw budget. Ive done a bit with tap water when i was just lazy and if you use tap water you may as well just set up a fw tank as you just dont enjoy the sw tank if its covered in algae like you would if it was algae free


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

sean-820 said:


> Pretty much what the topic says. Is this something you MUST have to start a tank, i set one up a few years ago and only used tap water. Now im reading up on things to start one again and everyone is all over this RO/DI system, which i found a decent one for like 120$ but thats quite a dent. I read the saltwater on a budget thread and a few starting saltwater tank threads here and the RO/DI was not once brought up


Yes, i am going to say its a must, as i would never do it.

Unless you want an algae farm, and to battle problems forever. I have seen several people try it, even from a well and fail miserably.

Best bet if you dont want to buy one right now, find somewhere you can buy it by the gallon... such as an LFS or, water place like culligan. If you are doing a small tank you wont have problems, if were talking like a 125 gal tank then its nice to have onsite, and not have to transport it.
[/quote]
Agreed. For any large tank you definitly want your own unit. For anything under 30g you could concider buying. 120$ isnt really that much in a sw budget. Ive done a bit with tap water when i was just lazy and if you use tap water you may as well just set up a fw tank as you *just dont enjoy the sw tank if its covered in algae* like you would if it was algae free
[/quote]

Exactly... it becomes a chore

When you are always battling a problem, you dont really enjoy the tank and it becomes nothing but work. And when its work, you are more likely to put it off and the problems get worse... Its a never ending cycle


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## jc_19 (Jun 16, 2005)

point taken...thanks everyone. I think ill invest in something i can hook up to my own faucet. What do you guys think of this one

http://www.marinedepot.com/Aquarium_Pharma...IRODI-4-vi.html

My only concern with that is....assuming i will need 2-3 filters just to get it going, i could be at the price of one of those nice systems.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

jc_19 said:


> point taken...thanks everyone. I think ill invest in something i can hook up to my own faucet. What do you guys think of this one
> 
> http://www.marinedepot.com/Aquarium_Pharma...IRODI-4-vi.html
> 
> My only concern with that is....assuming i will need 2-3 filters just to get it going, i could be at the price of one of those nice systems.


I would save up and buy a nice 4 or 5 stage RO/DI filter... the life of those filters in the one you listed can vary, and they are 20$ to replace... if you are replacing one or two a month, and only making 50 gals then your cost is way high. If you have good water from the tap (low TDS, iron, etc) then you could maybe get away with it... but its high risk.

I actually just saw that Home depot carrys a "self test" kit for your water, that measures heavy metals and such... they were like 5$ if i recall and it would be valuable to know for your decision.

Thefilterguys.com have good deals typically

And it would also be worth getting the simple plumbing parts to mount it under your sink, and not have to hook it up every time... cheap and easy, water whenever you need it.


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## jc_19 (Jun 16, 2005)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Aqua-Reef-RO-DI-Revers...=item27ae0720cf

how does this one look


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

jc_19 said:


> http://cgi.ebay.com/Aqua-Reef-RO-DI-Revers...=item27ae0720cf
> 
> how does this one look


Thats the same filter housing that i have almost... but i replaced my filters after 6 months with some quality filters. I also would add a TDS meter to the setup... something like this clicky so you can monitor the filters and know EXACTLY when to replace them.

Depending on where you would be hooking it up, you might need a couple plumbing parts


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## jc_19 (Jun 16, 2005)

Awesome! Guess ill go ahead and order them....thanks alot for the help


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

I have seen beautiful full out reef set-ups on some forums where guys are using nothing but tap water. I will say RO/DI is a must, but there are a few that break the rules.

I closed down my 10 gallon because it was becoming a PITA to haul around jugs and stuff, and I didnt want to go out and grab a RO/DO unit and wait for the water to be made, and then have to deal with the maintenance of the unit (changing out the membranes) and all of that.

I have an empty 20 AGA where I might do an experiment and go reef using only tap water. I want to see if having a big fuge, a decent skimmer, good clean up crew, and a very lightly stocked tank, will allow me to get away with using just tap water.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

speakyourmind said:


> I have seen beautiful full out reef set-ups on some forums where guys are using nothing but tap water. I will say RO/DI is a must, but there are a few that break the rules.
> 
> I closed down my 10 gallon because it was becoming a PITA to haul around jugs and stuff, and I didnt want to go out and grab a RO/DO unit and wait for the water to be made, and then have to deal with the maintenance of the unit (changing out the membranes) and all of that.
> 
> I have an empty 20 AGA where I might do an experiment and go reef using only tap water. I want to see if having a big fuge, a decent skimmer, good clean up crew, and a very lightly stocked tank, will allow me to get away with using just tap water.


I have seen it to, in Greenland and other places that have near 0TDS pure water from the well.

Try that on any other location, on most city or well water and the phosphates alone (not to mention nitrates and nitrites, iron, copper, chlorine) would cause nothing but problems. I live on top of one of the most pure aquifers in the US, and even my well water isnt possible to use.

I would love to see how your experiment turns out... but first, just for lolz have your tap water tested and see whats in it.

2 or 3 of my friends have run tanks into the ground using tap water out of laziness (i told them they can have water from my house, if they contribute to filters once a year)... the only thing you could call a remote success was the aptasia and green hair algae farm that was about 4" thick on all internal surfaces.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

If your in a city, theres a slim chance your water will be good enough for reef tanks. That would be awsome if it was that easy though.

Aegir, per year would you have to replace the ro cartriges? Roughly how much does it cost yearly for an ro unit? I want one, but i dont know if it would be worth it as the unit itself is like 200$ (the link you posted was cheap and looked good though. then theres all the waste water, filter changes (and the replacements ive seen arnt always cheap) and plumbing.

How easy are these to hook up to sink lines? Do you need a plummber or need any experience or is this fool proof? Right now the tanks only 25g system so buying 10g at a time works fine and is relativly cheap, but not sure if my own unit would be worth it for this size tank unless its in a pretty long run.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

sean-820 said:


> If your in a city, theres a slim chance your water will be good enough for reef tanks. That would be awsome if it was that easy though.
> 
> Aegir, per year would you have to replace the ro cartriges? Roughly how much does it cost yearly for an ro unit? I want one, but i dont know if it would be worth it as the unit itself is like 200$ (the link you posted was cheap and looked good though. then theres all the waste water, filter changes (and the replacements ive seen arnt always cheap) and plumbing.
> 
> How easy are these to hook up to sink lines? Do you need a plummber or need any experience or is this fool proof? Right now the tanks only 25g system so buying 10g at a time works fine and is relativly cheap, but not sure if my own unit would be worth it for this size tank unless its in a pretty long run.


Well your initial cost can be relatively high because of the housing, and whatnot... but from there out you arent paying .10$ per gallon of water, arent spending gas money to drive and pick up water, and the physical labor to get it home as well. Its really nice to just fill up 10 gals and use a pump over carrying it from the driveway.

The housing i got came from "purewaterclub.com" who is also an ebay dealer... i just rocked those filters until i saw a TDS creep, and then replaced them with quality filters form marinedepot.com. The important thing isnt the housing itself, its the filters and getting 0TDS in the end.

Replacing filters comes down to your inital source... i have a well thats high in sediment and iron, so i replace the .5 micron sediment filter atleast twice a year... By keeping the first stages clean and fresh, you can get more life out of the RO membrane (which is the most expensive individual part) and that should be replaced every 18 months depending agian on what your source is.

The best way to tell when you need new filters is an inline TDS meter. It will tell you exactly when they are spent, and need replaced with no guess work... which will also save you money.

As for hooking them up, its extremely simple... You are just using a saddle that clamps onto your drain, and putting a T after the valve where your sinks water supply hooks up. No plumbing experience necessary, but you will need some simple tools, and teflon tape to seal threads.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I got a 6 stage off craigslist with all new filters for wicked cheap. That was over a year and a half ago...and the water is still coming out less then 1ppm. When I was running a 12 gallon tank...I was using the drinking water that comes out of the fridge to top it off. About 2 cups a day...maybe a little more. I didnt have any issues. My tap water is in the 40ppm range (if I remember right)....out of the fridge was around 9ppm because it does have a filter on it.

Right now my tank is a 39 gallon&#8230;and I go through about 2 quarts a day through evaporation. It is an open top system which doesn't help&#8230;.but I would be screwed if I didn't have a RO/DI unit. I just have a tub in the basement that I keep about 20 gallons of water made up for toping off and water changes. You also never know when you are going to get new fish and you waste a lot of water during acclimation.

I have mine set up so it just snaps on the faucet when I want to make water. It is really easy. I just set it up and run it for about 6-8 hours&#8230;making around 20 gallons&#8230;then I am done for the week.

I am curious if that tds meter works. I have a hand held one...but that one would be sweet.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Grosse Gurke said:


> I got a 6 stage off craigslist with all new filters for wicked cheap. That was over a year and a half ago...and the water is still coming out less then 1ppm. When I was running a 12 gallon tank...I was using the drinking water that comes out of the fridge to top it off. About 2 cups a day...maybe a little more. I didnt have any issues. My tap water is in the 40ppm range (if I remember right)....out of the fridge was around 9ppm because it does have a filter on it.
> 
> Right now my tank is a 39 gallon&#8230;and I go through about 2 quarts a day through evaporation. It is an open top system which doesn't help&#8230;.but I would be screwed if I didn't have a RO/DI unit. I just have a tub in the basement that I keep about 20 gallons of water made up for toping off and water changes. You also never know when you are going to get new fish and you waste a lot of water during acclimation.
> 
> ...


I know several people using them, and they work great! You can calibrate them, and monitor 2 places during filtration, like before the RO membrane, and final product... kinda gives you an idea what stage your problem is in, and what needs to be replaced.

I have a crappy hand held, but the inline is on my next order (with replacement filters, and new light bulbs... i hate the 18 month mark!) But on average i make 120 gals per week... round that to 500 a month, or 6000 gals per year thats not bad filter life.

Now that its winter... I (well not me personally, my ATO) am topping off almost 8-10 gals PER DAY in my tank. Some would think thats bad, but evaporative cooling is about as efficient as it gets and its cheaper than a chiller... and if i wasnt making that water 4 feet away, and had to pack it from my drive way, down stairs, and then prep it.... no thanks


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Do think it would be worht it for this size tank? 15g with 10g sump

Where are you getting water for 10 cents a gallon? Im paying 33 cents and thats becasue i buy 10x 5g jugs at a time for 2$ each and get 2 jugs free so its 12 jugs for 20$ (or i could do 25 jugs for 40$)


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

sean-820 said:


> Do think it would be worht it for this size tank? 15g with 10g sump
> 
> Where are you getting water for 10 cents a gallon? Im paying 33 cents and thats becasue i buy 10x 5g jugs at a time for 2$ each and get 2 jugs free so its 12 jugs for 20$ (or i could do 25 jugs for 40$)


10 cents is what the local water purification place charges me, but thats providing i bring my own containers... I think my first couple orders of 200 gals (setting up a friend of the familys tank) got me a discount... or they felt bad watching me pack all that water 5 gals at a time?

The LFS that went out of business here, had a massive RO/DI system with like 500 gals of storage... they would just give me water because i called them out on it being 0TDS (more like 4) and there was a small phosphate /ammonia issue... not a problem for a tank that isnt cycled. (i found out later they were WAYYY behind on payments to the company that replaced the filters... sooo... )

Its all in who you know i guess.

How many times have you gone to buy 10 jugs or whatever... add that up and compare it to making your own water (especially the time and work on your part) Yeah, i think its worth it... Thats an hour i could spend doing something more important, other than shuttling water


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## jc_19 (Jun 16, 2005)

i ordered mine simply because i would rather sit at home making the water in the warmth, then drive my gas hog truck back and forth across town in the freezing cold


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## redbellyman21 (Jun 27, 2004)

not to mention, in a emergency setting, where you need to do a massive water change.. or whatever else ails you, you have to look but your own water storage and ro... I bought mine 5-6 years ago.. exactly 2 years before setting up first saltwater tank... I slowly built up my required items, considering 5-6 years ago I made 200-400$ a week and I wanted a reef! So patience may be a bitch, but its worth not spending it twice or even more...


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