2 quick inquiries for the many geniouses of the forum :)

[AngelLeah1981]

Hey Peoples !

1. I want to buy an RO/DI unit for my 120 gallon (not yet set up) saltwater aquarium. I want the unit to be very good but I don't want to go crazy. "I don't have a money tree out back." ha ha. The thing I'm trying to figure out right now is what I need to look for in a RO/DI system ....just 5 stage? or anything else? I heard that the $70 unit at PetsMart is worthless. shrugs shoulders. I'm willing to spend up to $250-300 but definatly don't want to if it's not necessary. I see the units at all different prices. Also, a while back someone told me they use their unit for drinking water and I always saw this as a plus especially considering I spend around $70-80 a month in Walmart bottled water !!!

2. I'm not even sure I will need a UV sterilizer but I saw what appeared to be a great deal and am wondering if you would mind checking it out for me. I would really appreciate it.
It's #5 on the list:
http://www.lareefclub.com/forum/view...ghlight=#95710
Also, he said "Here is a link to info on the model that I have. They will kill anything that is in the water.

Aqua UV 40 Watt 2 inch UV Sterilizer (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > UV Sterilizers > Units > 36-40 Watts ) "
Please give me your thoughts on this deal.
Leah

Quick info: I try my best not to overfeed. LOL

[RyanG]

Leah you can get a 6 stage 100gpd Ro/Di unit on ebay for like 115 shipped a few people here use it. Biff uses it and might remember the seller. The UV filter question can go a couple of ways it can kill a lot of good things with the bad, most people skip them or only run them when they have a disease outbreak.

[AngelLeah1981]

Oh ok. How big of a quarantine tank would you do? .....especially since later on I want a Powder Blue Tang. I know these are extremely difficult but they're my favorite so I have to at least try it. (unless it could get ich and kill all my fish) Is this possible? I hate the idea of a tank going constantly (using my power and water and paying for the equipment) just for it to sit there most of the time with no fish in it. That kills me but if it's necessary I will do it. I would be constantly fighting off the urge to put fish in it. LOL
Thanks alot.
Leah

[AngelLeah1981]

Forgot...... so the Ro/DI on ebay that you're talking about is dependable? I always get a little nervous buying from ebay but then I remember how shady big buisnesses can be too so...... lol. Thanks.
If it goes to 6 stage then what's the best? Is the 6 stage the best? I thought it only went to 5. lol I see 7 STAGE ! wow. Is it worth it? Would the water taste better? / be better for reef and fish keeping?

[fatman]

Before you spend money on a RO filter you should check what you have for household water pressure. Small RO membranes are made for water pressures of at least 65 psi. They will work fairly well at pressures down to 50 psi. The performance for a RO filter with pressures below 50 psi usually has people wishing that they had not wasted good money buying a RO filter. Most people with low water pressure end up buying their RO water even after buying a RO filter. Low pressure must be increased with a booster pump, that typically cost at least $120 plus another $20 to $50 for switches and solenoid valves. A two stage filter usually contains only the RO membrane and a combination sediment/carbon filter. These filters have a short lifespan used for aquariums due to our demands for a lot of water. The carbon can only remove so much chlorine and usually fairly soon chlorine destroys the RO membrane. A three stage is typical as it gives two prefilters which last quite a bit longer and are typically changed before chlorine starts passing through them. Four stage and five stage vary in that they both include a DIO filter for their fourth filter but they vary in what their fifth filter actually is. Some add a second DIO filter, which is wise. Some however, just include another carbon filter as a polisher filter. Another thing to check is how much silicate is in the water you get from your tap. If your water is supplied by water company they will have that information and will usually give it to you as it commonly posted online. It is not one of the tests required that they perform for the EPA, or environmental conservation or health department in most states. There are high S RO filter memranes made to remove silicates in areas with high silicate levels. Silicates eat up (cut through) regular membranes over time as they are like little scards of glass in their structure, and tend to readily penetrate regular RO membranes.

[RyanG]

Think of the QT as an insurance policy. It might cost you a little to run but its needs are small water a HOB filter strip light heater and maybe a powerhead. But when you have several hundred or thousand dollars invested in coral or livestock the 50-100 a year it will cost you to run a year is cheap insurance when you cut back the probabilities of haveing everything wiped out from some randow disease.

Ich will be a concern with all tangs not just the powder blue. Dont overstock or underfeed and it lessens the risk. Basically dont stress the fish as much as possible

[UnderwaterWorld]

I would skip the UV, also make sure you figure out the cost of making ur own RO water to see if it's really worth it and cheaper than buying some from your LFS

[AngelLeah1981]

Does over feeding stress the fish?
I don't need 50-100 gallons a day or a permenant unit. I live in an apartment.

you can get a unit that makes clean water just about as fast as you can use it with no waste water and do it at normal house water pressures.

This is what I want. I really appreciate all your advice and help but I'm wanting to know what I need to look for in a ro/di system....whether it be 5 stage, 7 stage, or best filter prices, easiest filters to find and replace...etc. Does anyone know any more info? I would like to know what to look for so I can google a bunch of them and figure out which one is best for me. FatMan, you're some kind of genius, aren't you? I wish you lived with me. I would drive you crazy; following you around asking questions non-stop. lol. I can always count on you to break it down. Can you break it down just a little bit more or is it impossible?
Someone told me

As long as you get a unit that has standard sized filters (prefilters the carbon, sediment ect) you can replace those parts locally.

How do I figure this out and are they talking about buying the parts at a lfs? If so, I think I would rather buy it online since everything seems to be extremely cheaper.
Also,

One more thing: How big of a quarantine tank would you do? .....especially since later on I want a Powder Blue Tang. I know these are extremely difficult but they're my favorite so I have to at least try it. (unless it could get ich and kill all my fish) Is this possible- it killing the fish? I hate the idea of a tank going constantly (using my power and water and paying for the equipment) just for it to sit there most of the time with no fish in it. That kills me but if it's necessary I will do it. I would be constantly fighting off the urge to put fish in it. LOL

Someone said:

you can't medicate a reef tank should 1 or more of your fishes contract Ich or some other parasite

So what happens if you get a ick outbreak in a reef tank? .....especially if you only have one qt tank and a bunch of fish?
Thanks for the info!

[fatman]

All RO and RODI filters that run off of tap water produce at least 5 gallons of waste water for each gallonof filtered water. If your tap water pressure is low and or your water temperature is low the waste created increses greatly ad the amount of filtered water proportionally decreases.
It would cost about a hundred dollars more initially, but I would just buy a RO filter that comes with an already installed booster pump or a permeate pump. This will give you water cheaply in good amounts. However. I am a heavy water user. Moat apartment dwellers do not pay for water seperately. If that is your case, and you need little water, just get a cheap system online, as recommended by Biffer, and add a DIO filter cartridge to it. That should only run $150 to $175 plus shipping.
Totally stripped water that is put out by a RODI water filter system is virtually tasteless. It actually tastes better if you mix in about 10 to 15 percent unfiltered tap water.
Over feeding the fish increses the amount of organic nutrientsin the water. The first brek down chemical of the biological cycle in a aquarium is ammonia, which is toxic to fish. It is then turned into nitrite which is less toxic, and then inti nitrate which is well tolerated by fish, but is a food for algae. Eventaully your live rock turns the nitrate into nitrous gas,or more frequently the nitrate is removed through partial water changes.

[Rcpilot]

I bought my 6-stage from www.filterdirect.com

I had to buy a booster pump because I live in an apartment and the water pressure is very low. Just resign yourself to the fact that you'll need a booster pump if you want good performance from an RO unit.

I bought this unit:
http://filterdirect.com/catalog/prod...products_id=29

And a pump that is very similar to this:
http://filterdirect.com/catalog/prod...products_id=97

Total investment-- about $225 -- and thats the best $225 I spent in this hobby.

My pump doesn't have any fancy switches or solenoid valves. You don't need that crap. I simply grab the cord on the pump and plug it into the wall outlet when I want to make water. Thats a pretty cheap switch. When I'm done making RO water, unplug it. Pretty damn easy.

I've always heard that warm water ruins the RO membrane. Thats why they tell you to hook it up to your cold water line. My water is about 60F when it comes out. Works fine. I just fill a 2.5g container and then dump it into my mixing bucket. I keep a mixing bucket of about 8g of saltwater made all the time. That way if I ever have an emergency, I got water ready to go. Just keep a little 50w heater and a 60GPH pump in there.

I fill my 2.5g container with RO water and use it for top off during the week.

My 6-stage unit:
1 -- sediment trap
2 -- carbon
3 -- carbon
4 -- RO membrane
5 -- DI canister
6 -- DI canister

Works real good. I think Biff got a similar unit on ebay for a bit cheaper.

The price that the big retailers charge for RO units is a crime. A nice 5-stage unit from Foster Smith or Marine Depot is friggin' insane.

I'm real happy with mine. It's given me hundreds of gallons of trouble-free use.