Sediment Filter Micron size

[Banana Man]

Hi,

I got my first RO unit today. I want to use dead rock for my aquascaping and was told in the show that the dead rock needs to be purged in RO water for 6-7 weeks before i even start to seed it and cycle the tank. I havent got the DI filter yet but will add this once i have finished purging the rocks.

I notice that my Sediment Filter is rated at anything above 5 microns but after watching Mr. Saltwater Guy he says dont use anything greater than 1 micron. Does anyone on here have views about this? Have i just wasted a pile of cash?

Also, my filter doesn't have a pressure gauge so i have no idea what rate the water is going into the filter. Is this a big problem?

Thanks!

 

[Ted]

Well no idea why you would need to purge bought rock. I know if you make it yourself you need to purge it. Takes a really long time for homemade rock. I dont use a filter sock at all. Sump with refugium, skimmer, and live rock is my filter. Occasionally I will use carbon in a hang on back filter but not all the time. My reasoning is ...why catch all the free coral food in a micron bag. just my :twocents:

 

[Amba]

I would 100% recommend that you buy a pressure gauge. They are inexpensive and very important to make sure you have the proper flow throughout your unit to save money on replacing membranes and to maintain at a proper psi for maximum efficiency.

 

[Zissou]

I would just go ahead and used the 5 micron filter until it's depleted. Chances are you won't see 0 TDS without a DI anyway. I'm willing to bet the majority of users are using the standard 5 micron sediment filters, so I don't know why there would be anything wrong with using it until it's spent.

If you're looking to change it out, I hear Spectrapure makes some of the best replacement filters and systems. Might as well look into swapping out the GAC filter for a carbon block too, and check out one of their DI setups while you're there. I'll be replacing my RODI's guts with their stuff soon.

http://www.spectrapure.com/index.htm

If you want to save some time on 'purging' your rocks, you could also use muriatic acid or vinegar. DO YOUR RESEARCH if you go this route. Essentially what you're doing is removing potentially stored phosphates and is a great idea if you have the time to do it.

 

[bjohanson1234]

How many stages of filtration?

I have a 4 stage with an added DI Stage

Stage 1 is a 5 micron filter
Stage 2 is a 1 micron filter
Stage 3 is the carbon filter
Stage 4 is the RO membrane
Then the DI

Water goes in at around 115-120 and comes out 0.

If you have high sediment in your water, the 1 micron filter will plug up pretty quickly so adding a 5 micron in front of that will help out.

 

[Banana Man]

Mine is 3 stage. Sediment, Carbon and RO membrane. So can i just use a 1 micron filter in the unit instead? It has 5 microns printed on the unit so thought it would only work with a 5 micron filter.

I have been told you need to purge it to get the Phosphates out of it.

I'm looking at buying a house and am renting at the moment so dont want to set it up in any permanent way until im in the new house so i just have it connected to the tap with a house connector at the moment. When i have a proper setup i'll get a pressure gauge setup as well.

Thanks for all the reply's!