# RODI setup, i'm lost



## poy (Jan 14, 2015)

Ok so seeing how RODI is really benefitial, it's time to buy one. Now problem is i'm cheap and that usually doesn't mix with owning a reef. So with that being said, what is my most economical solution? I got permission to hook up an RODI setup in the washroom at work  So it doesn't have to be pretty


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## twobytwo (Oct 25, 2014)

I think a few guys on the site like maxwaterflow, this might be good for you:
http://www.maxwaterflow.com/6-stage...hydroponics-reverse-osmosis-system_p_850.html

I have an iSpring system (RCC7D) which I ordered off Amazon but also comes from 123filter.com


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## araziza (Jan 8, 2007)

I just got mine from max water flow, quick, cheap, effective, and when a part was broken they fixed it quickly for free 


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## poy (Jan 14, 2015)

You guys are awesome, was looking for a reputable place to buy from aside from ebay. I'll check it out on break


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## 4pokguy (Apr 27, 2011)

how do you tell how much water pressure will be going into the filter system?


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

I would do a bit of research before grabbing one of those units. Not all RO/DI units are made the same, those are a far-cry from companies that produce reef-specific RO/DI units and filters. 

I am no expert on water purification, and neither are the vast majority of reefers, so it is best to read the advice of people who are. Following what I read, I paid just a little more and got a much simpler system made to make reef-water.

Given that we aren't experts I don't think any of us can speak for the "effectiveness" of a system beyond our handheld TDS meters (which only tells you if your membrane/filters are working, it does not detect things like chlorine in the water) , and that should probably be left to experts in that field.


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## araziza (Jan 8, 2007)

I'm no expert on the subject, but
1)the company has a dedicated aquarium section on their website 
2)the cleaning of the water is done by the filter cartridges, which are largely interchangeable between systems, so I doubt that who makes the housing has a significant impact on water quality 
3)I'm not certain, but I believe chloramine and chlorine would register as dissolved solids, and are two of the chemicals RO-DI units are designed to eliminate 
4)When I was researching RO-DI systems the only criteria I found that people used to evaluate their unit were how fast the filters wore out and what the final TDS reading was. As long as it's reading zero, I have never heard of anyone having problems.
5) the only thing I can think of that would have an effect after buying the unit is the manufacturing quality of the parts themselves. I have no leaks, and at least one of the recommendations I got for these units said that they had been using theirs for 6+ years now without issue 

I can understand choosing to go with a more expensive brand that's well known because of comfort and because others in the hobby have used them successfully, but I very much doubt you will see a difference in performance if you go with this one, and at least here I know if I have questions or need a replacement part it's a short trip and they are really good about their customer service. 

Just my 0.02


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## araziza (Jan 8, 2007)

If you DO want to go brand name, reefsupplies.ca has spectrapure units for respectable prices, and their customer support is excellent. Shipping is also fast as long as the item is in stock. I actually ordered one from here first, but it was out of stock (i WAS warned on the website before I bought it), and I found a unit at max water flow with more stages for a much better price. Reef supplies was very understanding, helped me cancel the order and refunded money, they even told me I could wait, and if I found a good deal that could arrive sooner, they'd cancel and refund. I would shop with them again in a heartbeat.


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

araziza said:


> I'm no expert on the subject, but
> 1)the company has a dedicated aquarium section on their website
> 2)the cleaning of the water is done by the filter cartridges, which are largely interchangeable between systems, so I doubt that who makes the housing has a significant impact on water quality
> 3)I'm not certain, but I believe chloramine and chlorine would register as dissolved solids, and are two of the chemicals RO-DI units are designed to eliminate
> ...


Its no more expensive, its just getting a unit made by people who have experience making reef water. The housing is not really very relevant, lets say you use Spectrapure filters in your system, then its as good as a Spectrapure unit.

Neither Chlorine nor Chloramine are read by TDS meters. Neither molecule carries a charge and TDS meters only measure mobile ions in water. Reading articles/forum posts by water treatment experts will really shed some light on the difference between filter sets.


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## araziza (Jan 8, 2007)

I stand corrected. Thanks for the info, goobafish. Poy, as far as I'm concerned, I see no reason to doubt the quality of maxwaterflow's filters, since this water purification is the entirety of their business and they seem to market a good number of their products specifically towards the reefing community. However, given this information i can certainly understand how someone might gravitate towards using brand name cartridges that are well known in the hobby. You should definitely make a well informed decision.


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

goobafish;917082
Given that we aren't experts[/QUOTE said:


> I would suggest you talk for yourself.
> 
> Nobody pretends to be expert here, but people talk based on the experience.
> 
> *100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

araziza said:


> I stand corrected. Thanks for the info, goobafish. Poy, as far as I'm concerned, I see no reason to doubt the quality of maxwaterflow's filters, since this water purification is the entirety of their business and they seem to market a good number of their products specifically towards the reefing community. However, given this information i can certainly understand how someone might gravitate towards using brand name cartridges that are well known in the hobby. You should definitely make a well informed decision.


I agree. There its not that I doubt them, its just that you can get a basic Spectrapure or Vertex unit for within $20 of the cost. Both many years experience making RO/DI for the reef, and who discuss chlorine and chloramine removal as part of the process. If you are going to switch your filters over anyways, or want to make a more sure-fire decision I would look at either of those two brands.

I just went through this process myself and it took a lot of research. Apparently others had done the same as Spectrapure units were sold out at every retailer in Canada pretty much.


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## araziza (Jan 8, 2007)

Pricewise I disagree... I got the same bells and whistles with my unit as I was getting with the spectrapure, and an additional 2 stages complete with the filter media for $80 less from max water flow. And I compared prices. In general, many things we use in the reefing hobby were adapted and rebranded from things that were used for other purposes (eg. RO-DI, 2 part dosing chemicals, carbon filtration, UV sterilization etc...) and almost universally as soon as they are repackaged and rebranded as an aquarium tool by an aquarium specific company the price goes up.


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

Yeah, I did say just the basic unit, there are much more features provided by maxwater systems. 

It is a little disturbing that a water purification company would market something as dual use (home and aquarium) when the system they are providing makes water that humans shouldn't drink. You need to install your own DI bypass to use it for drinking.


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## davebradley (Mar 16, 2014)

I'm cheap too. Well, not cheap but frugal. I realize that sometimes you need to spend more up front to save long term. 
I bought the vertex puratek 100 gallon per day with the booster pump. It's 1:1 filtered to waste water. What I save in waste water adds up on my water bill and that's pretty important to me. 


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## araziza (Jan 8, 2007)

Sounds pretty awesome. I couldn't justify the prices I was seeing, but I can seem the savings in the long run. Mine is 1:2 waste water but since I only have a 34 g system it takes a while to pay itself off 


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Aside from delivery and other charges, the city of Toronto charges about $4 per cubic meter/260gal of water


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

goobafish said:


> Yeah, I did say just the basic unit, there are much more features provided by maxwater systems.
> 
> It is a little disturbing that a water purification company would market something as dual use (home and aquarium) when the system they are providing makes water that humans shouldn't drink. You need to install your own DI bypass to use it for drinking.


I own a dual system from max water and the RO and DI water have separate outputs, with the DI being down stream from the RO drinking water. Please stop with the FUDD.


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## mauricion69 (Sep 4, 2013)

Some good info... They're are better filters than others.


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