Don't yell at me. DI question

[alan mcilvried]

I know there are tons of threads on RODI filters, so please don't chastise me - I looked first but couldn't find an answer. You've all convinced me that the nominal expense of an RO filter is worth it, and besides I have so much extra money I'm trying to think of things to spend it on, (who says this hobby is expensive?) But, being more curious than smart............generally, what benefit is the DI component of these filters to a Reef system?

 

Is there any practical need for more than a 4 stage filter for a mere mortal aquarist?

 

I used tap-water in my last SW tank and never had any problems, but I think you guys are going to make me spend money on corals shortly and if this makes them happy, I want to be a good host.

[jamal]

the di component does additional filtering of the water. though it is not always necessary. if your tds is 0 without it than do that. well this is kind of an extension of my last answer. each stage filters the water further so it is generally just more expensive to get more stages but not necessarily more effective.

[dchild]

I think a 5 stage system is "the standard" RO/DI setup. The stages are:

 

1 sediment filter

2 carbon block filter

3 another carbon filter

4 the RO (reverse osmosis) membrane

5 the DI (deionization) resin

 

Sometimes there is a 6th stage of activated carbon.

 

Something like this

[shawns]

spend $$ on a tds meter first. you may not need to buy an ro/di setup. i do remember julian at the meeting saying that he uses straight water from the tap! he does live in a different place--miami--but im sure that he isnt the only person on earth w/ $$$ tap water!

 

test your water for other important metals as well, and dont forget to add DECHLOINATOR!!

[YBeNormal]

True but keep in mind that the RO/DI is removing more than just TDS (e.g. chlorine). Do you trust your city water supply? Our water turns dark brown several times per year and the city always insists it is "safe to drink". I'll go for the greater peace of mind and minimal increase in cost and stick with RO/DI for my tanks. YMMV

[treesprite]

The other option is to buy the water. I get purified water for 34 cents a gallon, by filling my recycled containers myself at the Safeway where there are self-serve machines. Of course you have to do the math on size of tank, cost of filter media, and convenience factors.

[shawns]

if you're going to get it from a commercial vendor, i would consider drinkmorewater. they offer discounts if you buy in bulk and they deliver. again like tree said, think about convience and cost effectiveness.

[Rascal]

Here's why I would recommend both a TDS meter and the DI part of a RO/DI system:

 

At some point you will be run into a problem, one of the possible causes of which is excess nutrients, and you will be asking yourself, "Is it my source water?" If you have a good water purification system and you know you are only adding 0.0 TDS water, you can eliminate this as the cause of your problem and move on to other possibilities.

 

Or maybe that's just me. You might not have any problems at all.

[Lee Stearns]

I concur with a TDS meter unless you are mechanically chnaging DI resin every 3-4 months how do you know when to change any of the filters. Plus it is neat to see that the tap water in Fairfax runs between 175-350. And then you check what your filtered water is and it is 0-10- depending on the time since you changed your DI resin---very neat.

If you are nano cubing it a gallon of distilled water once a month from the store at about 60 cents is all you will need.

[Oprah Wrangler]

 

this is my ro/di and it only cost me 100.00. It is six stage and came with a starage tank. Great deal. Check it out for yourself at www.purewaterclub.com. I am sure you will be as pleased as I am.