Ro/di questions? - What type/kind/brand should i buy?

[Just starting out and first thing I need is a RO/DI unit to make the water safe for the fishes :) and had a couple questions.

What type/brand/kind of RO/DI unit should I buy? Or are they all the same?

This purchase is independant of the size of aquarium I have right? IE: It does not matter if I have a 50 gallon tank or a 250 gallon tank, I can use the same RO/DI unit since it just makes the water usable (although it may take longer, they all do the same). Is this right?

How much should a RO/DI unit cost?

Can I drink this water? It should be better than tap right? It would be like putting it through a super britta filter right?

I assume if I have a RO/DI unit I can use it for my fresh water fish as well and not have to use any chemicals to make it safe for the fish.

Any additional input would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance :)]
 
[Others will have opinions, but...

RO/DI all do the same thing. Brand doesn't really matter as far as function. Ease of filter replacement, etc. would be things to look for.

Size of the aquarium doesn't matter.

You can drink it, but it has somewhat of a funny taste (or lack of taste as it were) until you get use to it. I prefer the taste of my regular filtered water for coffee and tea use. If you want to drink it, make sure you get one of those ones with the bladder tank.

I don't think you can use it for freshwater fish. There are other minerals that fish need. We add those back in using salt mix, but you wouldn't for FW. I can't find it now, but I remeber reading an article on-line about why not to use RO/DI water in FW setups.]
 
[There is a company on Ebay called AquaSafeCanada and you can get a RODI with tank and TDS meter for under 120 bucks. I have been very happy with mine.
I believe some our sponsors carry them as well?
I probably wouldnt buy one rated under 100gpd as I am impatient enough! I like the bladder tank as I always have a few gallons ready to go.

Chris is right, RODI isnt suitable for FW fish unless you are talking discus. They do make chemicals/elements you can add to RODI for freshies but I would just stick to what you have been using.]
 
[I got mine from Aquasafe, too.

HOWEVER - Marc, one of the Moderators, also has these available. Shoot him an email, he can talk to you about what filters he has.

Probably cheaper, too.]
 
[Hey, I just got the following on eBay:

Aquarium 110GPD RO+DI Reverse Osmosis Filter from FILTERDIRECT model RO6100DINT - 6 Stage 110 gal/day reverse osmosis water system+DI filter (stand alone unit, no drinking faucet, no pressure tank).

" This system is a 6-stage 110 gallon per day reverse osmosis + DI filter system with single outputs (mainly for Aquarium and Reef). We use Nuclear-grade color changing DI filter with refillable Clear housing and DI dispensing ball Valve for applications like Reef, Aquarium, hydroponics, humidifier, jewelry cleaning, any application requiring ultra pure water. "

This system is a complete system ready to be installed. INCLUDES:
RO+DI unit with All 6 stage , 6 filters (ALL FILTERS ARE STANDARD SIZES)
Feed water adapter valve which connects to cold water supply under the sink
Drain saddle valve
Automatic shut off valve: when your shut off the dispensing valve or when your own float valve closes, the automatic shut-off valve shuts off the water feed and drain, so prevent wastage of water going to drain. And if you have your own large container and float control valve, this system would turn ON/OFF automatically to refill your container.
DI filter dispensing ball valve for your own container
color tubings
Installation Manual
This system is a RO+DI system it connects to the water supply, then it produces water. You need to have your own container to collect the water since the system doesn't come with a tank.


Do I need anything else with this?

Thanks.]
 
[You won't really be able to use it in faucet type applications without the bladder tank, but it works great for aquarium use. I didn't get a tank with mine and I like it fine.]
 
[Is this the same system you were talking about that you got on eBay?

What do you mean cant be used in faucet type without bladder?

I'm guessing you hook the water input to faucet or hose and out comes the good water and you just have the good water pour into the fish tank or some other storage device. Is this right?

Thanks.

Dan]
 
[Yep, you're right.

I got an AquaSafeCanada unit...different brand.

The water comes out of those very slooowww. The bladder tank is just a pressurized tank that holds a few gallons. The RO/DI will automatically fill it up to a certain point. You hook it up to a faucet and you can get filtered water at a reasonable rate (until it's empty). Without the tank, it would come out much too slow to use to try to fill up a cup or something.

I think you got just what you need.]
 
[Have aquasafe RO/DI with tank and LOVE it. Their replacement cartridges are way cheap. I use it to feed my fridge and my tank.]
 
[I purchased one of the systems Marc sells and it's worked out great. A 5-stage RO/DI system and it includes a tee so you can split the line before the DI filter to get plain RO drinking water if desired. I adapted mine with a small chrome sink faucet from Home Depot for $20. It CAN be used without a storage tank, but the pressure is low and it takes longer to fill a drinking glass. Just depends on how much available space you have under your sink or wherever you install the system. Easy to setup and it has clear acrylic filter cartridges so you can see how much of the floss and filter has been used. Easily the best $150 I've spent in a long time.
:laugh long:
http://www.melevsreef.com/ro_di.html]
 
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