CA2OR Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I am just curious if there is a cheap method for making RO or RO\DI water?(scratch). Is there any DIY RO or RO\DI's out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Do you know your TDS? I say if your TDS coming out of the tap are below 200 you dont need the RO. From what Ive read the ro is just to prolong the life of your DI, that if you have water in the high 1600 to 2400 plus like in the midwest its a must. I read abought a guy that had TDS coming out the tap of like 2100 and he tryed using just DI and it brought the TDS down to 0 but only lasted for about 500 gallons then the DI stoped working. So in that case it would be way to expensive to run it without the RO. So since I got back into the hobby and got my own purifyer I have used nothing but the micron, carbon, and DI stages and have had very good results. I havent tested my water since I got back to the hobby but I remember before I got out I had a TDS metter and my out of tap readings were in the 80 to 120 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share Posted November 7, 2009 I have been using tap and have no idea what the TDS is at. What I am worried about is the rain, in So Cal, when it rains they add more chlorine and such to the water to combat other elements. I don't know if they do it here but it is a concern. What I was doing, as a lame method, was distilling the water so to speak. I would fill up 5 gal jugs and let them sit for 24 to 48 hours before use. I don't know why I thought that was a good idea but that is what I have been doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny503 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I tested faulcet water and it is around 115 and 116. This is in gp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share Posted November 7, 2009 nice.....I mean I am not looking to go RO, but I am thinking about it as a option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I have been using tap and have no idea what the TDS is at. What I am worried about is the rain' date=' in So Cal, when it rains they add more chlorine and such to the water to combat other elements. I don't know if they do it here but it is a concern. What I was doing, as a lame method, was distilling the water so to speak. I would fill up 5 gal jugs and let them sit for 24 to 48 hours before use. I don't know why I thought that was a good idea but that is what I have been doing.[/quote'] If you let the water set then the chlorine nuetralizes. It will not help get rid of any other impurities though. You could build your own RO/DI setup however by the time you bought everything to do it you will spend just as much as buying one of the $100 units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share Posted November 7, 2009 I see....so no cheap method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrd Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 PM me if you are interested. I paid 62.00 dollars for a unit delivered to my door, its portable a makes 50 gallons a day, whish is way more than I need for a 75 gallon tank-granted I have made a 35 gallon res. also Anyway I have a dual TDS meter, it measures the water coming into the unit and then water coming out. I just tested, and the incoming water tests at 21 and out going 0. And that is with the present rain we are having and in 2 weeks, I will have been using that same unit for 1 year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 you need to filter it with either carbon filter or add a chlorine/chlormine remover as chlormines don't evaporate I have a unit I could give you but you will need to eventually get filters which is what is expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I use a cheap portable unit since I am in an apartment. I hook it up to my faucet and run it over to a container in the tub. (this step is important, trust me). I think i paid something like $75 for mine. Its probably the same thing Byrd is using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algae Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Here in Eugene our water tests 35-45 ppm. It comes from the McKenzie River (no wells) which has origins in the protected, national forest. The water has been rated as one of the best in the country. Saying all that; I would not be without my RO/DI. I just got smart and replaced my filters yesterday and taped the date I changed on the canisters. If you change the sediment filter more often than the others you are supposed to get away with less replacements. The RO membrane filter is the expensive one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 All you guy's are right and we here in Oregon have very good water, but what ya aren't getting and if ya don't believe me should do your own research is that ya don't need the RO to get your water to 0 TDS. Without a RO you have no waste water ( witch is good for your pocket if ya pay for water, sure its not much but how long till ya can save enough to get a $5 frag? and good for the environment ) plus without the RO restriction and wast I can fill my 2, 60 gallon barrels in like an hour and a half give or take. So far Ive prob ran 1500 gallons through my DI unit and my DI hasnt even started to change yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 What does it cost for a purely DI unit? or are you taking the RO out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I got a used RO/DI off here for $40 and then took the RO off and got all new filters for another $30, so it only cost me $70, but really at that same time I got two others for $60 and refurbished them ( cleaned them up and spent $6 on new micron filters) then sold them one for $35 and the other for $80 so I figure it helped me with my cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Good deal. When I start paying for my water, if I can ever get out of my apartment then Maybe I will try taking my RO off and see what I get. I dont like wasting the water and the time it takes to make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racefan Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I'm using the 150gpd unit. They have a weekly sale going on, you can get a portable 50gpd RO unit for $57.00 free shipping. You couldn't build one that cheap. http://www.purewaterclub.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Yah my tap water tests at 23ppm tds and since its so low i get at least a year out of my ro/di filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 .....Without a RO you have no waste water ( ....and good for the environment.... Please explain. I'm having trouble understanding what difference RO waste water has to the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Well when you dump 4 gallons down the drain for every 1 gallon used, it puts an unnecessary demand on the water supply and treatment facilities, sure its a minuscule amount compared to the overall usage but every little bit helps. Plus the $ amount saved if you pay for water, the cost of replacing the membrane every 4 or 5 years, the time saved making up pure water. All these things are on a small scale of savings and such but lets say 100 people stop wasting 4 to 8 gallons of water a day, that = 400 to 800 gallons or more of water not needing to be processed and payed for, each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdadof2 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 One of the first things I bought in this hobby was an RO/DI system. How can we be guarenteed that our tap water is always within the correct parameters for our tanks? For me I like to start with pure water, that way if it ever gets messed up I have no one to blame but myself One more potential issue eliminated in my mind. **ERIC - our water tests out at 31, at least mine does and I'm only a few miles down farmington road from you, so it is pretty low here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Well when you dump 4 gallons down the drain for every 1 gallon used' date=' it puts an unnecessary demand on the water supply and treatment facilities, sure its a minuscule amount compared to the overall usage but every little bit helps. Plus the $ amount saved if you pay for water, the cost of replacing the membrane every 4 or 5 years, the time saved making up pure water. All these things are on a small scale of savings and such but lets say 100 people stop wasting 4 to 8 gallons of water a day, that = 400 to 800 gallons or more of water not needing to be processed and payed for, each day.[/quote']I guess I missed something? I asked what effect it has on the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Well, we get our water from rivers and streams so if we lesson the demand on these rivers and such it benefits the natural environment. Like I said it's a drop in the bucket compared to the whole scheme of things but every little bit helps. Just like having one tank raised coral frag to sell helps the natural reef, not in a huge way but all the little good deeds combined makes a bigger difference. Now if your trying to get a rise out of me for the questions and comments I've made about the tank you were going to build, that's a bit childish! I was saving you from a true financial and embarrassing event, it wasnt to make you look bad or sound stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I plan to run a "zero waste system" on mine once I can get Joe to help me install it but thats another story lol and they are not cheap and reef165 is right it all has a domino affect on the environment and all we can do only helps. But I do believe you need to bite the bullet and get some sort of RO or DI system just to be safe as the city has been known to add different things at different times of year including copper and fluoride so its best to protect your investment then air on trying to save money as it can just end up costing you more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I feel a well maintained ro/di unit is the single most important filtration system we have for our tanks. That is just my opinion, and there are all kinds of things you can do with the waste water. I know a guy who made a trickle watering system to water his plants with. You can store the water and use it in your washing machine, (first cycle anyway) you can water your yard with it, all kinds of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean In a Box Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 You can get the whole setup on ebay for about $99. RO-DI 6 stage system with free shipping. Cant beat it, I have bought them for myself and family members. Here is a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Aqua-Reef-RO-DI-Reverse-Osmosis-Water-Filtration-System_W0QQitemZ380173470827QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item58841acc6b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.