RO solutions

VolvoGuy

Non-member
With my LFS all moving away, I need a solution for RO water. What do you all use for your systems? How much did you spend? Any suggestions?

I am running a 75g with 15g sump, mostly FOWLR and 1 mushroom (testing right now). I am topping off the sump every few days and I like to do a 25% water change at least once a month.

Thanks!
 
I made the kent maxxima hi-s mistake. Basically the same as any other RO system but crazy expensive. If I were to do it all over again I would get a Air Water Ice 4 stage and call it a day.
 
I made the kent maxxima hi-s mistake. Basically the same as any other RO system but crazy expensive. If I were to do it all over again I would get a Air Water Ice 4 stage and call it a day.

i just got 1 of the kents what is the problem with them keep me posted
 
I would set this up seperate from my tank by the way. Probably keep it in my basement where I have a sink and drain. What kind of hardware is needed? Do you just connect a faucet to the unit and run it into a rubber maid container or something?

Anyone have a good link for a DIY Ro setup?
 
im in the process of adding my rodi under my bathroom sink i have it drain into the tub and collect the good water in jugs ill take pictures of how i added it in because it is a little unconventional

i got the aqua fx 4 stage barracuda
 
i just got 1 of the kents what is the problem with them keep me posted

The problem was I bought it new and paid 3x more then what it would cost me to get one from air water ice that does the same thing.

System works great but the price is absurd on the grand scheme of things.
 
I have the Water General unit from Ebay for around $100.It's been working really well for a year now.It supplies both the tank and drinking water.I added another DI canister from Bulkreef supply as the DI camber seemed kinda small and my TDS went up to like 2.
 
I made the kent maxxima hi-s mistake. Basically the same as any other RO system but crazy expensive. If I were to do it all over again I would get a Air Water Ice 4 stage and call it a day.


Air Water Ice is the way to go. Have a unit, 2 yrs old no issues. Highly recommended.
 
i have a water general from filter direct on ebay too. Works great. 100 GPD was like 120 bucks
 
I also made the kent mistake...very expensive, I buy some of the replacement filters from HD now to save $$..
If I am not mistaken I think I saw a used setup for sale here.
 
You can find lots of used units on here and on RC. I have the Kent Maximma but bought that used so I didn't get crushed on the price.

Be careful buying filters from Home Depot. For example the Micron filters from HD are 5 microns and the LFS filters are 1 micron. Much better filtration.

As long as your TDS is zero or near zero it's all good.
 
I use the RO/DI solution from BulkReefSupply. I first got the 4 stage RO, then later added the DI. Very inexpensive and works great.
 
If you DO choose to get a Water General unit from ebay, get the 75 gallon per day one, because the RO membrane has a higher rejection rate, and your DI resin will last longer.
 
I also have the Kent RO/DI Maxxima Hi-S business, but got it used for 50 bucks when buying live rock from a guy breaking down. If I bought new, I would go with the cheapest unit that offered 1 micron prefiltration, 5 micron carbon block, 90 gpd or larger membrane potential and a DI cartidge, with a TDS meter, auto shutoff valve and pressure gauge. The unit needed new filters and a membrane. It had a 35 gpd membrane and flow restrictor when I got it. To save water, I got a 90 gpd Spectrapure membrane, and another RO canister with another 90 gpd membrane to install so that they ran in tandem, not in line. This doubled the output, lowering the waste to product water ratio, now I get my 50 gallon reservoir filled faster while saving $$ on the water bill. I added a TDS meter, pressure gauge and auto shutoff with float switch for filling the reservoir. These units are easy to figure out and most upgrade parts come with great instructions. I used spectrapure kits and membranes. Basically, all membranes are the same, made by the same manufacturer (DOW filmtek membranes). Some companies offer guaranteed rejection rates, but if you are going to do a DI then it will only help to have a higher rejection rate if you want to save on DI resins. I tell you this so that you save $$ and not buy the unecessarily expensive replacements. Kent is way overpriced, for replacement membranes and cartridges (pre, carbon and DI). All units are interchangeable too, so if you want to you can upgrade a smaller gpd unit to a larger by buying the right flow restrictor matched to your membrane's rating. I do wish I had a booster pump now. That would really save me water by making the 40 lbs of water pressure I have higher. I also ran tubing (all JG fittings and tubing are at HD cheaper than most mail orders) into a plastic cooler full of water with a heater set at 70 F to heat the incoming cold winter water to boost membrane efficiency. The pump is the last bit I need. The unit had a flush kit too, which I kept and use for 15-30 seconds before I shut the unit down. The auto shutoff with float switch is the way to go. I highly recommend that. Good luck, shop around!
 
I bought a six stage from thefilterguys.biz last year just changed cartridges and 1 of the di chambers, works great, think I paid 240
 
I also have the Kent RO/DI Maxxima Hi-S business, but got it used for 50 bucks when buying live rock from a guy breaking down.

I wish I had done that. haha

The good thing about it is that all membranes and filters fit :)
 
lots of great advice here, thanks all. How long do you guys let the water run into the system to get a reasonable amount? 30 mins? 1 hr? I have a well which has decent pressure, but I can run the tank dry pretty easily.
 
max should be 4to1 waste. to get one gallon you waste 4 its a very slow process if you have a well you might need a booster pump you need 60+ psi
 
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