PwnMe Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Back when I first did some nano reefing, I had a ton of issues with algae. The real ugly kinds. I could never figure out the reason. Back then I had an RO only system that I thought would be good enough. Now I am starting a new tank and I'm determined to do it right from the get-go. I'm using the best of the best. So naturally I wanted to measure the TDS of my old RO system. I'm seeing 11 ppm TDS. I ordered a BRS 4 stage Plus already. But for my own sanity... it was probably my water the first time around that was causing my issues right? Link to comment
jamescstein Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I ordered a BRS 4 stage Plus already. But for my own sanity... it was probably my water the first time around that was causing my issues right? To be honest 11 TDS isn't horrid. There are people here who keep nano's with tap water. 0 or 1 TDS would help a little but honestly if you were having issues with your source water at 11. Then you either have inadequate filtration/skimming, you habitually overfeed and or don't do enough water changes. Link to comment
PwnMe Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 You might be right. I did run an Aqua C Remora on the 20 gallon. And I don't think I overfed. Maybe I should've changed the water more. I think I'm going to stick with this purchase though. I plan on doing only stony corals, so I need the water to be as pristine as possible. Link to comment
Tamberav Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I can't speak of your TDS... but... I think an RODI is a good investment imo, it is something that you can use for many years on any tank you set up. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 The problem is TDS is not a measurement of anything specific so you have no idea what that 11 is made up of. Personally I would have ordered a better RO/DI system and for less money but that is your call. Link to comment
mystersyster Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 The problem is TDS is not a measurement of anything specific so you have no idea what that 11 is made up of. Personally I would have ordered a better RO/DI system and for less money but that is your call. Not to hijack the thread, but I've been meaning to ask you az. I have the BRS unit. I need to replace my sediment filter. Which spectrapure would you recommend? Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 The 0.5 micron sediment and 0.5 micron carbon block package. If your RO/DI has two carbons toss the second one and spend 20 minutes converting it into a dual DI. Link to comment
mystersyster Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 The 0.5 micron sediment and 0.5 micron carbon block package. If your RO/DI has two carbons toss the second one and spend 20 minutes converting it into a dual DI. Yeah it has one carbon stage... not to worried about another DI yet as my tap water has 25-30 TDS. Link to comment
PwnMe Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 The problem is TDS is not a measurement of anything specific so you have no idea what that 11 is made up of. Personally I would have ordered a better RO/DI system and for less money but that is your call. All systems with 4 stages are in the $150 price range. Going off of internet reviews, I made a good choice for an 8 gallon tank. Especially since I've been using RO for years without issue. Your first sentence was useful. Your second came off a wee bit condescending. We don't all know to ask you for advice. - Edited for clarity. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 No they aren't. Spectrapure has a system for $112 that uses a specially treated and batch tested 90 gpd high rejection rate RO membrane, a 1 micron near absolute rated sediment and carbon block filter, custom blended reef specific SilicaBuster DI resin, an inline pressure gauge and a capillary tube flow restrictor that the end user can adjust to fit their exact water conditions. One of the oldest vendors in the industry with over 30 years in RO in the same US city. Buckeye Hydro and PurelyH2o have both been around for decades and have very good premium systems for $139. I would highly recommend any of these vendors over BRS who has not been in the industry long, gives some questionable advice and their systems are average at best. Love their chemicals and use a bunch of them but prefer more knowledgeable vendors when it comes to RO. Link to comment
PwnMe Posted July 26, 2016 Author Share Posted July 26, 2016 Maybe you should make a guide or something instead of just being critical of a particular brand and people purchases. I'm not a water expert like you. More of an alcohol expert. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Me too, homebrewing is one of my other hobbies! I have done many threads and posts with side by side comparisons and buying tips. Over 40,000 posts on the subject on 5 or 6 different reef forums in fact. Link to comment
PwnMe Posted July 26, 2016 Author Share Posted July 26, 2016 I understand that. Just a suggestion. I frequent the guides more than the search bar. I browse while I'm at work and it's easier for me. If you had a guide in the water chemistry section it'd be helpful. Link to comment
squamptonbc Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Is their (Spectrapure) base bones unit without DI actually so much better its worth a premium of $45 or so vs the Puratek without DI for $129. I am no water expert so curious more then anything else. http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/MPRO-90GPD-RO-SYSTEM-by-Spectrapure.html vs http://www.jlaquatics.com/dry-goods/aquarium-supplies/water-filters/basic-ro-filters/vertex-puratek-reverse-osmosis-ro-filter-100gpd.html I run a 1 micron sediment filter from Amazon, and the stock carbon block and stock membrane, and added DI resin about a month ago at the end. This is the most recent water quality reports available.http://www.chilliwack.ca/main/attachments/Files/1249/2015%20Potable%20Water%20Chemical%20Analysis.pdfI know next to nothing about water, so I am really just very curious about it all. Link to comment
Sancho Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Just throwing this out there. If you still have your old RO unit and it's not leaking or cracked just order a better quality membrane, lower micron .05 pre filters and ad another filter housing for your DI stage. Pressure gauge and in line flow restrictors can be added to any system. Link to comment
PwnMe Posted July 26, 2016 Author Share Posted July 26, 2016 Just throwing this out there. If you still have your old RO unit and it's not leaking or cracked just order a better quality membrane, lower micron .05 pre filters and ad another filter housing for your DI stage. Pressure gauge and in line flow restrictors can be added to any system. I actually didn't know this much about water until this thread. I didn't know it was that easy. The unit was of lower quality though, so an upgrade isn't too bad. I'll worry about better membranes and prefilters later. To be honest, my town's water isn't that bad. I've browsed the report. Link to comment
SarlinDescent Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 The thing I have found after having these issues is two part. First, start slow. Second, start with a small CUC and work your way up. I had a trochus, a nerite, and astrea, and 2 dwarf ceriths for a nuvo 10 starting. My algae was semi bad. I then added 2 more trochus and a scarlet hermit and almost all of my algae went away. The first 6 months or so algae is guaranteed. Once things stabilize, it gets a lot better. If you haven't noticed, trochus are my favorite for CUC. They are very durable. My hermit can't kill them despite trying twice that I saw. They can flip themselves over. They eat algae like a monster. Link to comment
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