RO/DI questions

[TrogdorFTW]

I want to buy an RO/DI unit.

Some back ground, I have successfully been keeping a 90 gallon saltwater tank for 2 and a half years using tap water and reef crystals. I usually use water straight from my garden hose and just let the chlorine off gas. For top off water I use water from the sink because it has an under sink activated carbon filter. Fish and soft corals are doing great some of the more sensitive stuff RBTAs wall hammer have not grown much and the RBTAs have actually shrunk recently.

So here I am I want to make the jump to RODI but here are my concerns.
1. who really waits around for 6 hours to fill up their water change tub.. seems like an auto shut off is basically a requirement. Right?
2. Is it really going to cost me $300+ to get a RODI an autoshut off and a 32 gallon brute trash can?
3. What brands are good?
4. How have other people set up there systems I'm thinking in the garage but its not like I have a drain in my garage do people just run the reject line back out into their yards?
5. Off topic how important is alk and calcium and how are people maintaining there's? I honestly don't even have a test kit..

I'm not trying to spend a ton of money here, I want to take care of my pets but I've got a mortgage and 2 kids.

 

[mcgyvr]

1. No one.. Auto shut off is great..
2 and 3.
Here is a simple system from a good company. (and there are cheaper ones on ebay/amazon but BRS is good... Airwaterice is another, buckeye hydro, spectrapure etc.. are good companies)
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-value-ro-di-system-75gpd-2.html
plus this
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/ro-float-valve.html

and done.. at ~$150

Now know that mechanical float valves can fail if not maintained/cleaned,etc.. but for me have been reliable for years and I've never had an issue.. I simply give it a little wipe down on the seal/stopper area every month or so and no problems..

To take it to the next step would be a float switch/relay + solenoid to stop flow if the mechanical float fails..

4.Garage is fine.. laundry room, pantry closet, etc..where ever you can access a water supply line..
Running drain (reject water) to yard is fine or collect for plant watering in the yard, fill up washing machine, etc..

5. A stable tank (stable parameters within the recommended ranges) is a very good idea and a virtual necessity with more demanding corals like SPS.. Many soft corals/fish are very tolerant of all sorts of water conditions though but even they will like stability/good parameters and show better growth,etc...
You really should be monitoring nitrates, phosphates, salinity, temperature and with corals alk/cal/mag.. Obviously its just a risk to not test and to find that lesson out after everything in your tank starts to go to hell and your money goes down the drain.. Many get by with little to no testing too..

 

[LuisDiego]

I have used the brs ro/di for the past 6 months and haven't got any issue with it.

I collect the reject water for watering plants

 

[Meshmez]

My laundry is in my garage, so I actually run the drain into my washing machine. Set a timer, shut it off when it's full, run a load of laundry, repeat. Also the washer drain is there if you want to just use that. Though obviously I know not everyone has washer/dryer in their garage.