christensonjes
New member
How much better are Kent RO units than Coralife? Is it worth the 60 dollars
RO units brands
- Thread starter christensonjes
- Start date
fishman805
Premium Member
IMO, either one would work well... "HOWEVER".... also "IMO" you could save some money and get one of the 5-stage units being offered on places like eBay... I got mine almost a year ago and have very good luck with it.... It's a 100gal/day five stage unit and I've yet to have to replace the filters .... Filters should ( for the most part ) be universal and it will save you money going that route.....
By the way, mine cost less than $100 including shipping.... ( food for thought )....
Bob
By the way, mine cost less than $100 including shipping.... ( food for thought )....
Bob
christensonjes
New member
Would this be a good one? If so, what extras would I need?
http://stores.ebay.com/Filter-Direct-store
http://stores.ebay.com/Filter-Direct-store
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
www.airwaterice.com Typhoon III, nothing offered on e-bay even comes close.
AllenFord_SC
New member
http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/PurifiedWater.aspx
Kind of pricey but NOTHING comes close! Comes with a booster pump to increase water pressure which extends the life of your filters while also making them more efficient. Also has a pressure gauge and TDS meter. Definetly worth the extra $$$! JMO
Kind of pricey but NOTHING comes close! Comes with a booster pump to increase water pressure which extends the life of your filters while also making them more efficient. Also has a pressure gauge and TDS meter. Definetly worth the extra $$$! JMO
fishman805
Premium Member
The 110ga/day units would work great for ya... the only thing you'll need will be the hook-ups for the main water supply which you can get from places like HomeDepot and Lowes.....
I will tell you that "for me" the units that are offered on eBay, work very very well ... There is no reason to go with a unit that costs hundreds of dollars just because of the name.... You will find that if you put an "aquarium" product name on it, it will cost much much more..... This hobby is all about saving where you can and unless you can prove to me that you're $600 unit has less TDS than my $100 unit...? than you ain't sold me on it....
Again, my $100 5-stage unit that I bought from eBay has been doing just fine for almost a year now .. and when I have to replace the filters..?? It's only going to cost me about $50.... Bottom line, piece of mind at a great price.... "priceless"....
Bob
fishman805
Premium Member
A booster pump is "NOT" going to save you anything ... It's just going to get you the RO/DI water faster.... That's it.... ! Think about it, if you push water faster through a filter, are you getting better water??? "NO" How does speed help..?? I've been using my 100gal/day unit for over a year and all I have to do is make sure I have plenty of 5gal jugs filled up when I need them .. It's simple planning.. not speed ... And if you want a gauge..?? Why..?? Simply invest in a good TDS kit.... Test your RO/DI filter after about a year ( depending on how much water your using ) to see if it's time to replace the filters....
Don't be fooled here .... Do a simple TDS test to see how they work .... Money saved is more money in the tank....
Bob
christensonjes
New member
Thanks for the input
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
Obviously you have never seen a good RO/DI unit! I will repeat, there is no comparison and the $199 Typhoon III is the very best value in RO/DI availible. Lay the two side by side and you can see and feel the difference. Now, run some water through them and you really see the difference. First off they don't rely so much on the DI to do the work, next they supply a true DI filter that holds 24 oz of resin so even if it had to work it would work better and last longer.
To get your $100 unit to the same standards as the Typhoon you would spend an additional $120 to $150 so why not get the better one the first time? Did you get a pressure gauge, TDS meter, 2 acid washed carbon blocks with known micron ratings, a standard size refillable 10" vertical DI canister and cartridge among other things?
To get your $100 unit to the same standards as the Typhoon you would spend an additional $120 to $150 so why not get the better one the first time? Did you get a pressure gauge, TDS meter, 2 acid washed carbon blocks with known micron ratings, a standard size refillable 10" vertical DI canister and cartridge among other things?
AllenFord_SC
New member
Sorry, I actually read the article.
"The water running through the RO membrane must be at 80 psi pressure to get the most pure water, this requires a booster pump that is usually not included as standard equipment on most RO/DI units. Running water through the RO membrane at lower pressure, such as the typical pressure of tap water, will not produce pure water and puts further burden on the DI resin to remove the remaining impurities thus exhausting it more rapidly and costing you more money in replacement DI cartridges!"
Maybe you should too.
This is not to say that you won't get 0 TDS reading from a unit without a booster pump, but you will not get as long of use out of the DI resin. As I stated earlier.
fishman805
Premium Member
Tell you what, You drop the bucks into your RO/Di and I'll take the extra bucks I saved into putting corals into my tank .... Throwing money at something does not make it better... I'm running 1500gal/hour Seios ( at $70/ unit ) in my tank as apposed to $200+ Tunzes.. Is one better than the other..?? Well that's open to debate. But I submit to you that I can replace my Seios three times over to one set of Tunzes... And my Seios have been running just fine for over 6 months ( and counting )...
Point is: It is not always "brand name" that matters ..... I've got three tanks running just fine using my philosyphy on saving money.... You don't believe me?? Check out the threads on the Coralife skimmers.....
Bob
AllenFord_SC
New member
But back on topic. Chose the unit you get based on research, not opinions of others (myself incuded). If you feel comfortable with the FD unit then by all means buy it. It s after all, Your tank, Your money, Your choice! AZreefkeeper is absolutley right about the Typhoon III. A very good unit and perhaps one of the best you can buy. I personally like the one from Dr. Mac & Sons. Only because of the added savings in the long run. A reef is a long term investment, usually many years. Saving money today could cost you in the end. Or the unit could do exactly what you need it for. I wish you luck with whatever route you go though! :thumbsup:
fishman805
Premium Member
Most water preasures provided from City mains will meet the requirements that you propose.... You have not proved your argument.... I "still" submit, that you are only pushing your case because you've spent the bucks on your unit and do not want "egg" on your face.... Throwing money at something does not mean it's better.. I don't care what you say... I've spent alot of time ( and money ) in the aquarium hobby over the past 30+ years that I've kept fish and I can tell you that the "latest and greatest" aint always the best.... But it's "YOUR" money ... not mine:rollface:
Bob
AllenFord_SC
New member
I actually don't own the unit but I will one day. I have a Kent unit that I regret buying but this is off-topic. Sorry to have qouted Dr. Mac on his research. I will inform him he is wrong.
fishman805
Premium Member
You know it's really a shame because it's going to look like I'm "pushing" an agenda here but the point is, I'm all into saving money and trying to "help".. That being said, I can't force my opinion on anyone else in this hobby but can only tell you of my own experience's... Bottom line is, with "experience" comes wisdom....
I'm done
Bob
I'm done
Bob
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
Buy a Typhoon III with a Dow Filmtec 75 GPD true RO membrane and you only need 50 psi to produce the optimum quality water . Buy a e-bay unit with either a GE Water or Applied membrane and you need 60 to 65 psi to produce the same water but at a lesser quality. My recommendations are based on research and facts. There is a difference and most e-bay units are not the way to go. You may save money on the initial purchase, but that is not always the case.
And most US water pressures are in the 45 to 50 range which is not sufficient for the e-bay membranes. Buy a filter with a Dow Filmtec 75 GPD true RO membrane and you will be fine.
Compare the components and benefits and their costs and weigh the difference:
1. 2 High quality solid carbon blocks
2. A true RO membrane rated at 98% rejection rate at 77 degrees F and 50 psi and not a 100 GPD or falsely advertised 110 or higher flow rate nano filter that is rated at 90% rejection or maybe 96% but at 65 psi rather than 50 psi.
3. An additional 10" canister containing a refillable DI cartridge with 24 oz of nuclear grade resin.
4. A pressure gauge.
5. A TDS meter
6. RO/DI comes completely assembled and not in pieces with poorly translated instructions that leave you scratching your head.
7. True technical support and not a "see ya' sucker" like some others.
8. No outright lies or shady advertising techniques with inflated efficiencies, unproven claims and incorrect math.
You get what you pay for and the price difference gets you much more than the price difference reflects.
Ask people to post their TDS figures, I mean raw, post RO and post RO/DI and their production rates. You will see how well they really work. Anyone can use DI resin as a crutch for a poorly designed system but the RO only figures tell the truth.
And most US water pressures are in the 45 to 50 range which is not sufficient for the e-bay membranes. Buy a filter with a Dow Filmtec 75 GPD true RO membrane and you will be fine.
Compare the components and benefits and their costs and weigh the difference:
1. 2 High quality solid carbon blocks
2. A true RO membrane rated at 98% rejection rate at 77 degrees F and 50 psi and not a 100 GPD or falsely advertised 110 or higher flow rate nano filter that is rated at 90% rejection or maybe 96% but at 65 psi rather than 50 psi.
3. An additional 10" canister containing a refillable DI cartridge with 24 oz of nuclear grade resin.
4. A pressure gauge.
5. A TDS meter
6. RO/DI comes completely assembled and not in pieces with poorly translated instructions that leave you scratching your head.
7. True technical support and not a "see ya' sucker" like some others.
8. No outright lies or shady advertising techniques with inflated efficiencies, unproven claims and incorrect math.
You get what you pay for and the price difference gets you much more than the price difference reflects.
Ask people to post their TDS figures, I mean raw, post RO and post RO/DI and their production rates. You will see how well they really work. Anyone can use DI resin as a crutch for a poorly designed system but the RO only figures tell the truth.
fishman805
Premium Member
$100 - 0 - TDS.....
What ever.... Guess I just have great Mains..... "Warner Robins,Ga. "
Later
Bob
What ever.... Guess I just have great Mains..... "Warner Robins,Ga. "
Later
Bob
sidjam
New member
fishman, have you tested your TDS before your di? that is the real indicator of how good your unit is working. with any membrane over 75gpd you are only going to get 90% rejection rate. yes your TDS may be 0 after the di, but your resin isn't going to last as long as the typhoon which uses the filmtec 75gpd membranes. which will end up costing you more in the long run.
