Anyone know about RO units???

Jasontkd · 03-16-2005, 11:59 AM

Hey all, when using an RO, do you just use it to fill your tank and for water changes, or do you hook it into the plumbing somehow? and if you do hook it in, what is the benefit to that? And, how do you set it up if you hook it into your system? Also, does it matter wat type you get? I was wondring if just a normal drinking water RO unit can be used, or if it has to be a specific type?

icebear · 03-16-2005, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasontkd

Hey all, when using an RO, do you just use it to fill your tank and for water changes, I was wondring if just a normal drinking water RO unit can be used, ?

yes i think

tims · 03-16-2005, 02:35 PM

whatcha mean noraml drinking Ro unit.. you talking about the little buggers you hook up to the spikite?
they do make ones that can go under your sink. but i dont know what the amount of ro water they make.
you can use the Ro water for anything you want..most have a large container that will old 30 gallons or more..

Jasontkd · 03-16-2005, 02:54 PM

no, i am talking about the ones listed as drinking water units, that are lower priced, but look the same, but go under the sink. But, I don't know how to use them for an aquarium. Do and how do I hook them up?

wharyat · 03-16-2005, 03:01 PM

Well if they use reverse osmosis to filter the water than they would be fine; cost is normally based on GPD, mine was around $150 for 75 gpd but it also deionizes. I'm sure the ones you are talking about are around 15-50 GPD.

To hook it up you need a 40 psi or greater water supply, a way to drain the rejected water, and a filtered water holding tank of some sort.

Jasontkd · 03-16-2005, 03:17 PM

isn't there a way to set it up in your system without the holding tank? I mean, where it will either automatically replenish water, or where it can be switched on to poor directly into your tank or sump?

VWD · 03-16-2005, 06:52 PM

I have my RO/DI hooked up to the water supply in the sump room with a valve that will start the flow and the waste water goes into the sump and is pumped out yo the back yard, I don't have it hooked into the tank , I just have it pump into large rubbermaid barrels for fresh and water changes. And If I don't run it for a day I will run the first water out to the sump, Just to be safe,

as far as some of the under sink type they are low output in most cases.

Vince

rachyl756 · 03-16-2005, 06:58 PM

My RO/DI unit is hooked up so that I can drectly top off or fill the tanks in the basement. It it just hanging from the wall (2 screws into a 2X4 to hang it fron, in the Laundry room. It is attached to the faucet on the laundry tub, I have a piece of tubing running from it through the drop ceiling in the basement and the waste tube is just dropped down the PVC pipe the washing machine drains into. For the upstairs tank I just move make it fill inot a 5gal bucket, but the big tanks are all within reach of the tube

It works slick as can be, especially when its this cold and it takes FOREVER!

Most of the Gallons per day are measures at I think 60psi of water preasure, I don't know about other people's houses, but mine only has 45. so my 60gal/day unit does abour 40 in the summer and less in the winter. Stupid cold snap.

For the investment in peace of mind, I would suggest getting a GOOD unit. Mine is Kent Marine one. I'm on city water, and I trust the water as far as I can thrown the water tower.

Rachel

DAC · 03-16-2005, 08:14 PM

is RO waste water bad for plants?

Cosine · 03-16-2005, 08:47 PM

I think that there are 5micron system out there
but the aquarium ones are 1micron...
also something about a coconut filter or something?
this makes the water taste better
somebody back me on this!

wharyat · 03-16-2005, 08:56 PM

I think all ro is 1 micron or less, but the gpd is determines price. Also the drinking water one might not have prefilters.

drsyme · 03-16-2005, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachyl756

My RO/DI unit is hooked up so that I can drectly top off or fill the tanks in the basement. It it just hanging from the wall (2 screws into a 2X4 to hang it fron, in the Laundry room. It is attached to the faucet on the laundry tub, I have a piece of tubing running from it through the drop ceiling in the basement and the waste tube is just dropped down the PVC pipe the washing machine drains into. For the upstairs tank I just move make it fill inot a 5gal bucket, but the big tanks are all within reach of the tube

It works slick as can be, especially when its this cold and it takes FOREVER!

Most of the Gallons per day are measures at I think 60psi of water preasure, I don't know about other people's houses, but mine only has 45. so my 60gal/day unit does abour 40 in the summer and less in the winter. Stupid cold snap.

For the investment in peace of mind, I would suggest getting a GOOD unit. Mine is Kent Marine one. I'm on city water, and I trust the water as far as I can thrown the water tower.

Rachel

I might be being stupid about this, but I dont really see the convenience of having the RO unit putting water directly into your tank. First of all, the RO unit needs to be used to make ASW. Most people have it pump the water into containers, those that have big tanks run the RO units nearly all the time and have shut off valves when the containers are full. But then the containers full of RO water are used to make ASW for water changes. And RO water is used for top off water, and even though the rate of the RO unit might be close to the evaporation rate, I would not be tempted to use the RO unit as top off water directly. There is value to having a seperate drip system for top off. It is a great way to add kalkwasser, trace elements etc.

I have my RO unit on the wall behind the laundry room. I have one of those screw valves from the cold water supply to the washer supplying the RO system. And the drain is in the washer drain. But, unfortunately I dont have a switch. The other night I was filling the container I use to top off the tank. And I forgot about it and went to bed. The next morning my wife said, "Were you in the laundry room last night? There is a boatload of water on the floor in there." LOL OOPS!

Fortunately the clothes that were on the floor were dirty and were gonna get wet anyway.

rachyl756 · 03-16-2005, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drsyme

I might be being stupid about this, but I dont really see the convenience of having the RO unit putting water directly into your tank. First of all, the RO unit needs to be used to make ASW. Most people have it pump the water into containers, those that have big tanks run the RO units nearly all the time and have shut off valves when the containers are full. But then the containers full of RO water are used to make ASW for water changes. And RO water is used for top off water, and even though the rate of the RO unit might be close to the evaporation rate, I would not be tempted to use the RO unit as top off water directly. There is value to having a seperate drip system for top off. It is a great way to add kalkwasser, trace elements etc.

Big tanks and a bad back

I use it for the initial fill (I know bad me micing the initial salt in the tank) and for evaporation top off. I personally don't like kalkwasser, its just a me thing

But it takes about 1 load of clothes in the dryer to do the top off in the 220.

The MAIN reason is so I don't have to haul water. If you knew how tempting it was to pump the water from the basement to my 1st floor 90... instead its 1gal jug at a time. I normally add trace elements to just high flow areas. Its not perfect but it saves the lugging of buckets. I also have a 75gal ag quality rubermaid in the laundry room for mixing salt and I have a small powerhead I also have connected to airline tubing to get that through the drop ceiling to the downstairs tanks. I know reef people are shirking in terror but my chiro is happy

Rachel

drsyme · 03-16-2005, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachyl756

Big tanks and a bad back

I use it for the initial fill (I know bad me micing the initial salt in the tank) and for evaporation top off. I personally don't like kalkwasser, its just a me thing

But it takes about 1 load of clothes in the dryer to do the top off in the 220.

The MAIN reason is so I don't have to haul water. If you knew how tempting it was to pump the water from the basement to my 1st floor 90... instead its 1gal jug at a time. I normally add trace elements to just high flow areas. Its not perfect but it saves the lugging of buckets. I also have a 75gal ag quality rubermaid in the laundry room for mixing salt and I have a small powerhead I also have connected to airline tubing to get that through the drop ceiling to the downstairs tanks. I know reef people are shirking in terror but my chiro is happy

Rachel

I am not quite sure I understand. How do you do water changes without lugging water?

rachyl756 · 03-16-2005, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drsyme

I am not quite sure I understand. How do you do water changes without lugging water?

I use a powerhead (small one) to pump water from the rubbermaid of salt water in the laundry room to the tank needing water and syphon off water from the tank down the Laundry room drain directly. Everything is through tubing so it skips the lugging the bucket stage.

Its not perfect, but everything heavy can wait til my husband can lug it (ie buckets of salt from truck to downstairs, my LFS guy puts the buckets in my truck)

I'm still refining the system, it was born from necesity when I was slapped with a 5 pound lifting restriction.

In a perfect world I'll hook up a baby monitor to watch the tank levels

Rachel