Any Dialyseas Users out there - share your experience tips and tricks?

[jjwrasse]

FWiW, I do not think this is a useful piece of equipment. Anything it can do is done much better by ordinary water change.

What would you suggest as a convenient alternative that doesn't require storing a large water container nearby? Also not a fan of having to move buckets of water anymore.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

FWiW, I do not think this is a useful piece of equipment. Anything it can do is done much better by ordinary water change.

Thanks for the input! Did you feel that the method you used with a neptune controller took up less space than the dialyseas? Space is a big issue of mine and my understanding of the product was that it's directly linked to a water source and has the salt container nearby that it'll utilize. I called the developer and he said I wouldn't need a brute trash can filled with water.

The Dialyseas system I worked on just dosed RO water into a container of salt that overflowed into the sump. This was the method of mixing the new salt water to replace what the membrane removed. I was always skeptical about this mixing method, worried it would cause precipitation. Maybe Randy can weigh in whether this is a concern with this method.
If not, you could potentially mix saltwater in this fashion with 2 dosing pumps, a controller and a brine bucket like FishTruck outlined. This would save space and skip the extra step of the dialysis membranes.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Actually, scratch that. Precipitation or not, depending on a conductivity probe to mix RO and a hypersaline solution correctly sounds like trouble. I am remembering now why I came to dislike the Dialyseas.

 

[FishTruck]

Thanks for the input! Did you feel that the method you used with a neptune controller took up less space than the dialyseas? Space is a big issue of mine and my understanding of the product was that it's directly linked to a water source and has the salt container nearby that it'll utilize. I called the developer and he said I wouldn't need a brute trash can filled with water.

Hmmm....

Most of the dialyseas unit / space wise - is a four stage ro/di unit. Plus, two small peristaltic pumps and a controller box. Very well laid out, space-wise, and easy to service despite such a compact design. Tough to beat.. if space is a concern.

And, it is true, you can just have a line to your water supply, and one to your sewar (or drain). You would need one small water container (5 to 10 gallons) for your brine... and that's it!

In my case... my main concern is automation / redundancy... and long service intervals. So, my DIY system is HUGE compared to the dialyseas unit. Just the ro/di system is massive (I am running a 1400 gallon system though.. a huge RO DI system would not be needed for a 200 gallon setup).

Running a tap water line directly to your tank, with only the dialyseas unit to control it, is a liability. This can be mitigated with additional sensors and solenoids. Also... you need a plan if the dialyseas unit has a hiccup.

I bet one could be DIY'd... the same size, and cheaper (minus the dialysis part), with all the convenience and the versatility of the neptune system, nearly the same size. Just a super compact AWC and saline controller.

My summary is that the dialyseas makes sense for you if...

1. An automatic water change system (or AWC substitute) is a priority... and you want the added benefit of not having to mix salt water.
2. You have limited space.
3. The price tag is not prohibitive.
4. Your system will not overwhelm a normal sized four stage ro/di setup.
5. The DIY alternative would cost...

The part in red is what you would probably get anyway.

Money and space wise... if you used the dialyseas and no other controller... you would spend an extra 1100 dollars versus a DIY version... and save some space... but you would have less control over your tank compared to the neptune system.

I think there is a case to be made both ways!

 

[FishTruck]

Actually, scratch that. Precipitation or not, depending on a conductivity probe to mix RO and a hypersaline solution correctly sounds like trouble. I am remembering now why I came to dislike the Dialyseas.

This bears consideration. Knowing how to manage and trust a conductivity probe... and protect yourself against erroneous data... is a whole separate discussion!

 

[jjwrasse]

Hmmm....

Most of the dialyseas unit / space wise - is a four stage ro/di unit. Plus, two small peristaltic pumps and a controller box. Very well laid out, space-wise, and easy to service despite such a compact design. Tough to beat.. if space is a concern.

And, it is true, you can just have a line to your water supply, and one to your sewar (or drain). You would need one small water container (5 to 10 gallons) for your brine... and that's it!

In my case... my main concern is automation / redundancy... and long service intervals. So, my DIY system is HUGE compared to the dialyseas unit. Just the ro/di system is massive (I am running a 1400 gallon system though.. a huge RO DI system would not be needed for a 200 gallon setup).

Running a tap water line directly to your tank, with only the dialyseas unit to control it, is a liability. This can be mitigated with additional sensors and solenoids. Also... you need a plan if the dialyseas unit has a hiccup.

I bet one could be DIY'd... the same size, and cheaper (minus the dialysis part), with all the convenience and the versatility of the neptune system, nearly the same size. Just a super compact AWC and saline controller.

My summary is that the dialyseas makes sense for you if...

1. An automatic water change system (or AWC substitute) is a priority... and you want the added benefit of not having to mix salt water.
2. You have limited space.
3. The price tag is not prohibitive.
4. Your system will not overwhelm a normal sized four stage ro/di setup.
5. The DIY alternative would cost...

The part in red is what you would probably get anyway.

Money and space wise... if you used the dialyseas and no other controller... you would spend an extra 1100 dollars versus a DIY version... and save some space... but you would have less control over your tank compared to the neptune system.

I think there is a case to be made both ways!

The more I learn, the more I'm debating if the dialyseas is worth it... I guess a few other questions to really help determine if I'll get it, what sensors+solenoids specifically would I need to add to the dialyseas from a redundancy standpoint to prevent it from overflowing my sump/tank? Is the float switch it comes with unreliable?

In the DIY model, do you think I'd need a brine container larger than the dialyseas? Also in the DIY model is it also hooked up directly to a water source or would I be pulling out a Brute can for this?

Thanks again for all the input!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The more I learn, the more I'm debating if the dialyseas is worth it... I guess a few other questions to really help determine if I'll get it, what sensors+solenoids specifically would I need to add to the dialyseas from a redundancy standpoint to prevent it from overflowing my sump/tank? Is the float switch it comes with unreliable?

In the DIY model, do you think I'd need a brine container larger than the dialyseas? Also in the DIY model is it also hooked up directly to a water source or would I be pulling out a Brute can for this?

Thanks again for all the input!

Just reiterating, this cannot work as well as a simple water change. It has no redeeming value.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Just reiterating, this cannot work as well as a simple water change. It has no redeeming value.

Randy,
Disregarding the dialysis membrane. Are there precipitation concerns when mixing saltwater with this "brine bucket" technique? Dosing RO/Di water into a container of salt and letting it overflow?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy,
Disregarding the dialysis membrane. Are there precipitation concerns when mixing saltwater with this "brine bucket" technique? Dosing RO/Di water into a container of salt and letting it overflow?

There is the potential for calcium carbonate to precipitate if you try to make unusually saline seawater. Bear in mind that 2x salinity means alk above 14 dKH and calcium over 800 ppm.

 

[FishTruck]

The more I learn, the more I'm debating if the dialyseas is worth it... I guess a few other questions to really help determine if I'll get it, what sensors+solenoids specifically would I need to add to the dialyseas from a redundancy standpoint to prevent it from overflowing my sump/tank? Is the float switch it comes with unreliable?

In the DIY model, do you think I'd need a brine container larger than the dialyseas? Also in the DIY model is it also hooked up directly to a water source or would I be pulling out a Brute can for this?

Thanks again for all the input!

1. any ATO which has direct access to your water supply should have failsafes to avoid a stuck open scenario. Check out autotopoff.com. They have an array of redundant float centers and solenoids that could simply be plumbed in line with any other float center for a double back up.

2. The brine container can be the same size. So far, I’ve not had any noticeable issues with precipitation of calcium carbonate. This would tend to cause low alkalinity. Right now I’m running 1000 gallon system with just kalkwasser and don’t even need to use my calcium reactor lately. Randy is right though… there is stuff that never dissolves in the brine. I wash that out and discard it every six months or so. By volume.. about 1/24 th of my added salt mix doesn’t dissolve.