Co2 and di resin expenditure

Poseidon84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
150
Reaction score
72
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey guys I was hoping someone can chime in on this. I just burned up a brand new di resin because I'm on a well and I didn't do enough research to know most well contain high co2 which eats up di. Mine is set up before my softener because of how easy it was to connect it right to the well output hose bib. But now I'm thinking I need to hook it up after the water softener. My question is will the softener remove co2 and or carbonic acid? Because I'll be honest the whole co2 degasser seems a bit complex for me put I'm also extremely tired right now and not thinking straight, I just don't want to disassemble a $200 rodi unit. My wife will kill me if I have to spend more money right now. So any help would be appreciated
 

Rockyreef

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
15
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't think softeners will remove CO2. They will neutralize carbonic acid but they do it by adding dissolved solids, which your RODI system will have to remove. You could try it but I don't think it will give you the benefit you're looking for.
I'm on a well and I can get about 150 gallons out of my DI cartridge. I decided that's just the cost for me, which is still cheaper and more convenient than buying water from LFS (which isn't very local).
I bought DI resin in bulk and just repack the cartridges... It's not so bad.
 
OP
OP
Poseidon84

Poseidon84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
150
Reaction score
72
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't think softeners will remove CO2. They will neutralize carbonic acid but they do it by adding dissolved solids, which your RODI system will have to remove. You could try it but I don't think it will give you the benefit you're looking for.
I'm on a well and I can get about 150 gallons out of my DI cartridge. I decided that's just the cost for me, which is still cheaper and more convenient than buying water from LFS (which isn't very local).
I bought DI resin in bulk and just repack the cartridges... It's not so bad.
May I ask which resin you purchase and about the cost for you to run your rodi ? I have a 120g system and I was doing 25g by weekly changes. But that was before my new skimmer, and I loose about a gallon per day from evaporation. Right now my current spectrapure silicabuster di runs $34 each.
 

Firemanreefkeeper

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Messages
369
Reaction score
442
Location
SW Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm not sure where you live at. In Florida we have a huge problem with sulfur that makes everything smell like rotten eggs. We run our water through an aeration tank that sprays the water from the well into a big holding tank. It off gasses the smell and adds oxygen to the water before it goes into softener and carbon. I don't know if you have that option since it would freeze over in a cold climate. As for softener resin, it's just an ion exchange that pulls hardness off the water.
You could separate your cation and anion resin which will help some but you will still be buying resin, just one type.
 
OP
OP
Poseidon84

Poseidon84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
150
Reaction score
72
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ya I could get a system installed that uses a limestone like substance to neutralize the co2 however at an extremely high cost that I'm just not willing to pay. Would you know if a different requires a certain P.S.I to operate properly? I think I'm going to build the degassing tower but I have to figure out if gravity really is a good idea. I like the ability to walk away and not worry about spillage because my system shuts off with a pre adjusted pressure solenoid connected to a float valve and with the degassing tower it won't build the back pressure regured to shut the solenoid.
 
OP
OP
Poseidon84

Poseidon84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
150
Reaction score
72
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ya I could get a system installed that uses a limestone like substance to neutralize the co2 however at an extremely high cost that I'm just not willing to pay. Would you know if a different requires a certain P.S.I to operate properly? I think I'm going to build the degassing tower but I have to figure out if gravity really is a good idea. I like the ability to walk away and not worry about spillage because my system shuts off with a pre adjusted pressure solenoid connected to a float valve and with the degassing tower it won't build the back pressure regured to shut the solenoid.
Sorry I meant DI, it autocorrected to different
 

redfishbluefish

Stay Positive, Stay Productive
View Badges
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
11,706
Reaction score
25,731
Location
Sayreville, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
First off, when using a water softener, RO/DI gets hooked up after the softener.

Now, as far as CO2, I'd recommend bubbling the RO water a day or two and then pumping through the DI resin. There are a number of DIY bubblers, but here's how BRS did it in a video:

 

Rockyreef

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
15
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
May I ask which resin you purchase and about the cost for you to run your rodi ? I have a 120g system and I was doing 25g by weekly changes. But that was before my new skimmer, and I loose about a gallon per day from evaporation. Right now my current spectrapure silicabuster di runs $34 each.
So I have the Aquatic Life cartridges and I believe the media is from aquatic life also, but not positive. I know I can get a 3-pack of the prefilled cartridges for $49 on amazon.
 

Rockyreef

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
15
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
First off, when using a water softener, RO/DI gets hooked up after the softener.

Now, as far as CO2, I'd recommend bubbling the RO water a day or two and then pumping through the DI resin. There are a number of DIY bubblers, but here's how BRS did it in a video:


That video is perfect and I wish I could do it. Unfortunately my rodi setup is in my garage where it freezes every night October through May. I would spend a fortune heating the water, so it's cheaper to just use more DI resin. I just make water during the day and then bring my brute trash can inside to warm up.
 

redfishbluefish

Stay Positive, Stay Productive
View Badges
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
11,706
Reaction score
25,731
Location
Sayreville, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How about making RO water during the day and bring that indoors to bubble it and then run through DI.
 
OP
OP
Poseidon84

Poseidon84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
150
Reaction score
72
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
First off, when using a water softener, RO/DI gets hooked up after the softener.

Now, as far as CO2, I'd recommend bubbling the RO water a day or two and then pumping through the DI resin. There are a number of DIY bubblers, but here's how BRS did it in a video:

So the sodium ions that are present are less likely to clog my ro membrane? And thank you for the help
 

Reefing threads: Do you wear gear from reef brands?

  • I wear reef gear everywhere.

    Votes: 17 13.8%
  • I wear reef gear primarily at fish events and my LFS.

    Votes: 7 5.7%
  • I wear reef gear primarily for water changes and tank maintenance.

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • I wear reef gear primarily to relax where I live.

    Votes: 19 15.4%
  • I don’t wear gear from reef brands.

    Votes: 70 56.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 7.3%
Back
Top