Desktop RO unit question

[r33fnoob]

Hello everyone, I am new to Saltwater Aquariums. I have had a 60-gallon Freshwater tank for almost 10 years. I recently got a 240-gallon tank which with the assistance of lfs I ended up converting to a saltwater tank with the end goal of making it a reef tank. I understand I can't put tap water in this tank even though I have a 3-stage whole-house water filtration system installed in my home and must use RO/DI. The issue is that I have no idea where I can put a RO/DI unit in my home because I have granite countertops in the kitchen and the only other sink I have is the laundry sink. I came across this RO 4-stage water filter countertop water filtration system on Amazon for $300. I don't mind the price as long as I can use it to top off the aquarium because it appears as though I am losing about 1-2 gallons per day through evaporation and it's summer. I can only imagine how bad it would get during the winter when the heat is on. It's made by a company called Bluevua and some of the reviews stated it's safe for aquariums. Please any advice would be much appreciated.

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[Snoopy 67]

A RO unit can be used under a sink. Some only use it when needed & store it away.
I would see if you can hang it on a wall over the laundry.

 

[r33fnoob]

A RO unit can be used under a sink. Some only use it when needed & store it away.
I would see if you can hang it on a wall over the laundry.

The wife does not want to see any filtration systems displayed. She's okay with me spending a few extra dollars as long as it's "not an eye sore" sorry her words not mine. That's why I was looking at this countertop version which looks like a coffee station but is aesthetically pleasing.

 

[cwerner]

You can see under your sinks? There's no cabinetry? Most people seem to store the RODI unit in their garage after they run a line out from a utility tap. It's possible to add plumbing directly to your main supply and simply run lines to wherever you want the unit, even under the fish tank. Most people on here seem to store their RODI units and mixing stations in their basements or garages.

I googled the desktop RO systems and it looks like most of them do not include DI (Deionization) filtration. Mostly because at that point the water is not for consumption and most desktop units are for drinking water.

 

[Snoopy 67]

There is a fellow on here in the UK having problems with his unit.
OFF BRAND for the US showing nothing spec wise.
I would be leery of it myself.

 

[r33fnoob]

would an RO/DI system fit under the sink? it's a small utility sink with very weak water pressure from the faucet for some reason. I thought they would be the same size as the whole-house water filtration system I have installed in my basement. I see there's a 5 stage from BRS. Also I don't understand not being fit for human consumption. I was under the impression the RO/DI make the purest water possible. If it's safe for me to consume why would it be safe for my fish or future corals? sorry I know I am asking stupid questions but I feel like I just landed on a foreign planet. I didn't realize saltwater tanks are that much different from freshwater.

 

[19Mateo83]

I have an Icecap 200gpd unit. I added a rope carrying handle and I use it then neatly coil the hoses and put it back in the box. I have a quick disconnect on it and on my garden hose. I fill two, five gallon jugs outside which takes exactly 52 minutes. Pack it back up and stow it away till I run out, usually every two weeks. No modifying plumbing and it stores clean and neat.

 

[19Mateo83]

would an RO/DI system fit under the sink? it's a small utility sink with very weak water pressure from the faucet for some reason. I thought they would be the same size as the whole-house water filtration system I have installed in my basement. I see there's a 5 stage from BRS. Also I don't understand not being fit for human consumption. I was under the impression the RO/DI make the purest water possible. If it's safe for me to consume why would it be safe for my fish or future corals? sorry I know I am asking stupid questions but I feel like I just landed on a foreign planet. I didn't realize saltwater tanks are that much different from freshwater.

RO water is safe for human consumption but it’s the DI resins that strips the ions out of the water. If you drink DI water it will strip the ions out of your body also. It’s not ideal there for they say don’t drink RO/DI water. RO - good, RO/DI - Bad

 

[cwerner]

It would probably fit under the sink. I think as long as you're getting 40 PSI it should be okay.

 

[Gtinnel]

Rodi units aren’t tiny but they’re not huge either. I would think they would fit under almost any sink. If low pressure is an issue then you can buy a booster pump, or buy a filter that has a booster pump built in, to raise your pressure.

I run mine off of my cold water service port on my tankless water heater.

 

[r33fnoob]

Thank you everyone for your input. I had a plumber come out today to my house to quote me for the work and he happens to own a reef aquarium. he recommended I go with an Aquaticlife 4-stage RODI system. He confirmed my suspicions about it not fitting under the sink but stated he could mount it on the wall behind the sink and since we don't use the sink for drinking I can use it for topping off and water changes. Is Aquaticlife a good brand? I was thinking about ordering a 5-stage system from BRS which will set me back 280 plus tax but this one only costs 140ish. I would post the links but not sure if it's against the forum rules or not

 

[Gtinnel]

Thank you everyone for your input. I had a plumber come out today to my house to quote me for the work and he happens to own a reef aquarium. he recommended I go with an Aquaticlife 4-stage RODI system. He confirmed my suspicions about it not fitting under the sink but stated he could mount it on the wall behind the sink and since we don't use the sink for drinking I can use it for topping off and water changes. Is Aquaticlife a good brand? I was thinking about ordering a 5-stage system from BRS which will set me back 280 plus tax but this one only costs 140ish. I would post the links but not sure if it's against the forum rules or not

Definitely not against forum rules to post a link to something you’re considering buying.
Many people, including me, dislike the aquaticlife rodi because it uses proprietary filters instead of the standard sized ones that every other rodi filter uses.
If it’s all that will fit then it’s better than nothing but I would try to get a standard sized filter to work somehow.

 

[r33fnoob]

Definitely not against forum rules to post a link to something you’re considering buying.
Many people, including me, dislike the aquaticlife rodi because it uses proprietary filters instead of the standard sized ones that every other rodi filter uses.
If it’s all that will fit then it’s better than nothing but I would try to get a standard sized filter to work somehow.

Thank you for clarifying, I am thinkging about buying this one. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/5-stage-premium-plus-75-gpd-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html because it's only $10 more than the 4 stage system with same features. The one my plumber recommends is

AQUATICLIFE Twist-in 100 GPD 4-Stage Ro Unit (Sediment, Carbon Block, Membrane, Deionization)​

which has more GPD but I am only going to be using it for top offs essentially and I think I don't need all the extra GPD, please let me know if I am wrong in thinking that. Thanks

 

[Snoopy 67]

Get The BRS- if only because you can use standard cartridges.

 

[Woodyman]

Yep BRS or similar all the way, bypass the proprietary cartridges with the aquatic life unless you really don't have the room and/or have a small tank. Your messing with a 240g so all the more reason to avoid the aquatic life twist in unit.

A booster pump is going to be your friend as well so it doesn't take days to fill your tank. Makes it more convenient down the road too since you can produce faster and waste less.

 

[Woodyman]

Some reading as well for when you get the unit.

RO/DI Basic Guide

There are always a lot of questions regarding which RO/DI setup do I need, how many stages, how do I know when to change filters/membranes, I’m getting a weird TDS value, etc. Hopefully this clarifies a few things and helps some of you out one day. My first recommendation would be to find the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reefering1]

I too would go for the brs unit. Preferably installed under kitchen sink. If you'd fridge has a water line ran to it, for ice maker and water dispenser, it likely connects under kitchen sink(look for 1/4" tubing). If so, you can use that fitting to feed rodi unit and tee into the line after ro membrane( before di cartridge) to supply fridge with r.o water. I think it tastes better than bottled water but has not yet been completely stripped. A 2 or 3 gallon pressure tank is very useful in this situation, tee'd into same post membrane line, this way it doesn't take 2 minutes to fill a glass of water

 

[r33fnoob]

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the long absence. I ended up ordering the https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/6-st...ver-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html. It finally arrived today and I tried to hook it up using the laundry faucet. I am showing 65 PSI and I can see the canisters filling up and the wastewater discharge from the black tube but the blue tube is dry as a bone. I know it's not the original question but did I make a mistake buying a 150 GPD system? I can't get in touch with anyone from BRS till Monday morning so I am stuck with this and was hoping to start using this system over the weekend so my fish can finally get some decent water. I have been using the distilled water purchased from Walmart and I am hoping it's good enough in the meantime till I figure this out. Should I have a plumber come out and see if he can figure this out? any advise would be much appreciated.

P.S I did post a similar question in another thread created by another user last month so apologies in advance for double posting this question.

 

[Woodyman]

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the long absence. I ended up ordering the https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/6-st...ver-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html. It finally arrived today and I tried to hook it up using the laundry faucet. I am showing 65 PSI and I can see the canisters filling up and the wastewater discharge from the black tube but the blue tube is dry as a bone. I know it's not the original question but did I make a mistake buying a 150 GPD system? I can't get in touch with anyone from BRS till Monday morning so I am stuck with this and was hoping to start using this system over the weekend so my fish can finally get some decent water. I have been using the distilled water purchased from Walmart and I am hoping it's good enough in the meantime till I figure this out. Should I have a plumber come out and see if he can figure this out? any advise would be much appreciated.

P.S I did post a similar question in another thread created by another user last month so apologies in advance for double posting this question.

First - ensure your getting flow through each canister/filter.

Second - did you get a booster pump, I know you said you had low pressure at the sink you were hooking up to. Do you know how low is low? Typically you will still see some permeate production through an RO as long your seeing 40+psi though the higher the better if you can boost to 90-100 that would work a lot better.

 

[r33fnoob]

First - ensure your getting flow through each canister/filter.

Second - did you get a booster pump, I know you said you had low pressure at the sink you were hooking up to. Do you know how low is low? Typically you will still see some permeate production through an RO as long your seeing 40+psi though the higher the better if you can boost to 90-100 that would work a lot better.

Hi Woodyman, the attached gauge is showing 65 PSI, for kicks I ended up taking the RO unit only out to the backyard and connected it directly to the hose bib, where it showed 70 PSI. and I let it run for about 20 minutes but still nothing. The other thread I had tried to revive also mentioned something about checking the bypass valve which is in the correct position. The only thing I haven't done is remove RO filters because it has all the tubing attached to it and I didn't want to mess anything up.