Should I buy a rodi unit or protein skimmer

[Montu]

I returned my aqualife one..it was a case of you get what you pay for...

I went with this one instead: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LJSHS1G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They were nice enough to upgrade my membrane for free to 150GPD

 

[Robinson]

50GPD RO Buddie user here, I complete the unit with the DI cartridge. My tank is a 45 gallons and the unit has been in use for about a year. I have a manual TDS meter and everything is fine right now. The only observation is that you need to make sure that your city water pressure is good enough for the efficiency of the unit. I ended buying the pump booster and now I can make a 5 gallon bucket in around 50 minutes.

 

[Robinson]

Its on sale now on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002...95824120&sr=8-1&keywords=RO+buddie&th=1&psc=1

 

[ramabama]

If you have a LFS that has rodi water that is convenient for you to get water as needed I would go with skimmer first. Water needed for water changes/top off on a 40 breeder will not require a great deal of water. Going this route you get BOTH!!

 

[Mike N]

HIGHLY recommend against using LFS RODI. RODI system should absolutely be priority.

 

[Montu]

Even if the LFS RODI is good buying your own RODI will pay it's self off vs purchasing from the LFS.

Not only the cost per gallon to purchase but your time, gas and mileage on your car.

 

[ramabama]

HIGHLY recommend against using LFS RODI. RODI system should absolutely be priority.

Highly suggest lumping all LFS in to the same catagory. Of course do your homework and insure you are getting a good product.

 

[ramabama]

Even if the LFS RODI is good buying your own RODI will pay it's self off vs purchasing from the LFS.

Not only the cost per gallon to purchase but your time, gas and mileage on your car.

Again, if the LFS is convenient to you.

 

[Jimmyneptune]

Go with the RODI first. Ge the BRS system. You can skip the skimmer, at least for a while, if you do water changes. If money is tight do to the LFS a few times for water and then you will see the RODI is worth it.

 

[Montu]

Again, if the LFS is convenient to you.

Point taken, however even without factoring in your time gas and mileage a ~ $100 - $150 RODI unit has a pretty quick ROI....after you get back your initial investment you are just saving money..which can go toward a skimmer or whatever else.

 

[Reef man 89]

IMO RO/DI unit is just as important as the salt in the water. With out a good water source might as well ask for all kind of algea problem.

 

[Mike N]

Highly suggest lumping all LFS in to the same catagory. Of course do your homework and insure you are getting a good product.

When ALL LFS make money from selling water... I think it is appropriate.
In my experience getting RODI water from several different LFS in town, the average TDS in their water was about 15ppm.
Versus having your own RODI system and getting consistent 0ppm water. Once I purchased my own unit, my algae problems vanished. Imagine that.

 

[Bunnee911]

I have used the RO Buddy with DI for two years. Replaced the DI once. I refilled it.

 

[ciscomania]

I would suggest going with RODI unit first before skimmer any day. You can always build a DIY skimmer if you absolutely needed one, but DIY RODI unit,not so much.

 

[snickfoz]

I would go for the rodi first. If you don't start with pure water nothing else matters. You will need a minimum of a 4 stage with a TDS meter. Grab the best skimmer you can when the time comes.

+1 for sure

 

[PatW]

I have a BRS 6 stage. It works very well. I like having the tds meter. It comes in really handy. Having 2 DI canisters in line is good, when the first is depleted(I use color changing DI resin), I refillthe depleted canister and put the other canister where the depleted one was.

BRS has a large group of you tube videos on their rodi systems.

You can use Brute trash cans to store deionized water and for mixing salt water. BRS sells an auto shut off valve that turns off the unit when the can is filled.

Protein skimmers are good. But starting with high quality water is critical. Tap water often has impurities that can cause real problems. Buying pure water is expensive, inconvenient, and you real do not know exactly what you are buying.

 

[justingraham]

Ok I say rodi unit. U can run a tank successfully without a skimmer not without high quality h2o.

I have the inline tds meter but I rarely use it your better off getting a handheld one and saving some cash it's a nice option to have but not needed. I would spend the money to get a boaster pump instead of an inline tds meter. The addition of a booster pump cut my monthly water bill in half making it go from 3:2 to almost 1:1 ratio.

You can buy rodi water from a lfs but like someone said prior u don't know what ur getting I've tested some lfs water up at 50 tds.

It's still mind boggling to me that without 0tds water u can have so many diffent types of problems and amazingly when u know what your waters tds is how those problems slowly disappear until u need to change the filters haha