What should i buy to purify my water?

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Maybe but I find it strange that you used that particular example for a comparison, especially since you admit to having very little knowledge about the subject. I think I know what you were going for and maybe you think I'm contradicting myself as you feel I'm wasteful and do the unnecessary but either way I don't think it was necessary.

Sorry you have me a little confused, why would I think that your wasteful? If anything out of the conversation I appear wasteful with advocating the use of a RO system.

Originally Posted by sphelps

I use an RO-DI unit to bring my tap water TDS down from around 200ppm to about 2-3ppm. The filtered water is feed directly to the tank.

Seems you have the same problem as me, In Calgary we have pretty bad TDS and a whack load of chlorine in our tap water so an RO system is very useful. Maybe its just me (and perhaps because I have lived in Calgary for 19 years) but it scares me to put tap water strait into my tank as I don't know for a 100% fact what's in that water. Even with people that naturally have tap water with low TDS, adding only R/O water to tank is just one more step for protection of our mini oceans. What happens if that person with 20 ppm TDS has a crazy amount of run off in there area and for some reason it jumps to 200 PPM?
Levi

[scherzo]

1) I'm not sure if this is where it was stated before but isn't a DI unit more effective (when used properly) than a RO unit?

2) If people are going from 200ppm down to 2-3 ppm with a full blown RO/DI unit.. and I can go from 14ppm ~ 65ppm down to 0ppm... isn't my water cleaner than yours? And I only spent (or spend) a fraction on filters and startup?


I'm new to this hobby and decided to go with the $60 Aquarium Pharmaceuticals DI unit because of some experienced local reefers experiences. Worked for them for years...

Analogy time.. I have a lot invested in the lives of my family.. but I can't afford a Volvo or two to protect them. I can only afford a Honda or a Mazda... We're doing the best with what I can afford (insurance aside)..

I know.. I know.. probably open to flaming.. human life.. not the same as fishy life..

Anyway.. I don't know what is better.. but I can tell you in my experience and some people that I know locally.. going from 14ppm ~ 70ppm out of the tap... the DI unit we(I use) lasts at least a year. Since you have a TDS meter.. just check it all the time.. simple.. cheap.. you mix your water ahead of time right?... why not make sure that you have enough water ahead of time just in case of a storm or a water main break or something..absolute worst case.. go to a purified water store for that short period of time and buy your water.. (I've never had to do it.. nor has anyone that I know that uses the simple DI filter)

Now having said all of this.. in a long winded post.. one of my friends who ran the DI unit for a long time.. just upgraded to an RO/DI unit... for.. well his reasoning.. why not?.. I guess he had the cash.. and then he went for the upgrade.

(phew.. I'm sweating from all of this typing.. must be the heat..)