My mistake was not buying the RO/DI unit I wanted the first time. No worries there, the modular design allowed me to combine my original 4 stage and my impulse buy 7 stage into an 11 stage 150gpd beast. It’s hilariously overkill, but the tank is doing well. Happy reefing!
One thing I remind everyone. Rinse. Your. Filters. Carbon blocks have dust in them, don't pump that right into your membrane. I always let 5 gallons go through each carbon block before hooking it up to the RO and 1 gallon go through each resin bed before I hook it up to my container. Also when replacing your resin, make sure it's packed in there tight. When closed there should be very little give when you squeeze the side.
Get a Float Valve! Years back the RO was accidentally left on filling a container.... Forgot about it, Went to bed. Next morning took the final step off the stairs... "Splash" It was not good. Great Video! Follow these suggestions people!
I turned on a valve to top off my ATO reservoir and went to work... couple hours later (7ish til 930ish) i get a nice screaming phone call... and flooded my living room and part of my basement
All float valves fail eventually. Murphy being the evil S.O.B. that he is, it will probably happen when you are on vacation. NEVER trust a float valve.
Awesome stuff. Even though I work in the manufacturing of RO systems, I found some great reminders here! When you are talking about Murdock, those are great performing items. One other great find is the PENTAIR GRO membranes. They changed how the membranes are rolled and use MUCH less water than a traditional RO membrane.
I got here after watching Matt's video and said to myself "cool, maybe not that bad if i start making my own RO Water instead of buying from LFS" then i see this video and see there's a bunch still to learn and watch for.
These tips are for those that really want to optimize their setups. If you start with a 5 stage RO/DI system, you'll be starting out on a great foot and saving money right out of the gate. The great thing about these RO/DI systems is that they're modular, meaning you can add canisters and accessories onto them in the future should you wish to do so. www.bulkreefsupply.com/5-stage-premium-plus-75-gpd-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html
I live a mile away from BRS. Our water from Minneapolis has 50 tds out of the tap. Not as bad as they say. They use RO to filter, and then add stuff like flouride. Just wanted to clarify the video.
TDS isn't bad at all, but the chloramines are definitely something to pay attention to. Relative to other water supplies around the country, chloramine levels here in Golden Valley tap water are pretty high.
Ground water and well water should ALWAYS be tested against drinking water standards before human or animal consumption (even cleaner for reefs). I used to work for a company that conducts soil and water remediation where hydrocarbons (mostly gasoline) and other bio hazards have breached their storage tanks. Several of our sites had domestic wells within 500 feet of the ploom on the water table. I'm used to taking intrinsics like pH, ORP, temp, and conductivity, and sampled water for BTEX/MTBE/Naph. and total dissolved Lead and Iron. Today, I started my first saltwater 20 gallon tank with aragonite sand and a med/small dry rock, bacteria and some fish flakes for now.
I wish they had mentioned the IN/OUT writing, and the verticle line below them, are supposed to 90° from the tee and tubing. This tidbit of info could prevent people from pulling the probes out to check for proper orientation. I'm sure most people figured it out from the visuals, but there's likely a few that are probably cleaning up leaked water right about now...
I know this is 2 years old, but how about flushing RO tds creep before DI? My tds creep is high after sitting for a week or so, and I flush the creep while flushing the waste. Once tds rises and starts falling I shut the waste flush and continue creep flush until tds drops to acceptable level of 7 or so, then close the creep flush valve. After about 30 minutes of running the TDS has dropped to about 3 before DI.
I run all of my water to a 4 gallon bladder tank. It holds 3.25 gallons. When it’s full I have the auto shut off. It turns off and no problems. I’m probably going to get the flow lock leak detector though.
I see people including myself let the sediment filters go brown and keep running them all the time. The sediment filters are dirt cheap so I just got a box of them now to switch out and save the rest of the filters down the line.
I don't have RODI when start so I use tap water, no ill effect, no algae so I continue. Now more than one year, my Acro are still growing. I think because tap water here is from desalination plants. I am still thinking should I install RODI.
Question: I am just starting in the reefing hobby. I have a whole house water filter system, with a 3 stage water filter. Do I still need to use RO/DI water, or does my whole house system meet the need?
Thanks for the info. I'm still trying to wrap my head around RO/DI. So much of this seems like a foreign language to me. Hopefully it will click sooner than later!
Hey Spencer, Hopefully I can help with some of the basics. With an RODI system, you have 4 main filters, a sediment filter, carbon block(s), RO membrane, and DI resin. The sediment filter is first and is responsible for filtering out any larger particles (like sediment) in the source water. Think of it as the first line of defense in protecting the more expensive filters down stream. Next is the carbon block. You may have one or two of them depending on the RODI system you have. The primary reason we use carbon blocks is to remove any chlorine or chloramines that are in a city water supply. If you're on city water, we usually suggest using two carbon blocks. The RO membrane is third and it's the most important filter. The RO membrane is responsible for filtering out most of the contaminants, which results in much lower TDS coming out. All of those contaminants are sent down the waste water tube and down the drain. The filtered water (product water) is then sent to the last stage, the DI resin. Think of the DI stage as the final polish. Usually the TDS number going into the DI resin will be in the single digits. When it exits the DI resin, it should be zero. While TDS isn't a perfect way to determine how pure the water is, it's the easiest to test for and what the RODI industry and our hobby both use.
My incoming pressure from my water softener is 60 PSI. So my feed water into my RO is 60 psi, however I have 15 PSI by the tank. What should I do to increase my water pressure? I ordered a booster pump but not sure if this will solve the issue. Any thoughts? My membrane was replaced last year
Checked my TDS probes and they were not installed correctly direct from BRS. I suggest you pull yours ad check and don’t assume. I assumed for several months that it was correct, but it was not.
I just went from wanting to buy one of these to thinking it is too much trouble. I can't remember half of what you guys have mentioned let along have the ability to manage this.
Setting up a basic RODI system is super easy as long as you change out the filters when they're depleted. The 5 stage RODI system is our recommendation for a vast majority of water sources. It comes with all of the filters pre-installed, so no need to hunt for filters right away. www.bulkreefsupply.com/5-stage-premium-plus-75-gpd-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html
Redesign the Settlement spin down filter. Remember where you got this idea. I engineered a spin down filter of my own. It has a auto back flush with a spin of the filter inside. Inside of the filter housing i have a stationary tube with holes in it just slightly larger than the filter element. By timer at the end of the day a motor at the bottom outside of the filter housing will spin the filter element inside the stationary tube with the holes in it as water is back flushed through the element to the drain. It keeps all my down stream filter cleaner.
I just bought my first 5 stage RODI unit and have been trying to figure out whether to have my home soft water system on or off when running the RODI system. New house and I had to turn my soft water system off since my freshwater fish almost died (didn’t lose any) using Seachem Prime treated soft water (issue with salts?). Wondering if running soft water through RODI unit is better or worse in terms of cartridge life a system performance.
We suggest to install the RODI system after the water softener. It'll cause a tiny tiny increase in DI consumption, but it'll reduce the buildup of scale inside of the RO membrane housing, increasing the life of the membrane.
Question please, can I run a RO unit laying down horizontal? Due to space restrictions will this be ok ? Your help with this would be greatly appreciated
Can one of your RO systems be used intermittently and not constantly? We have a 30 gallon tank, do water changes every 5 days (at this time), and bought a 100 g/day RO unit of yours. Can we only run it on the days we do water changes and let it sit idle in between?
One mistake is one on your side, is not having package marked RO Zsaver sediment filters, they look the same, the packaging is all the same and the only way to tell the difference is a sticker that is attached, very lightly, to the package which you're supposed to put on your RO canisters to remind you when you installed them. Well having ordered a number of 5 and 1 micron versions wouldn't you know it... 2 stickers did come off, and if course they weren't the same size, and I'm not sure which package they came from now I have 2 mystery sediment filters.
I have a lot of silica in my well water and have been looking for a solution. So making a Silica cartridge is cut and dry. No problem. But I run the DI saver and go through a ton of anion resin possibly because of my co2. So when thinking about it I am guessing that I could place that in my anion stage of the DI saver setup? Or should my Di saver setup consist of three Silica cartridges?
You'd have to re-plumb the system so that the water flows from the sediment filter > carbon 1 > carbon 2 > membrane > DI resin 1 > DI resin 2. The way that Jen discusses in the video linked below would be easier 🙂 th-cam.com/video/ayfgqZHRGp0/w-d-xo.html
Did you guys say to put the pressure gauge AFTER the DI Resin for best results? I have mine on the incoming water line. Would changing to the product water line post DI resin increase the pressure I am seeing if I think I am getting a false positive?
The pressure reading after the RO membrane has very little value. What we care about is the pressure going into the RO membrane from your source line and after the pre-filters.
Do you have any thoughts on regenerating exchange resin? Ease of regenerating separate bed or the hassle of doing mixed bed resin.(you have to separate the resins by density, regen both, then mix)
Do you guys sell the cotton piece at the top of the resin canister? Mine is kind of getting smashed and lost its original shape. Could I just cut it some cotton or something myself? Or do you sell replacements?
We do stock the sponge for the DI canister (1st link), but the one on the other end is not available separately. If you need a replacement cartridge, you can find that in the second link below. DI Sponge - www.bulkreefsupply.com/replacement-sponge-for-di-resin-cartridge.html Cartridge (sku 200002) - www.bulkreefsupply.com/clear-refillable-cartridge-for-di-resin.html
Hey Mike, There should be two sensors on the 4 Stage RODI systems that have TDS meters. One should be right before the DI stage, and the other right after the DI stage. If you need help, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer service team.
Do you have a newbie video about RO-DI. All these terms you use are freaking me out, MAN. TDS? RESIN? What does RO-DI stand for? I inherited a 180-gallon tank that hasn't been taken care of very well at my wifes office. We're using tap water to top off the sump daily. I need RO-DI to top off and to do water changes since the guy who's supposed to do it shows up every couple of months. EEEK. This is a LOT!
TDS stands for total dissolve solids. Basically, how much junk is in the water. Resin is the product that is used in the filters to clean the water. RO DI stands for reverse osmosis deionized. Saltwater tanks need RO DI, do not use Tap.
Wasted thousands of gal of water probably first 6 months of owning by NOT having booster and running at 30 psi AND WHILE ALSO having flush valve wide open.. got 10 gal a day! And recently...No backup and float valve failed.
I wish you would talk more about "Tuning your waste water" I'm not understanding if you're talking about flushing the membrane or restricting the waste water more. Help me to understand this please. My city water is pretty low TDS.
Question. I am new to DI water systems. I purchased a 2 canister DI water car rinse system to wash my black truck without leaving water spots. The systems is made by Aquatic Life. The water source comes into the right side flows thru the 2 canisters out of the left side comes the filtered water. It is my understanding that the right side canister is supposed to get used it and turn brown before the left side and once the right side is 90% used up, remove it and move the left side canister to the right side and install a new filter cartridge in the canister removed from the right side and install it on the left, so you're cycling the cartridges to keep a fresh cartridge in place on the left side at all times. I have found with my system for some odd reason my left side cartridge is being used up faster than the right side. Any idea what would cause this?
Most RODI systems flow water from the left to the right, particularly in DI canisters. I can't speak to your particular manufacturer's product, but every one of our DI canisters follow this left to right flow pattern because the design of the DI cartridge inside, where the flow of water is forced through the bottom of the DI resin and out through the top. That said, your DI resin should change color from the bottom up. I would try changing the flow direction to a left to right pattern and see if that solves your issue.
I have the water saving kit on my RODI system and I was wondering... Should I install 2 flush valves? One for each membrane? Or can I just use one on the last membrane? The first one that water goes through has no flush valve and I always wondered if it's doing what it's supposed to do because the water is just flying through it at full speed until it gets to the other membrane. If someone can answer this I'd really appreciate it, thanks!
Just bought 6 stage BRS system... It came assembled with the ASOV before the resin filters...Do I need to put this after the resin chambers to work?? Cant find answer anywhere haha
No, the auto shut off valve can be installed before the DI resin and will still function as expected. You shouldn't need to change the location from how your ASOV is installed on your BRS RODI system.
does the back pressure of a pressurized tank in a drinking water RO system cause TDS creep? if so, can this be solved if the tank is replaced with an aquarium-style reservoir and a pressure-switched pump to the faucet? thanks
There should be a check valve installed between the RO system and the pressurized tank, so that shouldn't present any issues. In a drinking water setup, a little bit of TDS creep isn't usually a big problem as we're not using DI resin or aiming for 0 TDS like we would for our saltwater aquariums.
It sounds like a 5 stage or larger will be best for your needs. If your well has high CO2, a 7 stage will be the most efficient system in terms of DI resin consumption. But, you can always upgrade by adding on additional canisters to a 5 stage down the road if you find that to be an issue.
Excellent video with so many tips. I’m in the process of planning a RO/DI system for my freshwater tank (and possible saltwater in the future) and I’m definitely not going to make any of these mistakes. Thanks for all the great information.
How do I know the meter is working? Super scared after getting crazy high tds after only 6 weeks of use with a new meter I bought! The resin wasnt even orange all the way up but only 2/3 rds! Cody told me on the phone not to trust my meter but I get 0 tds with my lfs water! My hubby went to pick up some even though I have refills because I just dont trust it now until I get a meter but how do Know if your meter has failed? There is no way to check! I will update this if hers comes back with tds but never has before! When I first bought the 4 stage I checked the ones I had and they were all 0! Super worried about my new frags coming in today and my frag tank I set up! I did check them but only tricked water over the probes! DUMB I now realize!
Luckily I do bioanalytical chemistry research, so I can get all the UV-sterilized ultrapure water (Type I; RI/DO is Type II) I need at no-cost to me (well other than the $400/year university fees). :-D
Hi I want to set up for RO water for tropical, mainly to try improve plant quality, my tds from tap is 340ppm in my tank that can go up to 530ppm, what stage unit do I need 3/4/5/6/7 ?
It sounds like you're keeping freshwater. If so, a lot of freshwater fish keepers will utilize an RO only system, but skip the DI unless you want to demineralize the water. This 4 stage RO only system will probably be your best bet www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-ro-only-system-75gpd-2.html
Would be nice if I could get a stage 7 200 gallon from you guys been waiting for a couple months with no ETA. Pretty discerning because I love all of your videos.
Sorry about the delay. We've had to limit some of our RODI system production during the Covid-19 issues to keep everyone safe. Hopefully we'll be back to full staff and full production capacity in the near future.
Whats the best way for an apartment dweller like myself to install the BRS 7 stage system with booster pump, so that I can take it with me when I move?
When I was apartment living, I set it under my bathroom sink. I used the faucet diverter valve so that I could easily and quickly set it up and take it down without a permanent installation.
It's hard to troubleshoot on TH-cam comments, but if you shoot over an email to our customer service team, we'll get you back up and running 🙂 Support@bulkreefsupply.com
I set up my unit I have 60 psi 75 Gallon, 7 stage. Poor water flow I haven’t made 75 gallons yet probably only about 25 total with my 25 gallon barrel and it’s been over 72 hours and I can’t figure out why .. my water will drip out of the line and then kind of stop and then drip out of the line again. But I have good psi so I’m confused
This will be very dependent on incoming water pressure. Low pressure usually means lower performance, while higher water pressure will usually mean better performance. With average water pressure (say 55 psi) and a single membrane system, you should see an approximate 3:1 waste to product ratio. I believe that's what you mean by 75%, so based on the info here, you don't need to replace your membrane yet.
A 4 stage system with a single carbon block works for well water and city water with low levels of chlorine. If your city uses chloramines, you'll want to go with a two carbon block RODI system. The 5, 6, or 7 stages would all work in those cases.
One huge thing you guys haven't ever done I don't understand why is what are to parts are.. I don't know why I need to flush kit don't even know what a flush kit does I don't know why I need a booster pump I don't know what a booster pump does.I don't know the flow restrictor is either I could use some help with that you make a video on that
Booster pumps are only necessary if your ground water supply has low pressure. A booster pump just sucks water out of your city water system a little faster than would come out otherwise.
Unfortunately those products don't remove all contaminants. Of course, every water supply is different. If you've tested and trust your water supply, you may make a different water filtration decision.
I wonder if there is a service out there that will give you a comprehensive test of your tap water to see what exactly you're filtering out. I know there some places in the world where people are just using dechlorinated tap water with good results. If you main contaminants are things that have significant wiggle room for allowable levels odds are you can get away with just running it through a sediment filter and a carbon block. Hell some people even need to add sources of nitrogen and phosphates to their tank water to keep them from getting too low in established tanks.
I thought it seemed super complicated too but once it’s installed you never, never need to run to the LFS to get salt of RO water. And you know that your water is clean. I also added a drinking water spout into mine. If I don’t want my fish swimming in it, I don’t want it in my stomach.
Ultimately, it depends on the quality of the source water. If it's high quality water to begin with, there may be little benefit to the DI stage. If it's simply a cost cutting measure by the LFS, then you may want to consider purchasing your own RODI system so that you have more control over the filtration process. All of that said, RO only water is certainly going to be better than tap water.
We ship to the United States and Canada. We do allow for the use of a mail forwarding service. If you're interested, the link below has more details on how that works 🙂 www.bulkreefsupply.com/international-shipping
If you have an auto shut off valve installed, then yes. It can take a couple of minutes for the pressure in the product line to trigger the ASOV, however.
I'm sure it wouldnt be hard for BRS or individual to make a calibration kit..using a little ro line closed loop with little inline pump and T-fitting for tds probe and using T fitting opening to inject reference solution directly in until full to eliminate contamination and then insert probe & run pump to properly calibrate tds through T-fitting .
Awesome stuff. Even though I work in the manufacturing of RO systems, I found some great reminders here! When you are talking about Murdock, those are great performing items. One other great find is the PENTAIR GRO membranes. They changed how the membranes are rolled and use MUCH less water than a traditional RO membrane.
Okay, be honest. Tell us your top RODI water mistake you've made....(I'm guessing many of you share the same as us!)
My mistake was not buying the RO/DI unit I wanted the first time. No worries there, the modular design allowed me to combine my original 4 stage and my impulse buy 7 stage into an 11 stage 150gpd beast. It’s hilariously overkill, but the tank is doing well. Happy reefing!
One thing I remind everyone. Rinse. Your. Filters. Carbon blocks have dust in them, don't pump that right into your membrane. I always let 5 gallons go through each carbon block before hooking it up to the RO and 1 gallon go through each resin bed before I hook it up to my container.
Also when replacing your resin, make sure it's packed in there tight. When closed there should be very little give when you squeeze the side.
I’ll admit... I went without a float valve for a while. Yeah... BAD IDEA.
Have extra canister sitting around and not know they will be more productive have it install
My reef bucket doing fine with Brooklyn water.
Get a Float Valve! Years back the RO was accidentally left on filling a container.... Forgot about it, Went to bed. Next morning took the final step off the stairs... "Splash" It was not good.
Great Video! Follow these suggestions people!
Install a ground level drain in your fish room!
I turned on a valve to top off my ATO reservoir and went to work... couple hours later (7ish til 930ish) i get a nice screaming phone call... and flooded my living room and part of my basement
All float valves fail eventually. Murphy being the evil S.O.B. that he is, it will probably happen when you are on vacation. NEVER trust a float valve.
I have to put my containers in the sink. I've flooded my floors before.
This should be the first video anyone watches before using an RO/Di... would have saved me so much time on forums and calling you guys!
Thanks GOD that the water in Brooklyn are perfect for my reef aquarium bucket.
Awesome stuff. Even though I work in the manufacturing of RO systems, I found some great reminders here! When you are talking about Murdock, those are great performing items. One other great find is the PENTAIR GRO membranes. They changed how the membranes are rolled and use MUCH less water than a traditional RO membrane.
Had to check my TDS probes immediately. By some miracle they were both in the proper orientation. I definitely didn't do that on purpose!
I rotated mine every which way and got precisely the same readings.
Helped me solve my water quality mystery thank you guys
I got here after watching Matt's video and said to myself "cool, maybe not that bad if i start making my own RO Water instead of buying from LFS" then i see this video and see there's a bunch still to learn and watch for.
These tips are for those that really want to optimize their setups. If you start with a 5 stage RO/DI system, you'll be starting out on a great foot and saving money right out of the gate. The great thing about these RO/DI systems is that they're modular, meaning you can add canisters and accessories onto them in the future should you wish to do so.
www.bulkreefsupply.com/5-stage-premium-plus-75-gpd-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html
I live a mile away from BRS. Our water from Minneapolis has 50 tds out of the tap. Not as bad as they say. They use RO to filter, and then add stuff like flouride. Just wanted to clarify the video.
TDS isn't bad at all, but the chloramines are definitely something to pay attention to. Relative to other water supplies around the country, chloramine levels here in Golden Valley tap water are pretty high.
Omg this was so helpful even in the first min stoped and whent to check and continued to play
Ground water and well water should ALWAYS be tested against drinking water standards before human or animal consumption (even cleaner for reefs). I used to work for a company that conducts soil and water remediation where hydrocarbons (mostly gasoline) and other bio hazards have breached their storage tanks. Several of our sites had domestic wells within 500 feet of the ploom on the water table. I'm used to taking intrinsics like pH, ORP, temp, and conductivity, and sampled water for BTEX/MTBE/Naph. and total dissolved Lead and Iron. Today, I started my first saltwater 20 gallon tank with aragonite sand and a med/small dry rock, bacteria and some fish flakes for now.
Less than 70 seconds in the video I paused it to go check my TDS probes.
Matthew Zarelli Same 😂
I wish they had mentioned the IN/OUT writing, and the verticle line below them, are supposed to 90° from the tee and tubing. This tidbit of info could prevent people from pulling the probes out to check for proper orientation. I'm sure most people figured it out from the visuals, but there's likely a few that are probably cleaning up leaked water right about now...
Didnt even know there was a inline RO TDS monitor. Good to know.
Super informative and pithy. I use an RO system for brewing water and this was very helpful!
Great video, learned lots of new stuff. Hmmm biggest mistake...no float valve ;). Don't forget to test your backup systems semi regularly!
I know this is 2 years old, but how about flushing RO tds creep before DI? My tds creep is high after sitting for a week or so, and I flush the creep while flushing the waste. Once tds rises and starts falling I shut the waste flush and continue creep flush until tds drops to acceptable level of 7 or so, then close the creep flush valve. After about 30 minutes of running the TDS has dropped to about 3 before DI.
Exacto blade worked beautifully for my lines
I run all of my water to a 4 gallon bladder tank. It holds 3.25 gallons. When it’s full I have the auto shut off. It turns off and no problems. I’m probably going to get the flow lock leak detector though.
I learned a few things thanks, but that up sell wow ,you need 2 of everything and by the way guess what we sell!
I see people including myself let the sediment filters go brown and keep running them all the time. The sediment filters are dirt cheap so I just got a box of them now to switch out and save the rest of the filters down the line.
When will you get more upgrade kits?
Agreed. I've been waiting for possibly 2 months now.
I have been waiting for them to come in too.
What’s in the upgrade kit? I may have to look in Australia for some sort of upgrade
#31 Installing sediment and carbon filters. With the factory shrinkwrap still on.....
Great video. How long do inline TDS probes last? I'd think that especially the "in" probe could get caked with carbonate and such over time.
This could be an issue if you have your TDS probe on your source water or waste water lines, but shouldn't be a problem on your product lines.
I don't have RODI when start so I use tap water, no ill effect, no algae so I continue. Now more than one year, my Acro are still growing. I think because tap water here is from desalination plants. I am still thinking should I install RODI.
Long answer: yes
Short answer: yes
Question: I am just starting in the reefing hobby. I have a whole house water filter system, with a 3 stage water filter. Do I still need to use RO/DI water, or does my whole house system meet the need?
That ro system pays for itself so fast even with a small 40 gal tank.
Agreed!
Volumizer you say? I had no idea this existed. I usually just change my carbon blocks yearly, but I have no idea how much I've actually made.
Love these mistake videos!
Merci pour cette vidéo !!! 👍👍👍
thanks for the information you are spreading for free but the cutter is it 45 degree cut for the tubes or 90 degrees :D
As straight as you can. Any angel may cause a the connection to be weak and may leak
TDS calibration solution is designed to he used with the handheld TDS testers!
Thanks for the info. I'm still trying to wrap my head around RO/DI. So much of this seems like a foreign language to me. Hopefully it will click sooner than later!
Hey Spencer,
Hopefully I can help with some of the basics. With an RODI system, you have 4 main filters, a sediment filter, carbon block(s), RO membrane, and DI resin.
The sediment filter is first and is responsible for filtering out any larger particles (like sediment) in the source water. Think of it as the first line of defense in protecting the more expensive filters down stream.
Next is the carbon block. You may have one or two of them depending on the RODI system you have. The primary reason we use carbon blocks is to remove any chlorine or chloramines that are in a city water supply. If you're on city water, we usually suggest using two carbon blocks.
The RO membrane is third and it's the most important filter. The RO membrane is responsible for filtering out most of the contaminants, which results in much lower TDS coming out. All of those contaminants are sent down the waste water tube and down the drain. The filtered water (product water) is then sent to the last stage, the DI resin.
Think of the DI stage as the final polish. Usually the TDS number going into the DI resin will be in the single digits. When it exits the DI resin, it should be zero. While TDS isn't a perfect way to determine how pure the water is, it's the easiest to test for and what the RODI industry and our hobby both use.
@@BRStv great information as I was thinking the same thing, what is the difference between RO and RODI
This actually cleared it up for me
Cheers
My incoming pressure from my water softener is 60 PSI. So my feed water into my RO is 60 psi, however I have 15 PSI by the tank. What should I do to increase my water pressure? I ordered a booster pump but not sure if this will solve the issue. Any thoughts? My membrane was replaced last year
Checked my TDS probes and they were not installed correctly direct from BRS. I suggest you pull yours ad check and don’t assume. I assumed for several months that it was correct, but it was not.
i fill my ROI in my tub. if it runs over, it goes down the drain worst case scenario.
same! sucks lugging it around though
Use a 32 gallon brute trashcan and a hose. Put a hose timer on it.
I just went from wanting to buy one of these to thinking it is too much trouble. I can't remember half of what you guys have mentioned let along have the ability to manage this.
Setting up a basic RODI system is super easy as long as you change out the filters when they're depleted. The 5 stage RODI system is our recommendation for a vast majority of water sources. It comes with all of the filters pre-installed, so no need to hunt for filters right away.
www.bulkreefsupply.com/5-stage-premium-plus-75-gpd-ro-di-system-bulk-reef-supply-bundle.html
I bought a used RO system for $10. It was still in the box and NEVER used. It even has filters still in wrappers. So much for never buying used. LOL
There are definitely exceptions to every rule, Congrats on the RODI deal! 😃
Redesign the Settlement spin down filter. Remember where you got this idea. I engineered a spin down filter of my own. It has a auto back flush with a spin of the filter inside. Inside of the filter housing i have a stationary tube with holes in it just slightly larger than the filter element. By timer at the end of the day a motor at the bottom outside of the filter housing will spin the filter element inside the stationary tube with the holes in it as water is back flushed through the element to the drain. It keeps all my down stream filter cleaner.
Needed this video
I just bought my first 5 stage RODI unit and have been trying to figure out whether to have my home soft water system on or off when running the RODI system. New house and I had to turn my soft water system off since my freshwater fish almost died (didn’t lose any) using Seachem Prime treated soft water (issue with salts?). Wondering if running soft water through RODI unit is better or worse in terms of cartridge life a system performance.
We suggest to install the RODI system after the water softener. It'll cause a tiny tiny increase in DI consumption, but it'll reduce the buildup of scale inside of the RO membrane housing, increasing the life of the membrane.
Question please, can I run a RO unit laying down horizontal?
Due to space restrictions will this be ok ?
Your help with this would be greatly appreciated
Would it be best to install my ro/di before or afer my water softener?
I would think after, has to work less since the softener did some work already? Maybe im wrong
I'm getting a system for drinking water/testing water (DI) and wondering what the RO/DI solenoids are for?
Can one of your RO systems be used intermittently and not constantly? We have a 30 gallon tank, do water changes every 5 days (at this time), and bought a 100 g/day RO unit of yours. Can we only run it on the days we do water changes and let it sit idle in between?
One mistake is one on your side, is not having package marked RO Zsaver sediment filters, they look the same, the packaging is all the same and the only way to tell the difference is a sticker that is attached, very lightly, to the package which you're supposed to put on your RO canisters to remind you when you installed them. Well having ordered a number of 5 and 1 micron versions wouldn't you know it... 2 stickers did come off, and if course they weren't the same size, and I'm not sure which package they came from now I have 2 mystery sediment filters.
Rip
I have a lot of silica in my well water and have been looking for a solution. So making a Silica cartridge is cut and dry. No problem. But I run the DI saver and go through a ton of anion resin possibly because of my co2. So when thinking about it I am guessing that I could place that in my anion stage of the DI saver setup? Or should my Di saver setup consist of three Silica cartridges?
How is not using a RO pressure tank not on here? Having 3-4 gallons of RO water stored for use quickly is super convenient.
I have a total of 4 pre filters and one RODI and 2 membranes and I still get 9 post RODI and I don't know why.. is my membrane carbon clogged?
I have 75gpd value plus can I put carbon block in color changing Di resin chamber and buy the DUAL DI FILTER CANISTER to convert to 6 stage
You'd have to re-plumb the system so that the water flows from the sediment filter > carbon 1 > carbon 2 > membrane > DI resin 1 > DI resin 2.
The way that Jen discusses in the video linked below would be easier 🙂
th-cam.com/video/ayfgqZHRGp0/w-d-xo.html
@@BRStv Thanks :)
Did you guys say to put the pressure gauge AFTER the DI Resin for best results? I have mine on the incoming water line. Would changing to the product water line post DI resin increase the pressure I am seeing if I think I am getting a false positive?
The pressure reading after the RO membrane has very little value. What we care about is the pressure going into the RO membrane from your source line and after the pre-filters.
Looks like i will be making my own Silicabuster with extra anion
Do you have any thoughts on regenerating exchange resin? Ease of regenerating separate bed or the hassle of doing mixed bed resin.(you have to separate the resins by density, regen both, then mix)
Do you guys sell the cotton piece at the top of the resin canister? Mine is kind of getting smashed and lost its original shape. Could I just cut it some cotton or something myself? Or do you sell replacements?
We do stock the sponge for the DI canister (1st link), but the one on the other end is not available separately. If you need a replacement cartridge, you can find that in the second link below.
DI Sponge - www.bulkreefsupply.com/replacement-sponge-for-di-resin-cartridge.html
Cartridge (sku 200002) - www.bulkreefsupply.com/clear-refillable-cartridge-for-di-resin.html
I just got your 4 stage value plus and the tds monitor that’s red isn’t plugged into anything is it supposed to be that way
Hey Mike,
There should be two sensors on the 4 Stage RODI systems that have TDS meters. One should be right before the DI stage, and the other right after the DI stage. If you need help, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer service team.
Do you have a newbie video about RO-DI. All these terms you use are freaking me out, MAN. TDS? RESIN? What does RO-DI stand for? I inherited a 180-gallon tank that hasn't been taken care of very well at my wifes office. We're using tap water to top off the sump daily. I need RO-DI to top off and to do water changes since the guy who's supposed to do it shows up every couple of months. EEEK. This is a LOT!
TDS stands for total dissolve solids. Basically, how much junk is in the water.
Resin is the product that is used in the filters to clean the water.
RO DI stands for reverse osmosis deionized.
Saltwater tanks need RO DI, do not use Tap.
Wasted thousands of gal of water probably first 6 months of owning by NOT having booster and running at 30 psi AND WHILE ALSO having flush valve wide open.. got 10 gal a day! And recently...No backup and float valve failed.
I wish you would talk more about "Tuning your waste water" I'm not understanding if you're talking about flushing the membrane or restricting the waste water more. Help me to understand this please. My city water is pretty low TDS.
love the "mudflap girl" shirt Ryan... lol
Question. I am new to DI water systems. I purchased a 2 canister DI water car rinse system to wash my black truck without leaving water spots. The systems is made by Aquatic Life. The water source comes into the right side flows thru the 2 canisters out of the left side comes the filtered water. It is my understanding that the right side canister is supposed to get used it and turn brown before the left side and once the right side is 90% used up, remove it and move the left side canister to the right side and install a new filter cartridge in the canister removed from the right side and install it on the left, so you're cycling the cartridges to keep a fresh cartridge in place on the left side at all times. I have found with my system for some odd reason my left side cartridge is being used up faster than the right side. Any idea what would cause this?
Most RODI systems flow water from the left to the right, particularly in DI canisters. I can't speak to your particular manufacturer's product, but every one of our DI canisters follow this left to right flow pattern because the design of the DI cartridge inside, where the flow of water is forced through the bottom of the DI resin and out through the top. That said, your DI resin should change color from the bottom up. I would try changing the flow direction to a left to right pattern and see if that solves your issue.
I have the water saving kit on my RODI system and I was wondering... Should I install 2 flush valves? One for each membrane? Or can I just use one on the last membrane? The first one that water goes through has no flush valve and I always wondered if it's doing what it's supposed to do because the water is just flying through it at full speed until it gets to the other membrane. If someone can answer this I'd really appreciate it, thanks!
Just the one flush valve is needed on the water saver setup. Opening the flush valve will effectively flush both membranes
Do you have to have both a RO/DI system, or can you use either a DI or an RO system independently of each other?
Just bought 6 stage BRS system... It came assembled with the ASOV before the resin filters...Do I need to put this after the resin chambers to work?? Cant find answer anywhere haha
No, the auto shut off valve can be installed before the DI resin and will still function as expected. You shouldn't need to change the location from how your ASOV is installed on your BRS RODI system.
does the back pressure of a pressurized tank in a drinking water RO system cause TDS creep?
if so, can this be solved if the tank is replaced with an aquarium-style reservoir and a pressure-switched pump to the faucet?
thanks
There should be a check valve installed between the RO system and the pressurized tank, so that shouldn't present any issues. In a drinking water setup, a little bit of TDS creep isn't usually a big problem as we're not using DI resin or aiming for 0 TDS like we would for our saltwater aquariums.
My tap water is from a well and has high nitrates and full of minerals. What RODI system do you recommend?
It sounds like a 5 stage or larger will be best for your needs. If your well has high CO2, a 7 stage will be the most efficient system in terms of DI resin consumption. But, you can always upgrade by adding on additional canisters to a 5 stage down the road if you find that to be an issue.
How long do your systems last? i have a rodi from you guys I bought in 2012, of course i have changed filters and media over the years.
The RODI systems themselves have very few, almost no, moving parts, so aside from filter changes, they'll usually outlast the aquarium
Excellent video with so many tips. I’m in the process of planning a RO/DI system for my freshwater tank (and possible saltwater in the future) and I’m definitely not going to make any of these mistakes. Thanks for all the great information.
How do I know the meter is working? Super scared after getting crazy high tds after only 6 weeks of use with a new meter I bought! The resin wasnt even orange all the way up but only 2/3 rds! Cody told me on the phone not to trust my meter but I get 0 tds with my lfs water! My hubby went to pick up some even though I have refills because I just dont trust it now until I get a meter but how do Know if your meter has failed? There is no way to check! I will update this if hers comes back with tds but never has before! When I first bought the 4 stage I checked the ones I had and they were all 0! Super worried about my new frags coming in today and my frag tank I set up! I did check them but only tricked water over the probes! DUMB I now realize!
Use compression sleeves inside your tubing.
Should I trust my Aquamedic Platinum TDS meter?
I can't say that I'm too familiar with that one, but as long as it's an in-line TDS meter, there is a good chance that it's a good tool for the job.
Luckily I do bioanalytical chemistry research, so I can get all the UV-sterilized ultrapure water (Type I; RI/DO is Type II) I need at no-cost to me (well other than the $400/year university fees). :-D
Hi I want to set up for RO water for tropical, mainly to try improve plant quality, my tds from tap is 340ppm in my tank that can go up to 530ppm, what stage unit do I need 3/4/5/6/7 ?
It sounds like you're keeping freshwater. If so, a lot of freshwater fish keepers will utilize an RO only system, but skip the DI unless you want to demineralize the water. This 4 stage RO only system will probably be your best bet
www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-ro-only-system-75gpd-2.html
suprized you didn't mention the temperature of the water going into the ro unit, dont want hot water going threw it
Would be nice if I could get a stage 7 200 gallon from you guys been waiting for a couple months with no ETA. Pretty discerning because I love all of your videos.
Sorry about the delay. We've had to limit some of our RODI system production during the Covid-19 issues to keep everyone safe. Hopefully we'll be back to full staff and full production capacity in the near future.
Whats the best way for an apartment dweller like myself to install the BRS 7 stage system with booster pump, so that I can take it with me when I move?
When I was apartment living, I set it under my bathroom sink. I used the faucet diverter valve so that I could easily and quickly set it up and take it down without a permanent installation.
@@BRStv Does the booster pump have to be hard wired or does it have a plug on it?
Hay I have you 75 gallon a day system and the guage stopped working so I replaced it and still not working what else could be my problem
It's hard to troubleshoot on TH-cam comments, but if you shoot over an email to our customer service team, we'll get you back up and running 🙂
Support@bulkreefsupply.com
I set up my unit I have 60 psi
75 Gallon, 7 stage.
Poor water flow I haven’t made 75 gallons yet probably only about 25 total with my 25 gallon barrel and it’s been over 72 hours and I can’t figure out why .. my water will drip out of the line and then kind of stop and then drip out of the line again. But I have good psi so I’m confused
Make sure your manual flush valve is in the "closed" position. This will help force water through the RO membrane.
Why is my TDS input reading zero - there’s no way the tap water is at zero before hitting the system - sensors I believe are installed correctly
What is the RO rejection rate that you recommend to replace the membrane ? Is 75 % still a good rejection ?
This will be very dependent on incoming water pressure. Low pressure usually means lower performance, while higher water pressure will usually mean better performance. With average water pressure (say 55 psi) and a single membrane system, you should see an approximate 3:1 waste to product ratio. I believe that's what you mean by 75%, so based on the info here, you don't need to replace your membrane yet.
I want to buy my first RODI system, which one would you recommend? Thanks
A 4 stage system with a single carbon block works for well water and city water with low levels of chlorine. If your city uses chloramines, you'll want to go with a two carbon block RODI system. The 5, 6, or 7 stages would all work in those cases.
@@BRStv perfect thanks a lot will test for test for chloramine then
doesnt the BRS come with a flush line valve? why would i need extra equioment to flush the system ?
Almost all BRS RODI systems come with a manual flush valve. With the exception of some of our "value" systems.
Do you have any 20" available?
One huge thing you guys haven't ever done I don't understand why is what are to parts are.. I don't know why I need to flush kit don't even know what a flush kit does I don't know why I need a booster pump I don't know what a booster pump does.I don't know the flow restrictor is either I could use some help with that you make a video on that
Booster pumps are only necessary if your ground water supply has low pressure. A booster pump just sucks water out of your city water system a little faster than would come out otherwise.
Um, why can’t you just use a dechlorinator like safe or prime to take care of ammonia and chemipure to get rid of contaminates?
Unfortunately those products don't remove all contaminants. Of course, every water supply is different. If you've tested and trust your water supply, you may make a different water filtration decision.
I wonder if there is a service out there that will give you a comprehensive test of your tap water to see what exactly you're filtering out. I know there some places in the world where people are just using dechlorinated tap water with good results. If you main contaminants are things that have significant wiggle room for allowable levels odds are you can get away with just running it through a sediment filter and a carbon block. Hell some people even need to add sources of nitrogen and phosphates to their tank water to keep them from getting too low in established tanks.
We'd suggest using an ICP test for this. We offer a couple of different brands on our website, but we most frequently use the Triton brand
@@BRStv Will ICP tests show things like pesticides?
i like zoned out. i want one of these buuuut this sounds like alot on top of keeping a new saltwater tank?
I thought it seemed super complicated too but once it’s installed you never, never need to run to the LFS to get salt of RO water. And you know that your water is clean. I also added a drinking water spout into mine. If I don’t want my fish swimming in it, I don’t want it in my stomach.
Loving the kappa white shirt
My local fish shop only sells RO water, no DI. Is that bad?
Ultimately, it depends on the quality of the source water. If it's high quality water to begin with, there may be little benefit to the DI stage. If it's simply a cost cutting measure by the LFS, then you may want to consider purchasing your own RODI system so that you have more control over the filtration process.
All of that said, RO only water is certainly going to be better than tap water.
I'm running 7 canisters on a dual membrane system. I think my biggest mistake was allowing rats to chew through the discharge line...
Yikes! Hopefully they didn't cause too bad of a mess!
@@BRStv Had to crawl under the house, as the line "fills" the goldfish pond.
Do you sell something to prevent idiots from having the waste water tubing on the floor and turning on their RO system?
Asking for a friend
Do you deliver to the uk?
We ship to the United States and Canada. We do allow for the use of a mail forwarding service. If you're interested, the link below has more details on how that works 🙂
www.bulkreefsupply.com/international-shipping
Trusting a auto shut off that was supposed to stop the unit from continually running.
thinking the waste water would stop when the float valve cut off
If you have an auto shut off valve installed, then yes. It can take a couple of minutes for the pressure in the product line to trigger the ASOV, however.
@@BRStv not with the piece of poop I bought. I'm about to order a good one from you
Can you guys come to someone house and hook up the ro/di pro canisters for someone
I flooded my floors, now everything has float valves
Still find it odd Ryan isn't allowed to do these solo. Almost like someone is related to the owner ....
city water changes less day to day than well water.
My tap water TDS Is 66
That's great! Most tap water TDS is much higher 😀
You guys are awesome btw 😉
Just lucky I suppose 😜
this video doesnt really talk about the mistakes, it‘s more like "hey buy these stuffs“.
dude i just spent 220 on a rodi system and every tip here was to spend more money
I'm sure it wouldnt be hard for BRS or individual to make a calibration kit..using a little ro line closed loop with little inline pump and T-fitting for tds probe and using T fitting opening to inject reference solution directly in until full to eliminate contamination and then insert probe & run pump to properly calibrate tds through T-fitting .
Awesome stuff. Even though I work in the manufacturing of RO systems, I found some great reminders here! When you are talking about Murdock, those are great performing items. One other great find is the PENTAIR GRO membranes. They changed how the membranes are rolled and use MUCH less water than a traditional RO membrane.