RO Is It Worth IT?

[JD'sReef]

Hey guys,
So this weekend I am going to be setting up a 46-bow front at my house. I drilled it out and have a 15-gallon refugeum below with a CPR backpack for skimming. As for lighting I will be using a Hamilton 175 MH 55k with twin fluorescents and down low I am getting a 13watt pc to top off the system. I just bought 40pounds of Fiji and already have 20 in the tank that I am taking down. I have a few soft corals but they will be kept in the 29 until the soon to be Bubble Tip settles into his new home.
Now for the question!!!!
Do you think I should hold off with the set up until I get an RO unit, or should I just start without it? Right now I have some hair algae and red algae in my 29, but I am not sure if that is because of my tap water conditions, or because I don't have enough little critters cleaning up my sand bed. An RO unit seems to be a waste of water, but the guys at Inland Reef insist upon having one. Will this keep my tank sparkling?
If you think I should buy a unit, what kind should I get? A Pinnacle three stage seems reasonable, price wise that is. What do you guys use, and how did you hook up the plumbing? Where do I put the wastewater so I don't have to keep dumping out the bucket?
Also, why I have your attention, what should I put in the refugeum? I will have a deep layer of sand and a few pieces of Marshall, but what about plants?

Thanks For the Help
J.

 

[greenb]

Well here's my opinion. Wait until you get the RO unit. I started out with tap water and it caused all sorts of problems for me.

If moneys tight right now, you could set everything up with tap water and run it through your system to make sure you have no leaks and the flow is good.

Then Drain it and fill with RO water.

Just my .02cents

bob

oh,, just in case, i've heard good things about some of the RO/DI units you can get off of ebay for around 100 dollars.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, RO is worth it...however, I know several advanced reef keepers that simply dechlorinate their tap water and have great success....but they have great tap water. My tap water will take the paint off of a car and rust a screw in an hour :? , so I need my RO unit.

I have one of those e-bay deals from aquasafe canada. IMO it was money very well spent on a great system from a wonderful company run by a gentleman with great customer service. I have a TDS meter and the unit works as well as the $300 units you see on the net and at LFS. He makes them cheap because he pays less taxes in Canada and he owns his own small factory. Only sells on e-bay so that he doesn't have to run his own webstore, but if you e-mail him at [email protected], he will give you the same prices and let you know what will be up for auction and when. His name is Ed. And the best part is that I plumbed it myself and when I had a little snag, I called him and he walked me through it on the phone and even sent me an extra part to make it fit my old-ass plumbing...free of charge, not even for shipping from Canada to Miami. That's why I recommend him. I think companies that put out a decent product and have good service deserve our business.

Good Luck

 

[Anonymous]

Your local water company will have the water parameters as public record. You may want to take a look at it if you don't have a TDS meter, or you can calll people in your neighborhood and see if they can provide you with water condition for reef tank. More likely than not, the water is not good enough if you plan to keep coral. Fish only setup is less demanding in water parameter, so you may be able to get away with it.

For most people, cleanup crews (they don't clean up per se, they rearrange the dirt and algae... think of them as some janitor who after mopping up the floor, dump the dirty water back later...) is not a solution. You need to limit the nutrient import (good water, less feeding) and have some type of nutrient export (protein skimmer, algae scubber, water change, etc., notice that clean up crew is not a part of it directly).

 

[JD'sReef]

Thanks Guys
I Guess I am going to get a unit and wait untill it arives. I will still set it up and run some water though it this weekend, but the drain it and use RO before I put anything in it.
Manny, I am going to check this fella out, so for right now it is between that unit and the Aqua FX dolphin.
Thanks Again for the Advise :wink:

 

[Len]

Another resounding "Yes it's worth it" from me It's really one of the best buys for a reef tank IMO.

 

[Inno]

It really depends on the water quality of your tap...duh lol I would ask the water company, as Loule mentioned, to fax you a copy of your water specifics.

I've never needed an RO and neither have the tanks I've set up for customers. Depending on your area, an RO unit is more likely categorized as a want rather than a need.

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do a reef tank without one.

You may also be able to buy ro water from your LFS. I did that for a couple of years.

 

[danmhippo]

RO is definetly worth it. I have witnessed reduction in micro algae eversince I installed RODI. Tapwater quality can vary, and your may not be notified by your local water treatment facility.

Too much junk is in the tap water that should make you think twice about putting them in your tank anyway.

 

[JD'sReef]

Thanks guys, I just ordered a RO/DI and am waiting for it to arrive before I set up my new tank. Hopfully it will be here by friday so I can set it up over the weekend.
Thanks for all the INFO.