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  #51  
Old 01/02/2008, 06:37 PM
garygb garygb is offline
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Thanks AZ. I will check it out.
  #52  
Old 01/02/2008, 06:47 PM
AZDesertRat AZDesertRat is offline
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With our high TDS its the only system I would consider. They have the only individually hand tested and guaranteed 98+% rejection rate RO membranes on the market. My system is 17 months old and producing 99.23% average rejection RO only water without DI. Thats a tap water TDS of 835 and an RO only TDS of between 5.3 and 6.2. After the DI it is a true 0 TDS and I have made about 1800 gallons of water only replacing the MaxCap DI cartridge twice in all that time. With my old 75 GPD system even using high quality replacement filters and a Dow membrane I was getting an RO only TDS of 13-15 and nuclear grade DI resin was lasting me 150 gallons per 20 oz. fresh sealed refill. Quite a difference.
  #53  
Old 01/02/2008, 06:57 PM
garygb garygb is offline
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Thank you again.
  #54  
Old 01/02/2008, 11:15 PM
Agu Agu is offline
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GoingPostal,

I'd be very interested in know where you live in MN and what you define as "tap Water" ? I lived there for several years. For most of the state the water is very high in mineral content and most public utilities use ortho phosphates to keep the minerals in suspension so it doesn't coat the pipes. In addition seasonal rains cause fertilizer runoff resulting in nitrates off the charts. I know this because I reviewed the annual water quality reports all public utilities are required to report. Waterchanges only work to replenish the nitrates and phosphates used by existing algae. My only attempt using tap water in Minnesota resulted in an algae farm of biblical proportions.

jme,
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  #55  
Old 01/03/2008, 09:13 AM
LisaD LisaD is offline
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I have been following this thread with much interest. I have a couple of questions.

First, do you think my under-sink filtration system (GE Smartwater) can produce decent enough quality water to mix salt for my FOWLR tanks (with some hardy soft corals and LPS)? Here is a link to the system I have at home:
http://www.geappliances.com/smartwat...fs.htm?GXSL55F

Currently, I use this water for top-off. I dechlorinate (we have chloramines) and buffer to 8.3. Right now, I am using pre-mixed saltwater from the LFS for water changes.

Second, how is the SpectraPure Maxcap DI to install? I am interested in knowing what is the easiest RO/DI system to install and use (for those of us with negligible plumbing skills). If the water from my under-sink system is not sufficient for my aquariums, I'd like to put in an RO/DI system, but don't really know where to start.

Also, there was a question about removing chloramines. Since they are present in my water, what is the best way to deal with them if you have an RO/DI system? I did read Randy's article on chlorine and chloramines - basic take home was that a decent RO/DI should be adequate, but that chemistry of chloramines is complex and test kits have limitations. Wondering if thinking has changed on that or not?

Last edited by LisaD; 01/03/2008 at 09:31 AM.
  #56  
Old 01/03/2008, 01:39 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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The effluent from such a system, if chloramine were in the water supply, would likely be ammonia. So that is likely what you need to treat for, not chloramine per se. It likely won't do too much if you have especially high copper in your water. I'd at least let it run for a bit before using the water collected from it.

An RO/DI would eliminate the ammonia concern.
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  #57  
Old 01/03/2008, 01:45 PM
AZDesertRat AZDesertRat is offline
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All RO or RO/DI units install the same way(s). You have several options. I assume your GE drinking water unit is hooked to the cold water supply line under the sink? You can use this same connection point for the RO/DI unit if its a standard 1/4" tube fitting as it appears to be.

Rather than explain it its much easier to understand using Air Water & Ice's installation instructions. Take a look at the Reefkeeper guide if you don't plan on having a pressure tank for drinking water, the Dual Home Reef or the Residential if you plan on using it for drinking water too and finally the Mighty Mite if you do not want to make it a permanent installation. Again any unit can be hooked up any of these ways but these instructions show good pictures which are easy to follow.

http://www.airwaterice.com/category/vv/
  #58  
Old 01/03/2008, 03:11 PM
LisaD LisaD is offline
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Thanks very much to both of you for the responses.

AZDesertRat, correct, the GE unit is hooked to the cold water supply line under the sink. I did not get the GE RO/DI system because the tank would not fit under the sink. So you're saying, hook up the RO/DI unit to this fitting, don't use a tank, get the water out of the GE dispenser mounted on the sink? Would this be switchable between the two systems or are you suggesting I replace the GE unit with an RO/DI?

Randy, I treat with a dechlorinator which claims to remove chlorine, chloramine and ammonia. I have several on hand, but have been using Tetra Aquasafe. Reading up a bit, I see I probably should use something else, like Prime.
  #59  
Old 01/03/2008, 03:23 PM
davenia7 davenia7 is offline
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I highly recommend Prime. Good stuff... cheap to use bc you barely use any.
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  #60  
Old 01/03/2008, 05:35 PM
GoingPostal GoingPostal is offline
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Agu, I'm in Int'l Falls, MN and by tap water I mean I turn on my kitchen faucet and stick a bucket under it. I add some prime, salt, mix for a few hours or days depending on how ambitious I'm feeling. I had a bad hair algea outbreak about a year and a half ago in the 33 gallon posted, back when it was more of a fowlr but I had two other tanks running at the same time with no algea whatsoever. I think it might have been buildup under my cc, I switched it out to sand like my other tanks and the problem went away, this is after I tried lights out, adding a skimmer, lots of water changes, no feeding, etc, etc. I also set up a similar tank (33 gallon, remora skimmer, 260 watt pcs) at my local pet store, they had a quick diatom bloom and some cyano after setup, all of which is gone, this tank is only about 8 months old though.
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Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can make a child look like a deer.
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  #61  
Old 01/03/2008, 09:45 PM
Agu Agu is offline
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Intl Falls, you're barely in the US let alone the State of Mn .

That's a whole different situation than greater Mn where agriculture rules (and pollutes the groundwater). You probably have high iron content but probably none of the other problems of normal tap water.

Are the lakes still so pure you can dip a cup in the lake when you're thirsty ?
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  #62  
Old 01/03/2008, 10:07 PM
GoingPostal GoingPostal is offline
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Just because I can see Canada doesn't mean I'm in Canada. What should be a 2 minute drive is a 40 minute ordeal at Customs. Only when I'm trying to get back though. I don't drink out of the lake though, fish poo in there, eww!
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Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can make a child look like a deer.
*Jack Handey
  #63  
Old 01/03/2008, 10:27 PM
LisaD LisaD is offline
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...and Giardia, right? I used to live in MN, went to the Boundary Waters every summer for two weeks. It is around +16 degrees tonight in NC, and it is killing me. Reminds me why I am glad I moved out of MN. Beautiful state, but I'm not tough enough!
  #64  
Old 01/04/2008, 02:27 AM
mrme mrme is offline
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I live in Los Angeles and the TDS of Our Tap water is well over 456ppm.
After it has been through reverse osmosis DI, It is .04
If i dump straight tap into my SPS/LPS/Clam/and soft coral reef, I am sure everything would be dead over night, maybe a couple days.
I am sure some people have better tap water then me.
But for some of us, We need to filter our Water.

Thanks for sharing though...
  #65  
Old 01/04/2008, 07:51 AM
AZDesertRat AZDesertRat is offline
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LisaD,
If you want to use it for drinking water you will want the pressure tank. Even a 75 GPD RO system only produces slightly more than a drip, drip, drip. Its maybe a small weak stream, actually about 6 oz. in a full minute best case so the tank is needed to get water on demand. I would replace the GE with an RO/DI. The GE is strictly a taset and odor filter. It does not remove TDS.
  #66  
Old 01/04/2008, 09:05 AM
LisaD LisaD is offline
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Thank you AZDesertRat for the useful information. I'll have to see what I can do. I may just keep the GE system for drinking water, and hook up an RO/DI without a tank for the aquariums to another sink.
  #67  
Old 01/04/2008, 01:25 PM
AZDesertRat AZDesertRat is offline
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The RO and pressure tank can be hooked up remotely. I have my RO/DI out in my garage over my laundry sink and the 14 gallon pressure tank on a shelf above my electric water heater also in the garage. It is plumbed to a drinking water faucet at the kitchen sink, in door ice maker and drinking water in the refrigerator, drinking water faucet ate the laundry sink and DI water faucet at the laundry sink.
I didn't have room under the kitchen sink either so it was just a matter of drilling a 3/8 hole through the wall to pass the 1/4" line through from the garage to the kitchen.
  #68  
Old 01/04/2008, 04:01 PM
LisaD LisaD is offline
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good point, but you are talking to a plumbing-phobe. thanks!
  #69  
Old 01/04/2008, 04:27 PM
davenia7 davenia7 is offline
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Ya'll have made me think... I need a TDS meter to see what's going in.
So, I just ordered one on Ebay.
I'll let you know what the SC tap is.
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10 gal. salt nano
29 gal. angel community
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  #70  
Old 01/05/2008, 12:41 PM
tspors tspors is offline
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I am curious.. What does this water report look like? See Link
http://www.appleton.org/announcement...nsumerConf.pdf
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  #71  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:06 PM
LisaD LisaD is offline
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me too. how is this one?

http://www.cityofgraham.com/misc/Dri...ort%202006.pdf
  #72  
Old 01/05/2008, 02:10 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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Water reports do not reveal copper from your own pipes. In both reports there is too much copper in at least some of the homes.
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  #73  
Old 01/05/2008, 02:34 PM
bergzy bergzy is offline
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when i first started reefing in the early 90's, i used tap water to mix my salt up...i lived in a city with pure mountain spring run off for tap water. excellent water quality...

i knew only of chlorine and chloramines...nothing about tds...

my 10g nano (they didnt even have the term nano reef yet and live rock was $11 per pound where i lived) did great for the two years i had it running before tearing it down and starting school...did i run into problems? yes, the chloramines were a constant worry. the water company adjusts it according to their daily (sometimes weekly testing)...i called them constantly to inquire what their levels were.

as i ran into algae issues, i introduced racemosa caulerpa into my little display (of course, this is before the concept or terminology of refugium came in common practice), to soak up nitrates etc. was that a bad thing? now it is...but it did wonders before i could find any 'hard' literature on it...

so...back to tap water use...

you can use it...but like the knight from the last crusade said 'choose but choose wisely'...or something like that...i use ro/di to have one less thing to worry about as i have more than enough of that already in life...
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  #74  
Old 01/05/2008, 10:06 PM
tabman2 tabman2 is offline
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Tap water user since the beginning, algea problems? Yes. I just have to figure out wether it was from months of maintanece neglect or the tap water itself. In the last month or 2 have changed light bulbs and filter media with multiple water changes from brand new saltmix and algea is on the run. I'm in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. To my suprise even my LFS here uses tap in all displays.

Our water source: The North Saskatchewan River.

"The Saskatchewan Glacier in the Columbia Icefields is the source of the North Saskatchewan River (NSR). EPCOR draws its water from this river to supply drinking water to Edmonton and 40 surrounding communities. The Columbia Icefields is the only glacier in the world that drains into three oceans: to the east, the North Saskatchewan River drains into the Atlantic Ocean; to the north, the Athabasca River drains into the Arctic Ocean; and the Columbia River flows westward into the Pacific Ocean."

My first Coral addition was last weekend, a Toadstool Leather that opened up the very next moring. Don't get me wrong, if I had an RO/DI unit, I would use it.. But no severe problems in the past years.
  #75  
Old 01/07/2008, 11:38 AM
garygb garygb is offline
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After all the discussion on here, I decided to get a RO/DI unit from airwaterice out of Fort Pierce, Fl. After I ordered it, I was reading about how water hardness could be a problem. So I called AWI and spoke with Don. He told me to check the Los Angeles Annual Water Report to find out about GPG, a measure of hardness in the water. Instead the Hardness was measured in terms of mg/L. For the various sources for LA residential water, the numbers were from 88 mg/L to 215 mg/L. I emailed this info. to Don and he told me that it is too hard. He said that the water will have to be softened before I can use the unit properly. I asked him how to do that. He said since I live in a rental it would be up to the apartment complex (which I know better than to even bother asking for) to install a softener. He just told me to mail it back once I get it. Any suggestions for a way to use the unit??? I don't want to spend very much more money than I already have on this. Any renters in hardwater cities that use RO/DI?
 

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