Reverse Osmosis/Deionization Question Please Help

[JYayAD]

Ok I searched past posts for this and read on the internet but I'm just starting to confuse myself even more So I'm just going to ask my questions in a post and hopefully I can get some straight forward answers:

#1-What is better for saltwater tanks, Reverse Osmosis or Deionization?
#2-I'm finally thinking about going with the RO Unit for my 125g and give it a try (do to algae issues), is the best way (cheapest) to have RO water is to buy the unti?
#3-When you buy one of these units, is this something else I hook up to my tank? Or am I taking the water, putting it in a bucket, running it on that water, then putting that water in the tank?
#4-Finally please can someone tell me a unit they suggest for a 125g system? I noticed the replacement membrane seems to be pretty expensive, how often does this need to be changed?
#5-My last question is a stupid question but I don't care might as well ask If I just buy one of those PUR water filters for my sink will that help? I'm sure its not as good as RO Unit but do you think it would make a difference at all?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I do this right without wasting money.

 

[RadleyMiller]

Ok I searched past posts for this and read on the internet but I'm just starting to confuse myself even more So I'm just going to ask my questions in a post and hopefully I can get some straight forward answers:

#1-What is better for saltwater tanks, Reverse Osmosis or Deionization?Both are good, and you can even put them together if you want. The way RO works is water is forced through a membrane making pure water on one side and keeping all of the contaminates on the other side. Nitrate, phosphate, chlorine, and other trace elements are found in water and are ion, and through deionization, the anions are removed from the water. This is much like water softeners, but where a water softener removes calcium from the water and replaces it was potassium (i think) deionization removes them all together. Your best best would be RO and deionized together.
#2-I'm finally thinking about going with the RO Unit for my 125g and give it a try (do to algae issues), is the best way (cheapest) to have RO water is to buy the unti?Go to home depot, and you should be able to get everything for less than 200 dollars
#3-When you buy one of these units, is this something else I hook up to my tank? Or am I taking the water, putting it in a bucket, running it on that water, then putting that water in the tank?The unit filters water coming from your tap and you would use it just like you normally do, but this water has been purified.
#4-Finally please can someone tell me a unit they suggest for a 125g system? I noticed the replacement membrane seems to be pretty expensive, how often does this need to be changed?Can't say off the top of my head, but it really depends on usage. Most RO units only produce 50gpd (gallons per day)
#5-My last question is a stupid question but I don't care might as well ask If I just buy one of those PUR water filters for my sink will that help? I'm sure its not as good as RO Unit but do you think it would make a difference at all?It will help, but since the flow rate of the PUR filter is close to the same rate of the tap water, it will not work as well as an RO filter the forces water through an extremely selectively permeable membrane

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I do this right without wasting money.

I hope this helps. I do not know everything about the systems, I just know enough about osmosis and ions and whatnot from chemistry and biology to get me through. Good luck with your tank. What do you have in it now? What kind of algae is bothering you? Have you tested the tap water for nitrates and phosphates? Why type of salt mix are you using, some of the cheaper brands have nitrate and phosphate in them, so even with RO/DI it would still be putting those nutrients back into the aquarium. Also, what is you fish load? You coud be over stocked. Just my $.02

 

[fishmaven]

#1-What is better for saltwater tanks, Reverse Osmosis or Deionization?

I'd use RO.

#2-I'm finally thinking about going with the RO Unit for my 125g and give it a try (do to algae issues), is the best way (cheapest) to have RO water is to buy the unti?

Yes.

#3-When you buy one of these units, is this something else I hook up to my tank? Or am I taking the water, putting it in a bucket, running it on that water, then putting that water in the tank?

You hook the unit to your water supply, pipe the good water to a storage barrel, and the trash water the the drain. BTW, the trash water will normally be better than you or your neighbors are used to. What you do to the storage tank depends. Is your tank fresh or salt? Are you going to use it to replace the water that evaporates or for water changes?what percentages do you change when you change water?

#4-Finally please can someone tell me a unit they suggest for a 125g system? I noticed the replacement membrane seems to be pretty expensive, how often does this need to be changed?

AAQQUUAAMMAAXXXX.CCOOMM??

Test the input with an alkalinity test, test te output. they should be different, if not, the cartridges need to be changed.

#5-My last question is a stupid question but I don't care might as well ask If I just buy one of those PUR water filters for my sink will that help? I'm sure its not as good as RO Unit but do you think it would make a differ?ence at all?

If you own a house buy a real unit, put in in your garage or fishroom. If you rent or live in an apartment buy a faucet attachment model and use it to make ice, coffee, tea and fishwater.

Can I send you a PM??

 

[RadleyMiller]

fishmaven, well said!

he and I are saying the same thing basically, get a RO system for your house, it will pay for itself!