I need help choosing a RODI unit

I am in the process of buying a RODI unit but just cant decide on what to get. I dont wanna spend a fortune but i do want the best water possible for my sps 75g tank. I hear that a 4 stage is best but i keep seeing 5 stage and 3 stage ect.

Can you guys pick your choice from AWI and suggest comparable RODI units from other companies? I am always looking for a smart buy, not the cheapest buy but the smartest. Please shed some light. Heres the AWI website.

Aquarium Water | Reverse Osmosis | RODI Water | ReefKeeper Water | ReefKeepers RODI

 

Spectrapure Refurb unit for $120 I think many will agree.

 

^ +1
and AZ will come soon hopfully and let you know anything and everything you need to know he's the man for this question haha I was asking this 2 weeks ago

 

Definitely go with the Spectrapure Refurb Unit for $120. I had the exact same question when I first started and people told me the same thing. It is definitely the best unit for the money!

I've also heard that their customer service is excellent, though I have never had to contact them about any problems.

 

thanks guys. i got two weeks til i purchase it so im researching now, i have been using tap water for a year on two tanks and now decieded to go to a sps dominant tank and think if im gonna spend the moola on prized acros id better make sure my water is not to be a factor.

 

Using tap water, have you had any problems with algae? I'm sure ND water is better than Philadelphia, PA water, but I would have to guess that there are still some phosphates/ nitrates.

 

once in my 55g. Red slime, then i chemi cleaned and turned into green hair, took a while but i got rid of all of it. I overstocked my tank and i think thats what did it. other than that no issues. Now, as for the topic at hand, I have been looking at the Typhoon III Extreme. Yes it is twice the price but comes with alot of extras such as the TDS ALARM, DUAL PROBE IN-LINE EC and Hand Held digital TDS meters.Fully automatic shut off ASOV and float valve included. And 150gpd vs 90gpd. Whats going to be the major differences between the one i have been looking at vs the one suggested. Im trying to learn here so teach me lol. Im very noobish on RODI units.

 

The AWI Typhoon Extreme does not compare to Spectrapures MaxCap.

I owned a Typhoon III and sold it for my first MaxCap system and immediately DI resin life went from 150 gallons per cartridge to 830 gallons on the very first cartridge and its been over 1000 gallons ever since.

Compare filters
AWI= 1 micron nominal rated sediment and two 1 micron 12,000 gallon carbons, only one is needed.

MaxCap= 0.5 micron absolute rated sediment and a single 0.5 micron near absolute 20,000 gallon carbon block

AWI= Dry untreated and untested off the shelf 150 GPD membrane requiring 65 psi at the tap to produce that amount.

MaxCap= Specially treated and individually hand tested and guaranteed in writing to be better than 98% efficient 90 GPD RO membrane at 60 psi. Spectrapure tried selling the 150 a few years ago (I personally owned one) and found not enough would pass their quality control testing so discontinued them since they did not want dissatisfied customers.

AWI= Off the shelf DI resin
MaxCap= Specially blended reef specific MaxCap and SilicaBuster DI resins guaranteed to last about 3.5x longer than any other on the market. I get over 6.5 times the life personally in Phoenix withh a TDS that exceeds 600, hard water and a CO2 problem, all of which are hard on DI.

Both give you a pressure gauge and some sort of TDS monitoring. The AWI uses a fixed, non adjustable flow restrictro that may or may not be correct for your water conditions. The MaxCap gives you a capillary tube flow restrictor you take a few minutes to trim according to the included so its precise for your unique water conditions.

The AWI gives you an ASOV and float valve, the MaxCap does not but they are options. Personally I won't own a float valve since they lead to premature DI exhaustion due to frequent cycling. I prefer and use float switches and a solenoid so it does not cycle on and off constantly.

Click the sale ad at the top of the page here:
SpectraPure Water Purification Products

http://www.spectrapure.com/St_MaxCap-RO-DI.htm

When I bought my first MaxCap about 9 years ago the list price was like $389 at the time so $269 is an excellent deal. You also sometimes find them at Premium Aquatics or Marine Depot for slightly less and one or the other has free shipping if not both.

http://www.spectrapure.com/faq_p0.htm#understanding

http://www.spectrapure.com/faq_p0.htm#rorejection

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1336345

 

............sold. need i say less, az your information was invaluble. Thank you very much. If i knew how to give rep i for sure would!!!! So the link is to the model you recommend? i dont mind paying a premium for a premium product as i value my aquatic hobby lol.

 

The MaxCap is the unit that compares to the Typhoon Extreme you linked to. Thye also sell a dual membrane 180 GPD MaxCap which I owned as my second MaxCap system but have since sold it and now have the MaxCap UHE which while expensive is the cats meow at less than 1:1 waste ratio and over 100 GPD.

If you are looking for a good basic reef quality RO/DI then the $120 refurbished systems are an excellent choice since they still use the same 0.5 micron sediment and carbon block filters, a treated and batch tested high rejection rate RO membrane rather than an individually hand tested and guaranteed in writing RO membrane and a singke DI but with the same SilicaBuster DI resin. It does come with an inline pressure gauge but no TDS meter which is another $25. You wont find a better system for less than $200 anywhere but its not quite the MaxCap.