Looking for RO and possibly DI unit,..kinda confused/lost, need help deciding

I'm looking to buy a RO ( Reverse Osmosis ) and maybe ( DI DeIonized ) unit. Im not quite sure what to get, i dont want to spend a fortune but i dont want anything cheap that has problems, i want something of somewhat quality that's gunna last. If you guys can help me decide what BRAND,MAKE MODEL, and how many STAGES and MICRON FILTRATION AMOUNT and if i should go just RO or RODI. The following is a must for me:

1) Must be able to be used as DRINKING WATER (i hear DI isn't the best choice for drinking, but im confused on the subject, maybe i can separate the RO from the DI??? i dunno this confuses me)
2) Will be using for Saltwater Aquarium Fish/Coral
3) Must pump out 75 gallons a day

 

i would recomend spectrapure thats what i use.

i am going to recomend you talk to azdezertrat as he is the RO/DI king around here

 

I actually have been looking for a R/O DI unit as well and I think that I have found the one that I am going to get. It is at bulk reef supply. They run about 160 for the 5 stage and seem to be pretty reliable as I have researched them a bit. I actually plan on getting the plus unit as it has a TDS meter included.

 

i dunno weather to get the one from bulk reef supply or spectrapure ?? im leaning BRS, but i have had 2 spectrapure recommendations and 1 BRS , but i was originally thinking BRS. i dunno what to do? anything specific one better than other?

 

+2 on this. (But I am biased. )
You pay a bit more initially but the quality and the little things add up. Last night I changed my pre-filters in my DI 90 and I really appreciated the details in the manual and the provided filter wrench.

My filters were WAY past expired but I was still pulling 0.0 PPM on the TDI meter.

matt

 

what is azdezertrat ? how do i find him/her/it???

 

I got the Air Water & Ice 75 gal/day unit and has worked great for me. Call them and they can assist. Great group of people. Excellent support with question or problems.

 

i have read that A higher TDS will use more DI resin, and this is the part that costs the most year after year. Start with the best membrane possible and the long term expense is less. A cheaper system will end up costing more because you go through the DI resin more quickly.

So based of that on AVERAGE How low is the TDS before it hits the DI Membrane from the units sold at Bulk Reef Supply?

 

Spectrapure has a 90gpd 4 stage RO/DI for 120 right now. Heard good things about it.

 

To answer your questions, yes you want a RO/DI and not just RO for a reef tank. It is much cheaper to buy a reef quality RO/DI and add a drinking water kit than it is to buy a drinking water system and convert it for reef use.

You can also buy a RO/DI with the drinking water kit already installed as with the Reef/Residential from www.buckeyefieldsupply.com .

I would buy the Spectrapure system ricoop referred to and add a drinking water kit myself. The RO/DI is $120 complete and you can get a add on drinking water kit from other places for as low as $60-$70 if you shop around. Spectraure gets more for the kit, it is a little higher quality but to me a little overpriced for what you get. The syste mis the fifth one down the page here:
Untitled Document

And the drinking water kit is here:
Purely H2O | Drinking water add on

Don't pay any attention to the word "stages", its a sales ploy the ebay vendors use to make a low end drinking water system sound like the best RO/DI on the planet. In truth they are still low quality and use high micron or even unrated filters and sometimes no name imported membranes and DI. Often not even worth what you pay. For a very good RO/DI you need 4 stages only. One sediment filter, one carbon block, the RO membrane and one full size vertical DI, thats it no more no less.