Newb looking for advise/input

Tonight I'm at zero for ammonia and nitrite, low levels of nitrate. Was that too quick? :-/

 

I just started to and am on a budget. I bought a 6 stage RO/DI unit with a drinking water tank and dispensing faucet, pressure gauge and all the tubing and valves needed for about a $170. I also got a TDS meter and float valve for a few extra bucks. These folks delivered the same day I ordered and answered emails promptly and best of all 0 TDS water. So far so good.

REEF & HOME DRINKING RO DI REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER FILTER - eBay (item 350418394661 end time Dec-05-10 07:28:25 PST)

It's the best price I found. Seems well built and was super easy to install. The fact that it has the drinking water capability made it much easier to sell to the wife to.

 

Unfortunately the Filters Direct systems do not compare with reef quality systems. You get what you pay for.
Notice the FD units still use old outdated compression fittings rather than the preferred John Guest type speed fittings, they use multiple little hollow horizontal tubes and call them DI filters then even call them multiple stages like thats a good thing when all of them stacked together do not equal one 20 oz vertical DI. They dont tell you the micron or chlorine ratings of the carbons and again provide multiples because they don't last long.

Look at good reef quality systems and they spell out the micron ratings and brands of each filter, they use speed fittings, name brand membranes, 20 oz vertical DI canisters and refillable cartridges, most come with pressure gauges and TDS meters standard and several use capillary tube flow restrictors standard. You really do get what you pay for with RO/DI and ebay quality systems in general are not the same quality nor will they provide the same level of water quality.

 

You coulda gotten a CSP-DI for that price, and been far better off.

 

Didn't mean to hijack. Thanks for the good advice.