RO/DI filter and salt questions?

I am starting over on my 72 gallon tank because it is taken over with this really bad algae and everything i s starting to die. So my questions about the RO/DI filter

1). I got the RO/DI filter from someone else so my question is for the DI replacment filters instead of the ones spectrapure uses (silica buster and maxcap) can i use a universal color changing DI filter from marine depot and will it still work as well as the spectrapure one?

2.) to hook up the RO/DI filter can i hook it up into the fauchet in my bathroom with a adapter and will the water pressure be high enough for the filter to work?

And my salt questions

1.) which salt is the best for a FOWDR-dry rock(for now) i was thinking reef crystals but it is expensive or instant ocean salt mix.

2.) I was going to do a 80%-100% water change in my DT. Could I make all the RO water and mix the salt in the DT with nothing in it while putting my clownfish in my spare 20gal for a couple days? I would run my return pump and my hydor koralia 3.


Iwould start my tank over with just my two clownfish and 1or 2 pieces of liverock. also if i wanted to add sand later while the tank is still running would that be possible with just the two clownfish in there? Or would i have to add it before I put water in there?

Thanks,

fishluver

 

Should work fine as long as you have at least 40psi (65psi would be ideal). As the pressure goes down below 65psi, the membrane will be less efficient. Less than 40psi and you will be making almost zero filtered water.

IO would be fine, but I usually find RC to be about $4-$5 more for a large bucket than IO. For that small a difference, I'd use RC.

Yes.

I'd put the sand in now, rather than later.

 

You can use any resin you want but it will not work nearly as well. When I switched from resins provided by Buckeye, Air Water & Ice, Resin Depot and Purely H2o to the MaxCap SilicaBuster combo my resin life went from 150 gallons per 20 oz cartridge to 830 gallons on the very first cartridge and over 1000 gallons per cartridge today.
Spectrapure has a long term resin test facility with tens of thousands of hours tetsing every possible resin brand and blend on the market. Based on that testing and beta testing by end users the custom blend every ounce of resin they sell, nothng is prepackaged and its usually mixed fresh the day it is shipped not sitting on a shelf. For $18 to $27 a cartridge and even less in bulk you can't go wrong.

Everyones pressure is different but it should be the same no matter where in your home you hook it up. The Spectrapure units come standard with pressure gauges so that will tell you what you need to know. 40 psi is about the bare minimum and more is better. Use cold water only so you do not run the risk of melting a membrane, they melt after 113 degrees which is not very hot.

Instant Ocean is fine for a fish only system.

Always mix you salt and water in a sperate container such as a bucket of brute trashcan before adding it to the display.

I would ad the sand first but it can be added later using a long piece of 2" PVC or ABS pipe to tremie it to the bottom or put the sand in a bag, lower it to the bottom then slowly open it up to reduce the milkshake effect.

 

Also I have a color changing mixed bed resin DI cartirige universal and was wondering if i should get a silicabuster or maxcap to pair up with that and in what order should i put the two cartiridges?

 

A MaxCap DI cartridge would always be first in line as it is not designed to work by itself, it is a pre DI or roughing filter designed to be used in conjunction with another cartridge afterwards so it extends its life at least 3x or more.
The SilicaBuster could be used after either the MaxCap or another mixed bed DI cartridges such as you have. By placing the SilicaBuster downstream of a normal mixed bed DI it would last probably twice as long if not longer and give you great water quality.

 

As I'm reading this thread with some interest, I was just wondering, AZDesertRat, I use a BRS 5 stage RO/DI unit. To the best of your knowledge, could I add (add-on, not sure how it works) a SilicaBuster cartridge to my system? Does the SilicaBuster replace my DI cartridge?

 

The SilicaBuster is a DI cartridge but uses a specially blended mixed bed resin so it is more effective on certain things like silica, nitrates, phosphate and heavy metals.
Here is a link to a page that describes it, notice the normal price:
DI REPLACEMENT

Here is a link to the sales flyer where it is discounted significantly:
SpectraPure Customer Appreciation SALE! 20% - 50% off

It can be used as a direct replacement for any normal mixed bed DI cartridge or it can follow the MaxCap cartridge which would make it last and last. I use the MaxCap/SilicaBuster combo myself.

 

Thanks AZDesertRat, I just ordered (using the links you supplied) the zeozorb? sediment filter and the SilicaBuster DI replacement cartridge. I apologize if I hi-jacked the thread. I kind of thought it was in line with the subject matter. Thanks again AZDesertrat.

 

Ok i ordered my silicabuster so if I understand correct order, it should go sediment, carbon, mixed bead DI, silica buster? I also decided to go with the reef crystals. Also thanks for youre advice AZDesertRat and Reeron!