Questions on ro, ro/di

RO (Reverse Osmosis), DI (Deionized) and Distilled are thre different forms of treatment and different end products.
In order of purity RO is the lowest with distilled next and deionized the most pure. RO is 90-98% pure, Distilled is 99+% pure depending on the distillation unit design and good Deionized is 99.9+% pure again depending upon the deionization resins used and contact time.
Any or all of the three can leave contaminants of one sort or another so that is why most people use a combination of sediment, carbon, reverse osmosis and deionization for best reef water quality. Distillation can leave volatiles which can travel with the steam and be recondensed in the treated water but generally carbon can take care of this. Deionized is not 100% effective at certain contaminants that are weakly ionized so again its usually preceded by another process such as RO.

Melevsreef.com , Marc, does have a good RO/DI system but his prices are not competitive, even he admits that. Marc is a great guy though.

 

Got it!! I'll add the DI canister at some point then. I was worried my organism will go kaput!

Thanks for the helpful answers. Sorry again for the highjacking!!

- Mag.

 

get a simple RO/DI filter setup. When you are checking out get a "T" 3 way fitting for RO tubing and also get a RO tubing valve. When your unit arrives and you are installing it, place the T fitting on the line to the DI filter. On the open end of that "T" fitting get a small piece of tubing and attach the valve at the end of it. When you want drinking water open the valve and fill a jug to keep in the fridge. I do this and have not bought water bottles ever sense. Practically paying for itself in a few months.

here are the fittings

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store...nion-1-4-x-1-4-x-1-4-push-connect-murlok.html

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store...ball-valve-1-4-x-1-4-push-connect-murlok.html

 

But you don't have the convienience of pressurized RO water that way. Its nice to have RO at the kitche sink faucet as well as for the icemaker and frig door water, you need the pressure tank for that then use the DI bypass valve for the RO/DI for the tanks.

 

what part of the filtration removes like the cholrine and fluride from the water?

 

A carbon prefilter does that.

 

Carbon removes the chlorine and RO membrane removes the bulk of the fluoride with the DI polishing off the remaining amount. Carbon is very poor at removing most fluoride compounds.