Pies Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 If the shutoff is after the RODI, then water will still be being driven through/to the membrane an you will be bleeding water from the RO (the excess water) 24/7. ---- Ro bad out ---- drain ---WATER----PREFILTER-----ROUNIT< ---- RO good ---- DI Resin Hope that turns out and makes sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 chimera, I still think that the system that you are setting up is unnecessary as it just adds more items which could go wrong. Because you have a auto top up does not mean that it is going to turn on and off every second, Normally the auto top up will top the water to a certain level past the sensor, and then the water will take some time to evaporate. Before it fills it up again. So the rodi will not be on all the time. I guess you are only topping up about 5 Litres a day. If you want to add kaltwasser, then just add a kaltwasser mixer at the end of the rodi which will drip the water into your sump. Best to keep these systems simply as possible. I am not sure if you can add a solenoid valve after the rodi unit. Because if you close the outflow all the water will go down the waste pipe of the ro unit, as it has two outlets. Waste water outlet and a good water outlet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicks Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 I recommend everyone tunes into Reef Central Chemistry Forum. Randy Holmes Farley is the tops for me when talking REEF TANK CHEMISTRY. I am sure he has lots of letters after his name and a good reef Tank aswell. Good Reefing & Bucket Chemistry Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 I think Randy is a plumber and keeps goldfish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 cheers Pies/Reef, didnt think about the RO waste water dual solenoids - one on waste and one on good water?!!! just kidding!!! Well thats my idea all up the f@#$%k! Think i will leave auto top-up unit until I plan the rest of the sump room etc first and see how much extra maintenance I need to do. Im just too much of a gadget-freak there are so many interesting areas to the hobby and thats what keeps me so interested in it (other than just water chemistry, corals, fish, yarda yarda yarda... theres gadgets, plumbing, wiring etc etc) This post opened up a can of worms for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 i still think your idea is ok, however leave out the dosing pump and the extra sump. Just top up directly from the mains supply using aquamedic or Tunze units. This thread sure opened a can of worms. but at least we know that Randy is a plumber and keeps goldfish and everyone has a fantastic reef tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 considering it... ! $$$,... gimme a better deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Peri pump + timer - bucket/barrel + powerhead + Timer = auto topoff system. The only manual part is the addition of freshwater and kalkwasser powder into the bucket/barrel. Alois is right BUT to get back to one of my earlier points, if you do as Alois has suggested you have the issue of 'hammering' the RO membrade as the top off may trigger several times an hr or more. Also if you follow Alois advice you will have to think about how to Stir you kalkwasser as you dont want to add it to the tank while the unit is still stiring or too close to it. Remeber Alois doesn't use RODI he uses water from a resivour and is not plumbed into his water supply. Alois based on your 'article' before, do you not use kalkwasser and just use freshwater? Or do you use both (thus adding to many ions???). Pion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 (Peri pump + timer - bucket/barrel + powerhead + Timer = auto topoff system) Exactly wot I do I turn the tap 2 open my RO flow once a week, I guess if the barrel was closer to the RO i could just about drip directly into that saving myself 20secs to pour from a 20L bucket. personally I dont think its could be any easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Pies. I use a kaltwasser stirrer and a co2 reactor. However my co2 reactor only runs 2-3 hrs a day. I only use kaltwasser as we are on tank water, so the ph is 6.80, by adding a kaltwasser stirrer it raises the ph of the water coming out of our water tank. I have a 200-litre bin and don’t go directly to my mains water as we are on tank water and our water pump would be going on and off which is not very good for it. There are many ways to skin a cat, the amateurish Diy way and the professional way, which I prefer As for the float switch hammering the Ro unit.. I will check it out ?? As for the article, well it was just discussing the pros and cons. It makes sense, If you calcium reactor keeps your calcium at 420ppm, then you add kaltwasser, won’t the calcium fall out of the tank as you can only add so much calcium to a aquarium. I think so?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Hey, Pies, how much did the peri pump cost you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 I think the Peri was $250.00 2nd hand but 'as new', I think it actually came from JetSkiSteve but can't remember 100%. Alois - The DIY way or the professional way??? hahahahha comming from a man thats been running a D.I.Y skimmer for 6 months... hahhaahhaahahahahaha Alois - Earlier on you said its more consistant to run 'kalkwasser' 24/7 than just during the night. Fair comment (I don't agree but its not important and probably doesn't matter which way). But then you only run your CA reactor for a few hrs a night? Isn't that going to spike PH/ALK/CA (which is what you said to me about running kalkwasser over 10hrs a day and not 24/7). So why is it important to run kalk 24/7 but CA only 2-3 hrs a day? Theres the 'Right way', the 'Wrong way' and the 'Alois way' If you were doing its 'professionally' you would have your computer connected via a 'SG probe' and then dose fresh water when the SG raises, this way you would be taking into account the saltwater you loose from the skimmer cup collection. Also if you use a float switch (as Alois is) and you go into the tank, and drip saltwater out, the float switch system will replace that water with fresh water, so over time your salinity will be consistantly dropping. does't sound to professional to me, sound like a '#$#@ up' considering the amount of equipment you have running on your tank. If your going to have a computer and all the expensive probes you should use them. Ha ha! Piestirer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 $250 secondhand...Hmmm, Ok, that option is definitely out. Back to the float valve idea for top up. No hurry though for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 $250 was unused but s/h so to speak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 pies , i think you get mixed up, i did not make my skimmer , it was custom made for me. How can i loose salt if i do water changes, does this not balance out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 I see what Pies is saying, there will be a small amount of water going out through the skimmer being replaced with fresh, not salt. But, relative to the size of the tank and taking water changes into account minimizing it even more...Well, it'd probably take months for it to make a difference and you'd likely be checking the SG far more often than that and can dump in an extra cup of FW if it's crept up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Ira is on the money, and yes it would make only a small difference given the size of the tank, however we are talking about doing it 'correctly' remember? Don't forget about that skimmer cup (1.5 litres of scum from my tank a week, so I suspect Alois is more like 3 litres + of saltwater he is skimming out and replacing with fresh). Every week addingmore and more freshwater and removing more and more saltwater.... can't be good. Alois - D.I.U If you make it yourself its D.I.Y but if someone else makes it then its custom? Does this mean if I drill a hole in a bucket, put a pump on it, tie it together with flax and give it to Chimera he can say his topoff system is 'custom not DIY' because it was made by someone else? You need to face the reality that that skimmer is very much a DIY unit, no disrespect to Desh who made it, but DIY is DIY. Let me say it again D.I.Y. So come on Alois, tell us the truth, what else is DIY in your system? We know about the tank, stand, overflows and skimmer. Anything else? PIY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 perhaps his corals are DIY? I dont believe there is anything wrong with DIY so long as it is done properly. There are plenty of smart kiwi's out there who DIY stuff all the time and most of the time it does a better job than what you can buy. I think the real question is how much "extra" (above the normal routine) does Alois need to put in to compensate for a DIY skimmer? On the flipside of this though, the key to this argument is the shear size of Alois' tank. If I did DIY (and let's say not an optimal DIY skimmer) on my tank I would probably be asking for trouble. DIY on Alois' tank is probably not an issue because he has such massive biological filtration that the work the skimmer is doing is almost negligible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackJackJack Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 i dont agree that DIY is the wrong way to go. i built my own calc reactor as im enjoying learning to work with acrylic and also the design i used is not commercially available, and judging from other tanks who have used both it is more efficient than most commercially available units. plus some people dont have the money to spend hundreds of dollars on something they can make for 1/4 of the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 wanna post the design? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackJackJack Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 its DJ88's design from reefcentral. pics are mine tho water goes up one chamber and down the other. means you can have an upflow reactor but still take the effluent from the bottom meaning no large co2 bubbles go in your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 how does the co2 recirculate in the reactor? looks like water goes in then out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njd Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Here is a page on construction etc. http://www.melevsreef.com/dj88.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackJackJack Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 those holes shown are for re-circ plumbing. co2 goes into the re-circ plumbing. the effluent line and a second re-circ line to eliminate any unused co2 at the top of the reactore arent on there as i am drilling those myself and those drawings were for the person obtaining the acrylic for me, so he could grab scrap pieces if there were any close to size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Interesting design, The media is very fine. it is better to get bigger media in a reactor so you get a fast flow so the calcium media gets better contact with the co2, I can see this reactor producing lots of phostphates . How you done a test with a phostphate test kit to see how high it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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