equipment suggestions

[delo978]

So I've upgraded to a 90gallon reef system and switched to MH and my evaporation has gone wild.... I'm looking for suggestions on types, brand names, and where to purchase the following items to simplify my life. Looking to buy an A.T.O, RO/DI system and chiller. I've done some research online and there's so many to choose from not sure where to start if I could get your help it would be great. I live on Vancouver Island and if you know a local place to purchase the above that would even be better. I don't mind shopping online but hate paying shipping cost when it's almost the same cost as the item.

My original thoughts were RO/DI system from Costco or Home Depot however not sure if there's a difference between a home version and an aquarium version other than the DI part. I was reading about this A.T.O. http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=JBJ-AUTOT, and i don't even know where to start on a chiller...size/hp/price.

any help would be great
cheers

[fishytime]

absolutely no difference between a home RO unit and one badged for the aquarium industry..(except price usually)
if your having heat trouble, I would try a clip on style fan first.....way cheaper than a chiller and evaporative cooling will drop the temp 2-4 degrees......if you still feel the need for a chiller......buy an AC unit for the room (then everybody is happy (your tank and yourself included)
I would suggest that you cough the extra money on the tunze ato......by far the best one on the market

[PFoster]

Agreed, get a Tunze Osmolator (aka ATO).

Over the years I have tried several brands and setups ans such ans the unze is the only one that will ever make in onto my systems.

I have one for each system and they work flaulessly!


Here is some info about RO/DI units that is worth reading:
http://reefcentral.com/index.php/rodi-faq

[delo978]

thanks for the info I just ordered one...yeay i'll get it in 5 days....as for an RO/DI I'm in no rush and I'll do some more research. Thanks for the info on the chiller, I've got a fan above for cooling and it's working well. I was just thinking for the future if I want to build myself a new cabinet and canopy how I could keep it cool but I have nothing but time and patience for this hobby/art.

Cheers

[PFoster]

IMO a chiller should be a last resort type step after you have tried the fans and the AC unit.
They drawn one heck of a lot of power!

[Myka]

The RO/DI units from www.bulkreefsupply.com (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com) are usually well-priced. I've found the units designed for home use to be much more expensive than the ones for aquarium use (which is really weird). Plus, if you buy a home RO you will probably have to add the DI chamber anyway. What is the TDS out of your tap? If you don't know, go buy a handheld digital TDS meter. They cost about $15-30+ depending on brand for a real basic one. That will do the trick. Knowing the TDS (total dissolved solids) is really important when choosing an RO/DI unit. Are you on well water or city water?

If I were you I would avoid a chiller at all costs. They are expensive to buy and expensive to run. They also add a significant amount of heat to the room they are operating in. Unless you can plumb it to run outside, I would strongly suggest you look into other options. Like designing a canopy with airflow, adding fans, etc. Jebo (a cheap brand) puts out very cheap fans. I like cheap fans because they get all gummed up with salt creep and rusted, and only last a couple years at most I find, so cheap fans are good! The Jebo fans come single or in a bank of up to 4 fans. They move plenty of air, and don't suck up a bunch of electricity. They can be taken apart and washed too. I have two 3 fan Jebos on my tank...one on the rim of the display blowing the hot halide air out, and one in the sump blowing cool air towards the sump water. This keeps the temperature at 80 in the hot summer. Central air conditioning keeps the room around 78 (I'm cheap on a/c). There are two 250 watt halides on my tank. A floor fan 10' away from the tank will help blow cooler air towards the tank as well as move air in the house.

I would spend $3000 on central air conditioning before I bought a chiller. Even a window a/c unit near the tank will do the trick.

[delo978]

Sounds good I'll check it out....I'm on city water and have used tap water with Prime for my reef tank in the last 2 years with no effects on fish or corals, but I figure if I spent all this money already why not have the best water I can get.

[Myka]

Agreed. Do check the TDS before buying a system though. If the TDS is really high then you need more stages, if the TDS is really low you need less stages. FWIW, I have a 150 gpd system for my 90. It was 75 gpd, but I upgraded it, and it is much nicer to produce water faster. Bulk Reef sells 150 gpd membranes for only $65. BRS is really the place to go for RO/DI imo. Their shipping is very reasonable too, no hidden fees (they pay brokerage for UPS). They have "free shipping" on orders over $175 which is only good for the US, but up here in Canada we would get discounted shipping too. BRS is the only supply place that I order from with any regularity. Also a good place for GFO and carbon.

[Lampshade]

As for the chiller it depends on where your tank is in your house. My tanks in a small room and i bought a cheap walmart window AC unit and it keeps my tank <81 through all this heat, and with halides. My old place had a large open room and i couldn't cool it with AC enough for the tank. Might be worth a try if you want to try and save a few bucks.