4 Stage RO/DI System
The base 4 stages utilised in all Reef Pure RO/DI Systems.
Stage 1 – Sediment Filter
Sediment filters remove sediment and debris that if allowed to pass through would clog other filter stages and damage RO membranes.
Stage 2 - Carbon Block Filter
Our carbon filters are manufactured with high purity coconut shell activated carbon. They rapidly remove toxic compounds from tap water, primarily chlorine and chloramines. This ensures the system's RO membrane and your reef aquarium are protected from these toxic substances.
Stage 3 – 50 Gallon Per Day Thin Film Composite (TFC) Membrane
At the core of the RO/DI system is the RO or Reverse Osmosis Membrane which removes the majority of impurities from your tap water. After this stage, the water is about 98% pure, but in order to be safe for a reef aquarium, we need water which is 100% pure, or as close to as is possible.
Stage 4 – Reef Grade Mixed Bed Colour-Changing Deionization Resin
A mixed bed deionization resin is the final, polishing stage of the RO/DI system. It will remove any contaminants that may have passed through your sediment filter, carbon filters and RO membrane. This stage will achieve the 0 ppm TDS RO/DI water you need for a successful reef aquarium.
5 Stage RO/DI System
The 5 Stage RO/DI System adds an additional granular activated carbon filter between stages 1 and 2. This is vital for the filtration of water supplies which may be treated by your local water supplier with chloramines. Chloramine is a disinfectant which is much more difficult for a single carbon stage to remove when compared to chlorine. In order to find out what your water supply is using you can reach out to your local water provider and ask for an Annual Water Quality Report. You can also check their website for a downloadable copy. This will show the Total Chlorine and Free Chlorine in your water supply. If the reported Total Chlorine is significantly more than the Free Chlorine, this indicates that your water supplier is using chloramines as a disinfectant and a fifth stage will be required. Some water suppliers will report chloramine as a separate parameter and this makes identifying this issue much simpler.
Additionally, a carbon filters ability to absorb large volumes of chloramine and chlorine will degrade over hours of extended use. Thankfully, their capacity can also fully regenerate during periods of non-use, whilst your system is not being used. So if you are intending to run your system for several hours or more at a time, a fifth stage is highly recommended.
6 Stage RO/DI System
The 6 Stage RO/DI System features a second deionisation resin stage. With a single DI resin stage, as the resin becomes close to exhausted, it will start to allow some impurities to pass through due to a phenomenon known as purging. This occurs as the resin purges ions with a weak electrical charge, in preference of ions with a stronger electrical charge. One of the first ions to be purged is silicon/silica due to having a very weak, negative charge. By adding an additional stage you can safely use the first DI resin stage until it is fully exhausted as the second DI resin stage will catch the released impurities. This will allow you to also save on DI resin, eliminating waste and ensuring the purest water possible. Once the resin has been fully exhausted, you simply replace the resin in the first stage and swap the 2 resin cartridges around, ensuring you always have a fresh, full DI resin cartridge in the last stage.
