Tap/w purifier for reef?
- Thread starter Clearblue303
- Start date
I use it, and I love it. Fortunatly for me, I live in a county in Ga that has very good water to begin with. It has a color changing resin, that lets you know when it is exhausted. Each Cartridge gives me about 300 Gal instead of about 50 which the instructions say you will get. I don't know if I would have tried it if we didn't have such good water here, but it really is working out well for me.
The TWP is very economical if your local water is good. However, 300g is not something I would believe, since the unit is rated to a maximum of 150g.
It is still the most economical unit for me, as I can get 80plus gallons per unit = $20$US approximately for a refill ?? Used to get much more, but recent water scares in the country have obviously resulted in more additives......
The important thing to have, and I am sure you have already since you have a reef, is an
alk kit so you can test the output of your TWP after a certain amount, as per the instructions. The color can be hard to read.
It is still the most economical unit for me, as I can get 80plus gallons per unit = $20$US approximately for a refill ?? Used to get much more, but recent water scares in the country have obviously resulted in more additives......
The important thing to have, and I am sure you have already since you have a reef, is an
alk kit so you can test the output of your TWP after a certain amount, as per the instructions. The color can be hard to read.
I started out with one of those years ago. They put out good water in the begining of the cartridge but deteriorate fast with a poor water suppy as I had. I could hardly eek out 50g at a pop. If you are just starting out and don't want to spend the money on an RO/DI go for it but be prepared to change cartridges frequently.
I used the TWP initially. My water needs were not too great. As time goes by and you get more tanks, you will probably have to go with an RO unit.
Maybe I am getting too old, but I can't see messing around with lye and muriatic acid to save a few bucks. That is just not my cup of tea. My hat's off to those that do that recharge, however.
Maybe I am getting too old, but I can't see messing around with lye and muriatic acid to save a few bucks. That is just not my cup of tea. My hat's off to those that do that recharge, however.
I also recharge mine but I run 2 units: one with the brown resin and one with the green, both with carbon. this makes recharging a breeze, just pour the diluted chemicals into the tubes wait an hour rince and your done.
ps. I am planning on getting a third to use just with carbon.
Bob
[ September 27, 2001: Message edited by: Bobzarry ]
ps. I am planning on getting a third to use just with carbon.
Bob
[ September 27, 2001: Message edited by: Bobzarry ]
I like the TWP, but I think it would be only economical for a small tank and for water that isn't too hard. If you buy one you can always hook it up to a small RO system later one. I bought a AquaFX RO and run the output through the TWP. The TWP cartridges lasts a lot longer this way.
Thanks guys!
I'm not intending to have more,nore bigger tanks (well...if I win the jeck pot,maybe).
Since Jan 2000 I'm using only filtered TW for drinking with good results.Recently I see some red cyano,that's the reason I,ve got the TWP.
I've built a filter where fits 2 cartriges.
What for are the green resins?
How exactly you do the recharging?
Thanks.FM
I'm not intending to have more,nore bigger tanks (well...if I win the jeck pot,maybe).
Since Jan 2000 I'm using only filtered TW for drinking with good results.Recently I see some red cyano,that's the reason I,ve got the TWP.
I've built a filter where fits 2 cartriges.
What for are the green resins?
How exactly you do the recharging?
Thanks.FM
How long it lasts depends on what comes out of your tap in the first place.
In clean and green New Zealand (Auckland to be precise) the water comes out of the tap with a KH of about 0.2. and not much of anything bad in it (a *hint* of phosphate but no Nitrate).
My TWP has last be a very long time indeed. Certainly significantly more than 300g (my guess would be at least 1000g).
Apart from the color of the resign I do also ocassionally test that my input versus output phosphate levels - just to confirm that it really is still working.
The color changing resign is now about 80% changed so I guess in another two to three years I'll need to get a refil - I hope they will still be making them when I need it
In clean and green New Zealand (Auckland to be precise) the water comes out of the tap with a KH of about 0.2. and not much of anything bad in it (a *hint* of phosphate but no Nitrate).
My TWP has last be a very long time indeed. Certainly significantly more than 300g (my guess would be at least 1000g).
Apart from the color of the resign I do also ocassionally test that my input versus output phosphate levels - just to confirm that it really is still working.
The color changing resign is now about 80% changed so I guess in another two to three years I'll need to get a refil - I hope they will still be making them when I need it
Teapot!
In your case,I would stack up with filter medias(if works so good for you).
Tell me about your tank(s).Have something local stuff collected by you?
Do you dive or snorkel?
Must be very nice to live in NZ and besides having the Ocean in your home,you can go to see the real things when you want.
FM
In your case,I would stack up with filter medias(if works so good for you).
Tell me about your tank(s).Have something local stuff collected by you?
Do you dive or snorkel?
Must be very nice to live in NZ and besides having the Ocean in your home,you can go to see the real things when you want.
For a small tank, it works pretty good. My tapwater is 250ppm total dissolved solids (TDS). After the TWP, it's <1ppm TDS. I got about 50 gal per column. If you don't mind working with muriatic acid and pure lye, it's very easy and cheap (~$2/cartridge) to recharge the cartridges.
I recommend running 2 in series. The resin doesn't always exhaust uniformly and a lot of times, it'll "channel." You won't be able to see it, thus it's nice to have a second TWP.
Ty
I recommend running 2 in series. The resin doesn't always exhaust uniformly and a lot of times, it'll "channel." You won't be able to see it, thus it's nice to have a second TWP.
Ty
Clearblue-This is just to give you an idea how it works. READ THE ACTUAL INSTRUCTIONS!!
To recharge the TWP, you'll need to mix up some lye. You pour that into the top, and the blue resin will exhaust and sink, the brown will float. The Brown gets scooped out and put in a jar with more lye--this recharges the brown.
You rinse the TWP containing the blue resin, then put in some diluted myriatic acid. This recharges the blue. Rinse both resins, replace the brown and you're back in bidniss. It takes about 2 hrs the first time you recharge a column the first time. Once the resins are separated it takes between 45min and an hour. Some people do 2 or 3 at a time and simply keep one color resin in one column and the other resin in another column and run them in series.
2 gallons of myriatic acid costs $6 (6oz per recharge)
12 oz of lye costs $3 (3 oz per recharge)
That's it. Pretty danged cheap.
There's 2 sets of instructions in the reefs.org library articles. a very long one (read once) and a useful condensed version. It even tells you which aisle to get the chemicals in at the hardware store.
Ty
To recharge the TWP, you'll need to mix up some lye. You pour that into the top, and the blue resin will exhaust and sink, the brown will float. The Brown gets scooped out and put in a jar with more lye--this recharges the brown.
You rinse the TWP containing the blue resin, then put in some diluted myriatic acid. This recharges the blue. Rinse both resins, replace the brown and you're back in bidniss. It takes about 2 hrs the first time you recharge a column the first time. Once the resins are separated it takes between 45min and an hour. Some people do 2 or 3 at a time and simply keep one color resin in one column and the other resin in another column and run them in series.
2 gallons of myriatic acid costs $6 (6oz per recharge)
12 oz of lye costs $3 (3 oz per recharge)
That's it. Pretty danged cheap.
There's 2 sets of instructions in the reefs.org library articles. a very long one (read once) and a useful condensed version. It even tells you which aisle to get the chemicals in at the hardware store.
Ty
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