# Local craigslist finds



## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Found a couple deals on craigslist that I thought someone here might find useful.

RO Filter and storage drum (come to this month's meeting to see my implementation of a water change system using these parts)
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/820962458.html

20g tanks with racks (i have too many already, but surely someone here hasn't come to that realization yet)
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/for/821023834.html


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## stuckintexas (Aug 12, 2008)

hmm, the ro/di system looks tempting. is 100 a good price for that? how often do you change the membrane and other parts and how much do they cost to replace?


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Yes it is. I paid probably $350+ for mine. Granted, mine has some additional features, but they're still not cheap. I think a replacement set of pre-filters is between $10-30. A replacement RO membrane is $70-100 depending on capacity (gallons per day). I think I replaced my membrane after a year or so, but I don't think it was necessary. I couldn't even tell if the other filters were dirty, maybe my water is cleaner than I thought. 

For those who don't know, an RO membrane looks a little like wide foam adhesive tape rolled around a pipe. The membrane basically allows water molecules through and nothing else. The membrane goes into a plastic chamber with three water connections. One is centered on the end, the other two are on the side, one at each end. Water enters through one of the side connections and floods around the membrane. Pure water transfers through the membrane to the center where it drains out through the center pipe to the hose on the end of the chamber. Water that doesn't go through exits through the other side connection to a drain. 

Modern RO membranes are made of a material that is damaged by chlorine so you must pre-filter the water with a carbon filter to remove the chlorine. You also use one or more mechanical filters before the RO unit to remove any debris that could clog up the RO membrane. 

In a RO system for the home, the clean water is often pushed into a pressurized tank where it sits until it's needed. It may go from there through an additional filter and/or a UV unit to kill any bugs that made it through the RO membrane or grew in the tank. 

Membranes are rated in gallons per day. I bought a 70gpd unit. Mine has a special pump on it that uses the waste water pressure to turn a pump that increases the pressure of the incoming water which serves to make the membrane more efficient. Additionally, because I live on the 8th floor of an apartment building, my water pressure is lower than it might otherwise be and therefore it's a slower process than I'd like, so I was able to add an electronic pump on the inlet side to further increase the pressure, and when the number of tanks I wanted to service increased, I added a second RO housing and membrane so the first one drains into the second and the two function in parallel. I'm able to fill a 55gallon drum at least 2 times per day now. 

My RO unit empties into a 55g drum that has a mechanical float valve like the one in your toilet tank. I use a well pump from harbor frieght to pump the water from there into my tanks. It has a pressure tank and when I open the valve the pressure drops and the motor kicks on automatically. It feeds an auto-fill system on my 240g tank and two other filling stations I have plumbed. 

If you come to our meeting this month, I can show all of this and more and one of these days maybe I'll draw up some diagrams to better explain it all. 

Michael


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## stuckintexas (Aug 12, 2008)

when and where is the meeting? id love to come, it would be my first.


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Keep an eye out for the announcement here, but I believe it is Saturday the 20th at my place in downtown Dallas. In the meantime, you can see some of my setup at my blog: http://aquaticobsession.blogspot.com/

Michael


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

$100 for this RO system with the drum is a VERY good deal.

I've been using the same RO filter since 2002. Replacing the membranes is not really a price concern.

--Nikolay


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## Kjm (May 27, 2005)

Darn...I'll be in Colorado on the 20th...I hate that I'll miss that meeting. I'd love to see all of your tank setups.


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

This is a heck of a deal! Whole entire 150g planted tank setup for $500:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/847003193.html


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Someone is selling another RO system... this one even comes with a TDS meter ($30 value) to measure total dissolved solids coming in vs exiting the system so you can gauge when to change filters.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/880688352.html


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Another one... definitely a high-end, high capacity model... still a deal, but more expensive. 
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/for/876215447.html


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