https://mdshop.us/KleanwaterRODI Today we are going to look at the basics of our economy Kleanwater RODI systems. First things first. Aquariums are filled with water. That means that water is a very important part of our hobby. Unfortunately as many of us have learned in the beginning of our reef experience, not all water is made the same.

When we turn the knob on our tap it can be filled with any number of contaminants that can hurt our tanks. Whether it's phosphates, heavy metals, or even bacteria, any number of potential threats could be hiding in your tap. On top of that this water has natural alkalinity. Obviously we need to add salt to make it suitable for our tank. Unfortunately, the salt mixes that we use are typically packed with minerals and alkalinity, so if we add it to unfiltered tap water we are putting these parameters over the top. This is why a solid RODI system is crucial. What we really need to do is strip tap water down as much as we can and then build it back up into something suitable for our tank.

RODI stands for reverse osmosis deionization. These two filtration methods are the base of water filtration for the marine aquarium hobby. Thankfully, as technology has progressed, filtration units have become smaller and home systems like the Kleanwater are now readily available. Your standard RODI system is going to have four stages, two of which are the RO and DI. When water enters the system, it passes through the first stage which is the sediment filter. This filter serves as the first line of defense and will physically remove large particles from the water. Once this first stage is complete, the water then passes through the second stage, a carbon block. This type of filter excels at removing chlorine, organic waste, and will further filter out small sediment. Now that the water has been stripped of the larger contaminants and chemicals, it can move onto the reverse osmosis filter. In this stage, the pressurized water is forced through a tight coil that will pull out nearly all remaining contaminants. At this point the water is split into two: the product water which then passes to stage four and the wastewater that is rejected and sent to a separate waste line. Stage four is the final stage of most basic filter systems and contains the DI filter. As water passes through the DI resin, the resin exchanges positively charged hydrogen molecules and negatively charged hydroxyl molecules for the oppositely charged contaminants in the water. Once this final stage is complete, the water should be entirely stripped and ready for you to rebuild it using a salt mix.

One benefit of purchasing a Kleanwater RODI unit with us is that you will actually get 15% off of replacement RODI cartridges for life. Kleanwater RODI systems come in two basic packages: economy and advanced. The economys come with all the basics that you will need to produce clean, ready to mix water. If you want to step-up your filtration game, you may want to look into the advanced systems which come with a pressure gauge, TDS meter, and flush valve.

Once you have your system picked out you need to decide how your are going to source your water. The two most common ways to hook up a RODI filter is either by the plumbing under your sink or to a garden hose. Hooking the filter to a garden hose is probably your easiest option as all it requires is a simple adapter. If you are looking for a more permanent solution, you can pretty easily T-off your sink plumbing and run RODI tubing into your filter. For temporary sink installments, you can use an adapter that attaches to the spout.

Despite it being crucial to your tank’s health, basic water quality can easily be overlooked. Utilizing a RODI system such as the Kleanwater is one of the easiest ways to step your aquarium game up. We hope you found this video helpful, but if you have any questions about the Kleanwater or water filters in general feel free to let us know. Don’t forget like this video and subscribe for more helpful videos in the future. Until next time, take care and enjoy your reefkeeping Journey.