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- Today on the BRS160, we're gonna get water into this tank.
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Hi guys, my name is Ryan.
Welcome to another week of the BRS160
where every week we do our best to help you guys,
members of the reefing community,
enjoy your tanks and find new ways to explore the hobby.
We do that by following the setup and progression
of this 160 gallon reef tank.
This week we'll cover socking a suitable source
of freshwater, water treatment options,
selecting the right salt mix for you,
proper mixing, and of course finish with
a fresh and saltwater insulation for the BRS16O.
Since RO/DI is such a huge stable in reefing,
we'll share what an RO/DI system does,
how to select the right one for your water source,
and what to look for from the brand you select.
Even though I'm obviously biased,
I think it's pretty hard not to see
that the BRS RO/DI system represents the best value
in our industry.
For those of you that disagree,
I fully expect you to challenge me
in the comments area down below.
One of the wisest things I've ever heard in this hobby
was reef keeping has very little to do
with maintaining corals and fish
but everything to do with maintaining water.
Maintaining pristine water with the right parameters
simply results in a healthy, thriving reef tank.
The first step of that is identifying
a high quality source of freshwater.
For most of you, it would be your home's tap water
which is likely either well water
or water provided by your city which contains
some type of disinfectant.
If the water is clean and free of impurities
that would harm the aquarium,
you could use either source of freshwater
for the reef tank, the well water straight from the tap
and the city water just needs a water conditioner
that will neutralize a disinfectant
like this ClorAm-X from Hikari.
The issue is none of us know what's in our water
and even fewer of us know what to look for if we did.
If you have well water,
you probably paid for a professional water report
at some point to make sure it's safe for drinking
so you could take a look at that.
You could also contact your city's water supply
and ask them for a water report.
Biggest things you'd wanna look for
are probably heavy metals, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate,
disinfection byproducts, and uniquely high
organic or inorganic chemicals.
Almost none of us want to sort through that mess
or deal with the uncertainty so we just produce water
at home we know is safe for our reef tanks.
The easiest way to do that is with a reverse osmosis
di-ionization system commonly referred to as RO/DI.
These systems contain a series of filters
which progressively polish the water
and essentially remove everything.
The settlement filters reduce rust, dirt, and sediment.
The carbon blocks reduce disinfectants and chemicals.
The RO membrane then removes up to 99% of
the salts, metals, and other contaminants.
However things with low molecular weights
or small ionic charges will pass through
the membrane fairly easy.
This includes common reef tank concerns like nitrite,
nitrate, phosphate, and chloramines.
To remove these, the RO/DI system gives the water
a final polish on the last stage with a cartridge
filled with di-ionization resin.
The resin will remove virtually everything
the RO membrane missed and create that suitable
source of freshwater we're looking for.
Selecting an RO/DI system that's right for you
can seem a little daunting but it doesn't have to be.
The main difference is just the amount of stages
with most value systems being four stages
and more advanced units being five or six.
I'll try and make it simple.
If you have well water or know your city uses chlorine
as a disinfectant and believe these sources
to be reasonably clean, a four-stage unit will
do the job and you don't need to spend the money
on more expensive five or six-stage units.
This probably applies to about half the reefers out there.
If you're part of the other 50%
and your city uses chloramines which is chlorine
reacted with ammonia or your water supply
has high levels of nitrate or phosphate,
you're gonna want an RO/DI system with
multiple carbon blocks and DI stages
so a six-stage unit would be ideal.
Chloramines are troublesome and super hard to remove
because they're much more stable than chlorine alone.
We absolutely want to remove this mixture of ammonia
and chlorine before it gets to the tank.
For some unknown reason, some reefers still like to debate
the performance of standard carbon blocks on chloramines
but anyone who takes the time to test their carbon blocks
for themselves will find the results undeniable.
Since most of you have no desire to test this type
of thing for yourself, we did it for you a few months back.
We tested a couple of the most trusted carbon blocks
designed to treat chlorine with one rated per 6,000 gallons
and one rated for 20,000 gallons.
The first one didn't even make it past 40 gallons
before it was allowing more than
50% of the chloramines through
and the second one rated for 20,000 gallons
just barely made it past 100 gallons
before it was letting half of the chloramines through.
There's just no question about it.
Typical carbon blocks designed to treat for chlorine
are basically worthless when it comes to treating
for chloramines.
A large majority of the chloramines that make it through
the carbon blocks will pass straight through
the membrane as well because of the small molecular weight.
However, most of the chloramines will then be removed
by the DI resin but this is dependent on the resin
being mostly charged and it's also probably
the most expensive way to remove chloramines.
To solve all this and properly treat the water
the way an RO/DI is designed to function,
you need two things starting with a carbon block
that's designed specifically to treat for chloramines.
They do cost a few bucks more but rather than get
40 gallons out of the filter, you'll likely get
a few thousand which makes it a pretty obvious choice.
Even then, because chloramines are so hard to treat for,
some portions are still like to pass through
a single block and in fact, it increases
the longer the system is on which is why it's important
to have a second carbon block in place
that consistently takes that reduced level
from the first carbon block down to almost nothing.
As to other hard to remove contaminants like phosphate
and nitrate, these are gonna be removed by the DI resin.
Low levels of these contaminants are likely removed
with a single DI cartridge but it's contact time
with charged resin that does that.
With higher levels, you're best served with two
and this is the reason why.
The DI cartridge depletes from the bottom up
which means there's a full 10 inches of charged resin
the water's going to pass through.
Once a DI resin is 50% depleted,
the contact time the water has with charged resin
is cut in half.
Once a cartridge is 75% depleted,
the water only has one-fourth the contact time
with charged resin and probably letting
some of the harder to remove elements through.
No one wants to replace a resin before it's depleted
and while running two resin cartridges is so popular,
with two, I can make sure there's always a full 10 inches
of charged resin in that second cartridge.
Once the first one's fully depleted,
move the second one to the first spot
and put a brand new cartridge in the second.
This way you can maximize your filter dollars
as well as the quality of water
which is a win no matter how you look at it.
The biggest issue with all of this is
almost no one knows if their water contains
high levels of phosphate or nitrate
or if it's treated with chloramines or chlorine.
If saving space and expense is the biggest priority,
I'd call your city for that water report
or use test kits to find out.
Outside of that, to find out if you have chloramines,
we stocked some cheap, total, and free chlorine test strips
you can use to identify the type of disinfectant.
If the total and free chlorine match,
your city uses chlorine.
If the total chlorine reads significantly higher
than the free chlorine,
your city almost certainly uses chloramines.
If you have no desire to call your city
or mess with buying a bunch of test kits,
just pick up a six-stage system with universal filters
designed to treat both chlorine and chloramines
and dual DI canisters for everything else.
You'll never have to be concerned about
the quality of water you're producing
because a system like this will handle basically
any water supply out there and produce ideal,
contaminant-free water for your reef tank.
If you already own a four-stage and just found out
your city switched to chloramines or became aware
your water's riddled with phosphate,
you do not need to go out and buy a new system.
Just add another canister or two
to the system you already own.
We have some super easy to install kits
for upgrading your system to a five or six-stage
which only takes a few minutes to install.
Before we move on to our salt discussion,
if you're in the market for an RO/DI,
I'd like to give you a handful of things
you should look for when you buy one.
You'll probably see the BRS systems recommended a lot,
particularly by experienced reefers.
I think it's because after you consider
what really makes a solid RO/DI system,
the choice is pretty obvious.
End of the day, this is just a bunch of plastic
with some filters in it so how is one better than the other?
It starts with the quality of materials.
Most of the systems out there use cheap imported
push connect fittings which cost around 10 cents a piece.
We want to make sure this thing never leaks on you
so we pay close to a buck a piece for our US-made
double O-ring moor lock fittings.
This is what we would use in our home
so it's what we put on the BRS systems.
Probably the most important component of this
is the filters because it isn't the plastic containers
that do the work, it's the filters inside.
The system's only gonna be as good as the filters put in it.
Most of the industry uses untested, no name imported
filters with no performance data and really vague
or misleading terminology like chloramine removal
capabilities but in the fine print of the instructions
state you actually need to buy different filters
if you want to treat for chloramines
which is pretty misleading.
Our carbon block sediment filters and membranes
are from known brands you already trust like
Dow, GE, and BRS, all of which are NSF certified
which is an important component
of maintaining quality standards.
We use the latest NSF certified DOW 75 gallon per day
membranes which reach 99% rejection
and a flow rate matched to ensure the proper contact time
with the filters and best performance
with common home water pressures.
The BRS NSF certified universal carbon blocks
are designed specifically to treat with chloramines
but the things that make them great at removing
hard to treat chloramines make them exceptional
performers on chlorine as well and why we call
them a universal filter where you know you're covered
with either disinfectant.
You can even visually see they contain more carbon
and feel the added weight which is part of the reason
that BRS carbon blocks outperform the rest.
Similar to that, you can literally squeeze
the NSF certified GE Purtrex and ROSave.Z sediment filters
and feel the graded density and increased capacity.
All of these filters are gonna significantly outperform
those unbranded import filters.
We also include more water connection options
so it works when you get it.
Most systems out there include just a single connection.
The BRS value line includes connections
for you garden hose, laundry tub, or kitchen sink,
including adaptor rings which fit almost every sink.
The universal line also includes an adaptor
for copper pipe, under sink installations,
a shut off valve, a flow valve,
and both systems come with a pack of 25 free
and total chlorine test strips so you can identify
which disinfectant your city uses
as well as monitor system performance.
A one-year warranty is pretty standard in our industry.
BRS offers a limited lifetime warranty
which is basically one year on moving parts
and the rest of your life on everything else.
We back that with a customer service team
that knows RO/DI and is easy to access.
Behind that, we have countless helpful videos
directly related to RO/DI systems
and how to maximize the quality of water,
lifetime of your filters, and troubleshoot when needed.
The only thing left is price.
I'm sure it's super hard to believe after all of that
but we're almost always the lowest cost
by a significant margin and we offer free shipping
on all of the systems.
That's because we design the systems ourselves,
purchase the components by the container load,
build them right here in Minnesota
and sell them direct which is a hard model
for anyone to compete with but great for reefers
in need of a quality RO/DI system.
So if you can find a company that uses better components,
trusted and certified filters,
includes more accessories, has a better warranty,
costs less and ships for free,
I would absolutely suggest they're a better option than us.
I just don't think that exists
and probably why our systems are so popular
in the reefing community.
Now that we have our freshwater source covered,
it's time to talk salt.
The only question everyone wants to know
is which salt is the best.
There just isn't an answer.
If there was, we'd all know what it is by now.
End of the day, reefers have had various degrees
of success with all of them.
What we can share with you is the distinct differences
between a few so you can select one
that aligns with your style of reefing.
Reef Crystals and Instant Ocean is probably the most popular
and lowest cost option out there.
They don't provide a lot of details on their products
so there just isn't a whole lot to say
other than Reef Crystals and Instant Ocean
is a staple of reefing and a lot of people
have had success using it.
One of the selling points they do offer
is the included metal detoxifier
which neutralizes heavy metals in your tap
and makes saltwater.
If you're looking for something that
you can be absolutely sure will work
and the lowest cost option as well,
this is it.
Red Sea differentiates itself from the pack
with the natural approach to reefing
and the salts are produced by evaporating
water from the Red Sea.
72% of the salt in this bucket is naturally harvested
food grade sodium chloride from the Red Sea.
Each of these harvested sodium chloride crystals
contains traces of 45 different elements
naturally found in the Red Sea.
To this they add all the major and minor elements
required to make a quality homogeneous salt mix.
The blue bucket is designed to emulate
the parameters found in tropical reefs
and what we recommend to most seasoned reefers
who are really good about maintaining your calcium
alkaline and magnesium levels.
The black bucket Coral Pro contains elevated levels
which may have growth benefits associated with them
but I also think it's really ideal for a beginning reefer
who has only a handful of corals,
is still figuring the hobby out,
and water changes is still a major part
of replacing calcium alkaline and magnesium.
More or less, I think this is one of the best salts
on the market for those looking to maintain
elevated levels of calcium alkaline and magnesium.
Newer reefers and those who appreciate the more natural
approach to reefing, hw-Marinemix is a 50-year-old
German brand that takes a totally different approach
to their salt mix and uses
100% synthetically processed salts
to produce one of the purest salts out there.
The synthetic processing virtually eliminates
any chemical or environmental impurities.
Mined and evaporated salts will always have
some amount of impurities plating out
within the layers of the salt crystal.
The higher grade salt sources does make
the salt cost a bit more but the resulting purity
means they don't need to use artificial clarifiers,
key laters, or anti-caking agents like EDTA
or Montmirail Nickel which many of the salt manufacturers
use to get the salt to clear quickly
and bind up excess metals and lower grade source materials.
Many of these additives have been shown
to negatively impact nutrient uptake
and responsible for a lot of that brown crud
you find in the bottom of your mixing container.
This is one of the reasons why hw-Marinemix
is globally popular in aqua culture, public aquariums,
seafood holding systems, and marine wholesale where
survivability equals profitability.
Hw has also been cited as one of the more popular salts
used in university research and environmental studies.
The EPA has referenced Marinemix as a replacement
for natural seawater at its bio essay research labs.
Hw also does something somewhat unique
by adding amino acids which are designed to help promote
growth, nutrient transport, biological oxidation,
nerve transmission, pigment formation, increased metabolism,
provides antioxidants, proper protein formation,
and a whole slew of other biological processes.
Hw also comes in two forms, the professional and the reefer.
I think the professional is formulated best
for professional applications like research,
aqua culture, or fish only systems.
The reefer has calcium alkaline and magnesium levels
more typical to the average reef tank
and what I'd suggest to most reefers
I think there's enough information here
for you to decide what best fits your style of reefing
but I know all of you are wondering what we use here at BRS.
I personally used all three of these brands
and I would recommend all of them
but the 20 or so tanks here at BRS us hw salt.
I just appreciate using the highest quality source materials
and it fits my style of reefing.
Once you select your salt, mixing is pretty easy.
Most reefers use these Rubbermaid brew trashcans
which are considered reef safe.
Just fill it with your selected source
of freshwater and add your salt.
If you're looking for something a bit cooler
than a garbage can, 55 gallon food grade drums are popular
and even cooler are the vertical and cone-shaped
bottom storage tanks.
These can be found at farm supply
and plumbing specialty stores.
If you have trouble finding one,
I commonly use Norwesco tanks.
Check out their website for a dealer in your area.
There are a few different tools you can use
to measure salinity but a refractometer
is really the only one I'd use
for mixing my saltwater like this.
We want the salt to read 1.026 specific gravity
or 30 parts per thousand.
They come in a manual version
and a really cool digital version.
The digital version is one of those reefing luxuries
that most people won't ever buy but if you do,
you'll never go back.
There just isn't anything more satisfying
than an instant digital readout.
Once a tank is running, you'll need to mix and heat
the saltwater before use so through in a medium-sized
power head and a heater.
Okay so on to the installation of our solution.
The water here in Minneapolis is near the legal limits
of chloramines at over three parts per million
so we're gonna use a six-stage universal system
made for dealing with chloramines.
I selected the water saver plus model
which includes a triple TDS meter, flush kit,
pressure gauge, and dual in series membrane installation
which cuts the waste water down by half
and produces water twice as fast.
Plumbing this is pretty easy.
I mentioned it comes with all
kinds of water supply adapters.
We're going to install the under sink option
that goes on the cold water supply
then slide the red tubing into the moor lock
push connect fitting.
This is also a good place to install the included
shut off valve as well.
We also use a drain adaptor here
for a permanent connection to the waste line.
Make sure to install it above the trap
right underneath the sink and slide in
the black waste line tubing.
Now all you need to do is open the valve,
flush the new filters for 10 to 20 minutes
and you're ready to start producing water for the tank
which will be a minute out of the blue line.
For water storage, we use two of these 65 gallon
Norwesco vertical storage tanks.
I installed a fixed position flow valve on each,
a three-way valve between them,
and a purified water line feeding the valve.
This valve will make it super easy
to switch the water supply between my freshwater
and saltwater storage tanks.
I also threw in a Finnex heater set to 78 degrees
and a Hydor Koralia power head to mix the saltwater.
Because the tank is empty,
I'm just gonna mix the first batch directly in the tank,
fill it up with freshwater, get the new vector return pump
going and add the salt.
This is gonna take around a box and a quart of salt
to mix properly.
I also add a couple of temporary power heads
just to mix it well.
That's all there is to it.
We have our freshwater solution installed,
salt mix selected, and storage tanks
for both fresh and saltwater in place.
The tank is mixed to 1.026 specific gravity
and circulating with a new vector pump from EcoTech.
I'm going on a quick vacation
so I'm gonna miss you next week but the following week,
we're gonna talk about temperature control,
heaters, chillers, and fans.
You won't want to miss that so hit the subscribe button.
If you're interested in checking out
any of the products we talked about today,
check out this link.
See you next week with week eight
of the BRS16O temperature.