RO/DI unit

Greetings seasoned reefers, I just signed myself up for reef adventures by
purchasing 55G tank and have been reading megabytes of info on
reefcentral.com. I suppose my first purchase (after the tank) in this
endless adventure will be RO/DI unit. Yes, I know that I'll be using it
alot, and should get the best there is, but I am, like most of us, is short
on money... So, the question is what you gurus would recommend to get and
where, so it will accommodate 55gallon tank needs, but wont force me into
bankruptcy?

"TekCat" wrote in message ...
Greetings seasoned reefers, I just signed myself up for reef adventures by
purchasing 55G tank and have been reading megabytes of info on
reefcentral.com. I suppose my first purchase (after the tank) in this
endless adventure will be RO/DI unit. Yes, I know that I'll be using it
alot, and should get the best there is, but I am, like most of us, is short
on money... So, the question is what you gurus would recommend to get and
where, so it will accommodate 55gallon tank needs, but wont force me into
bankruptcy?

I do not understand how one could be forced into bankruptcy paying
about $100 for a complete 6-stage filter (including deionizer "DI" stage).

Check for that example eBay.com, Item# 4398719599 and others.
You could spend a little more and get the system with the pressurized
tank for drinking water storage under the kitchen sink...
This way you would have pure water for your reef and your drinking.

p.s.
Not affiliated with the seller - just run a quick search and his auction turned up.

"Pszemol" wrote in message
...


I do not understand how one could be forced into bankruptcy paying
about $100 for a complete 6-stage filter (including deionizer "DI"
stage).



Stop by www.melevsreef.com

We are "somewhat" affiliated with Marc, as he's a regular here, and
very knowledgable. I bought my init from him, and have been very
happy with it.

bv

"Billy" wrote in message ...
"Pszemol" wrote in message
...


I do not understand how one could be forced into bankruptcy paying
about $100 for a complete 6-stage filter (including deionizer "DI"
stage).

Stop by www.melevsreef.com

We are "somewhat" affiliated with Marc, as he's a regular here, and
very knowledgable. I bought my init from him, and have been very
happy with it.

His unit costs $174 (when you add the shipping cost).
OP was asking for an option not forcing him into bankruptcy.

You do the math.

"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
You do the math.

Don't have to get snippy, friend. Just offering my suggestion. I've
found, that by and large, a cheap anything generally turns out to be
worth what you paid for it.

b

"Billy" wrote in message ...
"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
You do the math.

Don't have to get snippy, friend.

Not ment to be snippy, my friend.
I just understand he asked a serious question here.
Do you seriously suggest this other filter is better ?
Is it really worth its much bigger price in your opinion ?

Just offering my suggestion. I've found, that by and large, a cheap
anything generally turns out to be worth what you paid for it.

Well, paying 74% more for the same product does not need to be
a smart idea... Assuming that a product is better just based on the price
comparison is silly. I would be happy to hear from Marc what makes
his filter better than any other filters available on eBay for ~$100.
I would really like to know what in his filter is worth this extra $74...
For now, I have read his filter descriprion and I cannot find anything
special there which is worth this extra $74. How about you ?

BTW - Who is the manufacturer of the membrane in Marcs filter ?
Have you found this info on his website? I have hard time to do so...

Well consider the Kent Marine 60gpd unit runs around $249 without shipping.
Marc's units are 100gpd so at $149 + I think it's a good deal. Starting a
reef tank is a huge expense and I think we've all knocked on the door of the
poor house when getting started.

A guy at work offered me a great deal on a 72 bow front with stand, light,
glass top for under $200. I thought I was getting a great deal (which I
was). $2500.00 later I have an awesome reef tank. Oh well, hobbies are
expensive. An RO/DI unit is a must. It's not like freshwater aquariums where
you can drop tap water in no problem.

My next RO/DI unit will come from Marc.


"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"Billy" wrote in message
...
"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
You do the math.

Don't have to get snippy, friend.

Not ment to be snippy, my friend.
I just understand he asked a serious question here.
Do you seriously suggest this other filter is better ?
Is it really worth its much bigger price in your opinion ?

Just offering my suggestion. I've found, that by and large, a cheap
anything generally turns out to be worth what you paid for it.

Well, paying 74% more for the same product does not need to be
a smart idea... Assuming that a product is better just based on the price
comparison is silly. I would be happy to hear from Marc what makes
his filter better than any other filters available on eBay for ~$100.
I would really like to know what in his filter is worth this extra $74...
For now, I have read his filter descriprion and I cannot find anything
special there which is worth this extra $74. How about you ?

BTW - Who is the manufacturer of the membrane in Marcs filter ?
Have you found this info on his website? I have hard time to do so...

"Ray Martini" wrote in message ...
Well consider the Kent Marine 60gpd unit runs around $249 without shipping.

What point are you trying to make here ?
Why do you ask me to compare one rip-off to a bigger rip-off ?

Are you trying to convince me that Marcs filter is not the most expensive one?
Sure, maybe it is not... If you buy a RO unit from a door-to-door salesman you
would pay about $500. But what does it mean ? KENTs filter sounds like a good
deal compared to an offer from a door-to-door filters salesman...

If these dozens of eBay guys can sell similar products for average $100
in retail and make a profit, than the wholesale price must be much smaller...
Paying $174 instead $100 does not necessarily mean you pay more
for a better product. It could mean simply you are paying much,
much bigger markups for a quite similar (or even worse?) product.

Think about it... What makes this or that filter better from any other ?
Clear housings? Maybe... Quality of the membrane ? Sure... but what is the
membrane manufacturer in KENTs or Marcs filter? Do you know this ? Without
knowing manufacturer/model numbers how are you going to compare them ?
Is it a "noname" product ? Or maybe non-conforming reject from factory ?
Who knows ? There are people on eBay selling their filters since 1999
and they at least list the membrane manufacturer so you know some
manufacturer has put his name on the product and you can look up the specs.
Chcek other eBay item 4404596254: same 5-stage filter, clear housings, total:
$71+S&H. Brand name, 100 GPD Applied Membranes AUTO FLUSH RO Membrane.

Marc's units are 100gpd so at $149 + I think it's a good deal.

Why do you compare this "deal" to KENTs and not to the filter from eBay guy?

Starting a reef tank is a huge expense and I think we've all knocked
on the door of the poor house when getting started.

Then again: why would you want to pay $174 instead of $100 ?

My next RO/DI unit will come from Marc.

But why ?
Because it just "must be better if it is more expensive" ? :-)
Or you just simply like to be taken advantage of... :-)

"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"Ray Martini" wrote in message
...
Well consider the Kent Marine 60gpd unit runs around $249 without
shipping.

What point are you trying to make here ?
Why do you ask me to compare one rip-off to a bigger rip-off ?

Are you trying to convince me that Marcs filter is not the most expensive
one?
Sure, maybe it is not... If you buy a RO unit from a door-to-door salesman
you
would pay about $500. But what does it mean ? KENTs filter sounds like a
good
deal compared to an offer from a door-to-door filters salesman...

If these dozens of eBay guys can sell similar products for average $100
in retail and make a profit, than the wholesale price must be much
smaller...
Paying $174 instead $100 does not necessarily mean you pay more
for a better product. It could mean simply you are paying much,
much bigger markups for a quite similar (or even worse?) product.

Agreed. But those lower prices come from being able to move larger volumes
of products. Your Ebay auction cited essentially a "big-box" store...
(Ebay power seller with over 4000 feedback. Note: their most recent
negative feedback was in regards to the exact RO/DI filter you recommended.
Negative feedback for the vendor is otherwise quite infrequent).
Billy proposed the online equivalent of the "small local retailer" whose
margins are of course worse, but whose referrals, service, and support are
unparalleled. If a buyer prefers the service angle, the extra $75 might be
worth it to them, if it guarantees a happy resolution in the event of a
problem. I can _very_ safely bet that Marc values his repuation on this
newsgroup highly, given his prolific posting, and that you would likely
never have an unresolved issue with purchasing one of his RO/DI units. Can
you say for certain that your big-box store will have the same care for your
patronage? I can also respect the choice those who wish to support those
who offer them endless hours of advice by giving them a bit of business now
and then, even if the absolute best price might be found elsewhere.

Your questions about membrane source are entirely valid, but are easily
answered with an email to Marc, if TekCat were inclined to make that
inquiry. I don't think Marc is trying to hide anything by omitting the
source on his website.

It is always up to the solicitor of the advice to decide where to put his
business, but frankly I find your aggresive voice towards other posters
simply offering different options distasteful. They aren't out to "get"
anyone by simply offering more options than yours...

Think about it... What makes this or that filter better from any other ?
Clear housings? Maybe... Quality of the membrane ? Sure... but what is the
membrane manufacturer in KENTs or Marcs filter? Do you know this ? Without
knowing manufacturer/model numbers how are you going to compare them ? Is
it a "noname" product ? Or maybe non-conforming reject from factory ?
Who knows ? There are people on eBay selling their filters since 1999
and they at least list the membrane manufacturer so you know some
manufacturer has put his name on the product and you can look up the
specs.
Chcek other eBay item 4404596254: same 5-stage filter, clear housings,
total:
$71+S&H. Brand name, 100 GPD Applied Membranes AUTO FLUSH RO Membrane.

Marc's units are 100gpd so at $149 + I think it's a good deal.

Why do you compare this "deal" to KENTs and not to the filter from eBay
guy?

There is no conspiracy theory here. Your KENT numbers were present in the
thread, and obvious to all... Ray merely gave a fuller view of the total
range of prices at whic hRO/DI units are sold.


Starting a reef tank is a huge expense and I think we've all knocked
on the door of the poor house when getting started.

Then again: why would you want to pay $174 instead of $100 ?

My next RO/DI unit will come from Marc.

But why ?
Because it just "must be better if it is more expensive" ? :-)

Because price isn't everything in a sale, even when one is
price-conscious...

Or you just simply like to be taken advantage of... :-)

Be cautious with the ad hominems, sir... They never make you look smart.

Regards,
DaveZ
Atom Weaver

"David Zopf" wrote in message m...
If a buyer prefers the service angle, the extra $75 might be
worth it to them, if it guarantees a happy resolution in the
event of a problem.

Our buyer, the OP, clearly is on the low price angle. Agree ?

I can _very_ safely bet that Marc values his repuation on this
newsgroup highly, given his prolific posting, and that you would likely
never have an unresolved issue with purchasing one of his RO/DI units.

Agree.
But still, if you are looking for best priced unit
you would feel the difference between $100 and $174.

Can you say for certain that your big-box store will have the same
care for your patronage?

No, I do not know this eBay seller better than you or anybody
reading his/her feedback. I can only assume he/she knows his
stuff if selling RO/DI units is bread and butter for that person.

One Negative feedback?
I sell on eBay too (from time to time) and I know how easy is
to get one negative feedback from a "problem custommer" who
never seems to be satisfied with any resolution you offer to him.
So one negative compared to over 4000 positives would almost
guarantee positive care for the custommer IMHO.

I can also respect the choice those who wish to support those
who offer them endless hours of advice by giving them a bit of business
now and then, even if the absolute best price might be found elsewhere.

Sure, if you do it on purpose, when you know about the other offers...
But OP come to this group with his question and the understanding
RO/DI filters are very expensive. I take from this he just checked
retail outlets and found DO/DI systems for $300-400. This is why
I suggested eBay.com as an alternative. Melev with his filter is
somewhere in the middle princed units and it is worth to know this
option is available. To make a smart decision you need to have
a lot of information. I am not making a decission for anybody here.

Your questions about membrane source are entirely valid, but are easily
answered with an email to Marc, if TekCat were inclined to make that
inquiry. I don't think Marc is trying to hide anything by omitting the
source on his website.

I am not saying he is trying to hide. I am saying we know LESS
about his filter quality/specs than about cheaper filter from eBay...
Also, the difference in cost of noname membrane and brand name membrane
is probably significant, so you could guess if Marc was offering
brand name product he would proudly state this in his filter description.
It is simple marketing issue. But I will let Marc to fill us with this info.

It is always up to the solicitor of the advice to decide where to put his
business, but frankly I find your aggresive voice towards other posters
simply offering different options distasteful. They aren't out to "get"
anyone by simply offering more options than yours...

Why do you interprete me asking questions like "why?" as aggressive?
I am just asking for a reason, for an information, and I am not
attacking anybody here. If somebody states "I will buy next filter
from Marc" - what is wrong in asking "WHY WOULD YOU DO IT" ?

But why ?
Because it just "must be better if it is more expensive" ? :-)

Because price isn't everything in a sale, even when one is
price-conscious...

I would rather pay lower price and deal with the risk myself.
But it is just me :-)

Please nocice, OP clearly had the low price as his highest priority.
This is the only reason I throw eBay.com offers at him.

I have no business in selling RO/DI, I do not compete with Marc in any way.
I even forgot Marc is offering filter at the time I wrote my 1st response.

Or you just simply like to be taken advantage of... :-)

Be cautious with the ad hominems, sir...
They never make you look smart.

I will, thank you for your friendly warning :-)