RO Water system?

[jaredg87]

I really want to get the Reverse Osmosis water system so My chams will have the cleanest water possible. It's decently priced and is made in America so shipping and part replacement should not be to bad.

http://www.aquazamp.com/store_front/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=90

What do you all think? Is this a product worth investing into?

 

[tenchijin]

Personally I think it's waaaay overkill. Natural water has all kinds of things in it. The biggest danger in water is microorganisms, and since most tapwater is bleached that's not a problem. The bleach itself can be a concern to smaller animals, but really beyond that I *personally* feel you're wasting money.

But if it makes you happy there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[jannb]

I'd check on eBay we got our there. We have use RO water for years since we got out first Cham. I use it for cooking drinking and everything.

 

[deadhd5]

I saw the aquazamp RO system and was curious about it also, perhaps someone out there who has it can weigh in. Does it plug directly into the misting system?

The main reason I want an RO system is that I have very hard water, which leaves deposits on the cage screens and plant leaves.

 

[jaredg87]

Thanks for the feed back everyone. Yeah I don't feel i'm wasting cause the water in my area is VERY hard I personally won't drink the tap water here it's disgusting. I live like 10 minutes from the Mexico border so yeah water around here is not the best. It leaves hard water stains on the tips of my misting heads, the cage gets stains, even the leaves get calcium deposits on it and trying to get it off is almost impossible.
Most top cham breeders use this to make sure the water is clean as possible. Plus like one of you said I can probably use it to drink tap water since it can install under my sink.

There is a connection that connects it directly to the pump if your interested in doing that too all the extra connections are listed in the detailed description.

 

[summoner12]

If you guys have questions about the RO unit sold by AquaZamp feel free to PM me or ask on here.

The AquaZamp RO unit is very complete. It can also be easily adjusted to meet specific needs. The unit in that link will give you everything you need to have RO on tap at your kitchen sink. There are more simple options for chameleon specific operations if your main goal is to cut down on mineral deposits on your nozzles and to cut out the chlorine and floride in your tap water.

A lot of ebay systems use very cheap filters that don't do much but burn up your membrane. I'd beware.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have!

 

[summoner12]

Personally I think it's waaaay overkill. Natural water has all kinds of things in it. The biggest danger in water is microorganisms, and since most tapwater is bleached that's not a problem. The bleach itself can be a concern to smaller animals, but really beyond that I *personally* feel you're wasting money.

But if it makes you happy there's nothing wrong with it.

You don't think bleach is a bad thing to drink?

Tap water has all kinds of things added into it that are not found in a chameleons natural habitat.... unless heavy metals, chlorine, chloramines, floride and whatever are found on leafs in the jungle?

The MAIN reason to use RO for a misting system for your animals is to cut down on the mineral content that clogs your nozzles and leaves deposits on your enclosure. The side benefit is that your animal also won't suffer drinking the added chemicals by your water district. rain water falls from the sky via evaporation and condensation. This is identical to the filtration process of distilled water. RO water is pretty close to this process via filtration media.

So is it overkill to provide clean water to our animals and alleviate clogged nozzles?

 

[Psychobunny]

Does this whole system go under the sink?
I dont think I have enough space in mine

I was told years ago that I could not have a garbage disposal because
it wouldnt fit.
They may have smaller models now though!!

 

[tkilgour]

Personally I think it's waaaay overkill. Natural water has all kinds of things in it. The biggest danger in water is microorganisms, and since most tapwater is bleached that's not a problem. The bleach itself can be a concern to smaller animals, but really beyond that I *personally* feel you're wasting money.

But if it makes you happy there's nothing wrong with it.

Sorry, but it isn't over rated. You should research all the contaminants in water and study up on what municipalities really put in your water or remove. It is quite shocking. My reef tank would totally crash on tap water and my hydroponic systems would be a total failure.

Any product Aquazamp makes it is the very best quality.

 

[Saldarya]

Although I am sure this is a fine product, it is not the most effective and efficent, especially for the price.

RO units are rated in GPD production and each has a rejection percent specific to that GPD production. 50gpd is not a very efficient membrane. the most efficient is the 75gpd Film Tec membrane.

The effectiveness of a unit is how well it filters out TDS (total dissolved solids). The 75gpd has like a 97% rejection rate which is what you want.

Additionally, you want a DI resin cartridge after this to take care of the rest of the TDS leaving you ultimately with 0 TDS water.

For this type of system lets head the Aquarium/reef keeping hobby for the best and most efficient units.

http://www.airwaterice.com/c=yg3VKi...N/Typhoon-5-stage-RODI-Reefkeeper-75-GPD.html

If you read the detaisl you will see that they include all the filters and membranes to get you going and this unit will produce 0 TDS water and it costs less.

There are other options as well, but I have been using this unit for 8 years without out an issue so I feel I can recommend it.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Bobby

 

[Ta2Smitty]

This is what I use and it's worked out great and it's cheap too!
http://www.airwaterice.com/product/1MMDI/Mighty-Mite-50GPD-with-DI-Added.html

 

[tenchijin]

You don't think bleach is a bad thing to drink?

Compared to microorganisms there is no comparison- chlorine saves millions of lives per year!

Tap water has all kinds of things added into it that are not found in a chameleons natural habitat.... unless heavy metals, chlorine, chloramines, floride and whatever are found on leafs in the jungle?

Most of those things are found in rain water in varying amounts, too. And in the soil and ground water.

The MAIN reason to use RO for a misting system for your animals is to cut down on the mineral content that clogs your nozzles and leaves deposits on your enclosure.

That is a totally acceptable and sensible reason, but not the reason the OP asked about. I was responding to the OP's concern about drinking water.

The side benefit is that your animal also won't suffer drinking the added chemicals by your water district. rain water falls from the sky via evaporation and condensation. This is identical to the filtration process of distilled water. RO water is pretty close to this process via filtration media.

Similar too but not exactly the same. Using distilled water in processes to avoid clogging is a very reasonable thing. Using it when there is an excess of minerals that might be harmful is reasonable (such as some locales where ground water is very heavy). But being worried about your animals' drinking water to the extent that you think it needs RO filtered water is overkill, in my opinion. Your opinion may vary. That's OK.

So is it overkill to provide clean water to our animals and alleviate clogged nozzles?

I think I addressed both points above. They aren't the same thing. One I find reasonable, the other not so much.

Take care,
Aric

 

[tenchijin]

Thanks for the feed back everyone. Yeah I don't feel i'm wasting cause the water in my area is VERY hard I personally won't drink the tap water here it's disgusting. I live like 10 minutes from the Mexico border so yeah water around here is not the best. It leaves hard water stains on the tips of my misting heads, the cage gets stains, even the leaves get calcium deposits on it and trying to get it off is almost impossible.
Most top cham breeders use this to make sure the water is clean as possible. Plus like one of you said I can probably use it to drink tap water since it can install under my sink.

There is a connection that connects it directly to the pump if your interested in doing that too all the extra connections are listed in the detailed description.

If you've got major mineral buildup from tap water then I would say it's worthwhile to filter it out to preserve your equipment and make cleaning easier. Having sampled the water in the far southwest, I would agree it's REALLY hard!
Aric

 

[tkilgour]

RODI will not eliminate hard water completely. You will need a whole house water conditioning system before the RODI. It's kind of like preaching to the choir here. I have been keeping Reef aquariums and hydroponic systems for well over a decade. I use a 6 stage RODI that does 75gpd and a whole house water conditioning system.

Anything less and my reef aquariums will be full of cyano blooms, hair algae and bubble algae. It would be a complete nightmare. Hydro systems would be a total failure and my flowers wouldn't bloom or grow.


Municipalities are putting chlorine and fluoride in our water and they are known now to be toxic.

"Toxic effect of chlorine skin absorption. Hazards in the bath & shower.

" A five-year study by the Environmental Protection Agency concurred. Studies by Dr. Julian Andelman, Professor of Water Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, found less chemical exposure from drinking chlorine contaminated water than using it to wash the clothes or take a shower.

SKIN PENETRATION

H.S. Brown, Ph.D.; D.R. Bishop, MPH, and C.A. Rowan, MSPH, report that: "Assessments of drinking water safety rely on the assumption that ingestion represents the principle route of exposure." Skin penetration rates for solvents are remarkably high, and the stratum corneum is a less effective barrier to penetration than traditionally assumed. Based on published skin absorption rates, these 3 researchers used Fick's Law to determine permeability constants for selected compounds. Then they calculated dose per kilogram for 9 different exposure situations and compared this to the oral dose per kilogram. They found that skin absorption contributed from 29 to 91 percent of the total dose, averaging 64 percent. The researchers concluded that skin absorption of contaminants in municipal water has been underestimated and that ingestion may not constitute the sole or even primary route of exposure. In addition to penetration of contaminants through the skin to the body as a whole, the contaminants can adversely affect the skin itself. Chlorine chemically bonds with proteins in the hair, skin and scalp. Hair can becomes rough and brittle and lose color. Skin can dry out with itchy, flaky scalp occurring. Chlorine can aggravate sensitive areas in the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

INHALATION

Chloroform (a Trihalomethane or THM) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are two highly volatile toxic chemicals that have been identified in many municipal drinking-water supplies. The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that 200 to 1000 people may die in the U.S. each year (1986) from cancers caused by ingesting these contaminants in water. However, the major threat caused by these water pollutants is far more likely to be as air pollutants in the home, according to a study by Dr. Julian Andelman. He found that in the shower when temperature and chemical concentrations increase and diameter of shower head hole decreases, volatilization increases. His data indicate that hot showers (109F) can liberate about 50% of the dissolved chloroform and 80% of the dissolved TCE into the air. Both the heat and the large surface-to-volume ratio of small droplets increase vaporization. Chlorine, TCE, chloroform, benzene and others are readily absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream.

CONTAMINANTS

The contaminants mentioned in this article are not necessarily in your tap water. However, if chlorine is present in the water it is most certain that other contaminants are also. Chlorine combines with organic substances forming Trihalomethanes including Chloroform. The most common volatile compounds in drinking water supplies as found by the EPA are as listed: trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, benzene,1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, ethylene chloride,1,1-dichloroethylene, bis-1,2-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, & trichlorobenzene.

asthma and chlorine

If it is, doctors say it could be because of one of many substances found in the workplaces that are linked to allergies and asthma. According to a panel of respiratory specialists who convened this week at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Orlando, Fl., as many as 5 percent of all adult asthma cases can be linked to workplaces allergens and irritants such as latex, mites, detergents, ammonia, chlorine, and a variety of substances used in the manufacture of plastics. "[These estimates] come from a number of different studies," said the college's president, Dr. Emil Bardana. "Some have estimated as high as 10 percent, some as low as 2 percent, and it depends on where you're doing the study, and what industry you're studying." Although experts may disagree about the prevalence of the problem, there is no doubt that substances in the workplace can cause serious illness. With more than 15 million Americans now suffering from asthma, Bardana estimates that hundreds of thousands could be experiencing work-related forms of the disease. Those workers at highest risk include people who are exposed to latex, such as health-care professionals, as well as people exposed to animals, such as veterinarians. In addition, industrial workers are often exposed to toxic and irritating chemicals, which can contribute to asthma. Workplace Causes and Prevention Doctors believe that there are two basic ways to get asthma in the workplace. The most common way to become asthmatic is through constant exposure to allergens, which are any substance your body is allergic to, such as latex. Symptoms of an allergic reaction are similar to hay fever, and include runny nose and watery eyes. The other, less common, way is to be exposed to an irritant such as chlorine, a condition that is more likely to clear itself up after exposure. Symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, wheezing, and cough. To prevent these respiratory problems, workers can simply avoid exposure to particular allergens and irritants. Doctors suggest educating workers and employers about the dangers of certain substances, as well as the benefits of using masks, gloves, and exhaust systems to remove allergens from the workplace. One way to tell if a symptom is work-related is to note whether or not it improves when you are away from work. If your sniffles and cough mysteriously get better at night and disappear over the weekends and vacation, that could be an indicator that your illness is work-related."



Effects of fluoride on your body.

"Fluoride disrupts the synthesis of collagen and leads to breakdown in the bone, tendon, skin, cartilage, lungs, trachea, and kidney. Fluoride inhibits the formation of antibodies in the blood, which cause a disruptive effect on various tissues in the body, which then confuses the immune system and causes it to attack its own tissues. Fluoride increases the tumor growth and the general cancer rate. Fluoride has been linked to cancer, low IQâ genetic disorders and muscle degeneration. This information has been based on mercola.com research we trust as a source of information more responsible than government agencies."
"

References are made to research presented in

Fluoride the Aging Factor by John Yiamouyiannis, PhD.

 

[Rush2112]

I bought this system for my RO water. I think it's working great and it was affordable. I think I paid $146.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_136858-8692...URL=?Ntt=whirlpool+reverse+osmosis&facetInfo=

 

[tkilgour]

I bought this system for my RO water. I think it's working great and it was affordable. I think I paid $146.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_136858-8692...URL=?Ntt=whirlpool+reverse+osmosis&facetInfo=

That system should do a good job. It does remove:

Removes Sediment
Removes Chlorine Taste and Odor
Removes Lead
Removes Cyst
Removes Chemicals
Removes Micro-Organisms
Removes Pharmaceuticals ( People have no idea that pharmaceuticals are in their tap water, excreted from human waste and not totally deleted by their municipalities.)

You really need a TDS meter and test kits to know how well these systems work. For example, my tap water is reading almost 400ppm, prior to any filtration. With a 6 stage RODI, it reads .001. However, is still tests out hard and eventually mineral deposits form on dishes, dish washing machine, water spouts, etc. Therefore, we installed that whole house water conditioning system and the TDS reads .000 and the water leaves zero mineral deposits and the RODI purifies it completely.