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What do you think of the Milwaukee SM802

madcaptains 13 posts

I am looking for a TDS monitor. I found a nice one from Milwaukee and would like to know what you think about it: http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=611

I actually don't care of the pH feature (already have a pH monitor) but I did not find any EC/TDS only monitor yet.

Thanks

reefsurgeon 259 posts

good brand, nice meter, GREAT site...if you JUST want a hand held TDS meter, this would be the way to go.  They are the most accurate of the hand helds.  BUT, if you are willing to spend that kind of money, i honestly would just get one of the nice RO units.  like i said, they have TDS meters built in (in line, just for the water coming OUT, so if you want to know what your water going in is to check the efficiency of your unit, just get a cheap hand held meter, or a two way inline meter ($15-$20 bucks) to use when you need to, and many of them come with a pressurized booster pump, which can cost you anywhere from $70-$200 for an upgrade on another unit.  and you won't have to deal with wasted water like the one you had before.  just get a garbage bucket or some water jugs to fill, and you will be golden.  you WILL have to run the unit through for the first day or so, but as far as wasted water, that's just about all that you will have to waste. 

THIS, imo, would be the BEST option for you, for only $150 more than just that hand held meter alone. http://www.aquacave.com/vertex-puratek-100-gpdbr-rodi-unit-2531.html  if you DON'T want to do the RO unit thing, and you JUST want the TDS meter, then the one you found is a good one...BUT, the ONLY thing the TDS meter is going to tell you is what your tap water quality is...and you already know from the analysis you found that it's not so good for using in your tanks.  i don't mean to be pushing the RO unit, but i just think it would be a bit of a waste of money for you to JUST have an expensive TDS meter if you don't have the filtration to fix the water problem once you see it's over the recommended limit.  and the only reason i'm pushing aquacave is because they have GREAT products, and great customer service, and if you let me know before you put an order in, i might be able to get you a discount. 

 it's ENTIRELY up to you...i just know from experience that buying water from the grocery store gets to be expensive, AND when i did that, i had phosphate issues because they don't really keep up with their RO units.  my brother started working for a company in fort lauderdale beach a few years back where he does plumbing, air conditioning repair, etc. on yachts, so he gets stuff at wholesale prices.  he got me a 5 stage RO unit cheap with pressurized pump and holding tank and installed it for me.  I installed the inline TDS meter myself later on to make sure it's filtering well enough, and to know when to change the membranes.  saves me lots of money, and lots of trips to the grocery store...and considering your location, i imagine it's not so easy to just drive on down to the store to grab some RO water when you need it.  again, it's entirely up to you.  i'm just letting you know from experience that A LOT of money is saved in the long run with an RO unit...saves gas, saves stressing that your water is going to hurt your livestock, and gives you an easier situation all around...once it's installed, that's is!  haha!  that's can be a pain in the rear! but anyhow, that's my 2 cents...well, maybe it's a lot more than 2 cents.  lol.  but just lookin out!  hope it helps! grin-Ash 

madcaptains 13 posts

Hi Ash,
Looks like this RO/DI unit is the way to go. I am not sure it is a good time for me to but that kind of equipment because I might move to a smaller place next summer (with no running water). So until I know what will happen, I might just buy water from the store (I'll test it first).

Thanks for all your advices!!!!