Conflicting phosphate test results

[DirkCourage]

Rodi units can be stored in a cupboard until needed, no reason why being in an apartment should stop you, it hasn't stopped me.

Guess I’ve just seen the ones all plumbed into houses and assumed that was the deal! What do you use?

 

[Shirak]

Guess I’ve just seen the ones all plumbed into houses and assumed that was the deal! What do you use?

You can look into a faucet adapter fitting that will attach if you remove the aerator. Just need to find one that fits your faucet!

For example

 

[Rmckoy]

Rodi units can be stored in a cupboard until needed, no reason why being in an apartment should stop you, it hasn't stopped me.

Change the tip of the kitchen faucet to the garden hose adapter .
sit your rodi unit in the sink or on the counter .

don’t go out for the day leaving it running , neighbour’s below you won’t be happy if water is dripping on them

 

[Reef.]

Guess I’ve just seen the ones all plumbed into houses and assumed that was the deal! What do you use?

I just fitted a 'Y' connection to the washing machine water inlet under the sink, fitted a £3 ball valve to it and a length of rodi tubing, when I need the rodi unit I pull the rodi unit out of the cupboard, stick the tubing in the unit and open the ball valve.

 

[DirkCourage]

WELL. Interesting day at the LFS. I brought a sample of fresh saltwater for them to test. I did not tell them what it was. Their test (RedSea) came out .16. So then we get into it. Turns out they do not make RODI water just DI filtered water. “So yeah, there’s usually phosphate in there. You can run GFO or something.” WOW. Their demeanor told the story. They seemed a little embarrassed and well they might be.

While this was happening I could overhear a conversation with another customer over their test results. He told them their dKH was at 2, which was what they told me when testing my parameters the week before (a number so wildly impossible I duly ignored it.) I wanted to run over there and call out this BS. This is an established, well known LFS. The whole this was confounding.

So, there’s another place I’ll check in with this week, but failing that I’ll try to figure out a home solution. None of my faucets are “RODI ready.” I have some Phosban in a media bag, and will plan on getting the skimmer back in. I could never get it working quite right, but it can’t hurt. As frustrating as this was at least I finally know what’s up. In a weird way it has made me more confident in what I’m doing.

 

[Shirak]

WELL. Interesting day at the LFS. I brought a sample of fresh saltwater for them to test. I did not tell them what it was. Their test (RedSea) came out .16. So then we get into it. Turns out they do not make RODI water just DI filtered water. “So yeah, there’s usually phosphate in there. You can run GFO or something.” WOW. Their demeanor told the story. They seemed a little embarrassed and well they might be.

While this was happening I could overhear a conversation with another customer over their test results. He told them their dKH was at 2, which was what they told me when testing my parameters the week before (a number so wildly impossible I duly ignored it.) I wanted to run over there and call out this BS. This is an established, well known LFS. The whole this was confounding.

So, there’s another place I’ll check in with this week, but failing that I’ll try to figure out a home solution. None of my faucets are “RODI ready.” I have some Phosban in a media bag, and will plan on getting the skimmer back in. I could never get it working quite right, but it can’t hurt. As frustrating as this was at least I finally know what’s up. In a weird way it has made me more confident in what I’m doing.

Sounds like your making progress! How much water do you purchase? Might be better and cheaper to try one of the purified water dispensing machines some stores have. You could pump it through a mixed bed DI canister too if needed fora little extra filtering

 

[Shirak]

Something like this. https://primowater.com/self-service-refill-water/

 

[BostonReefer300]

WELL. Interesting day at the LFS. I brought a sample of fresh saltwater for them to test. I did not tell them what it was. Their test (RedSea) came out .16. So then we get into it. Turns out they do not make RODI water just DI filtered water. “So yeah, there’s usually phosphate in there. You can run GFO or something.” WOW. Their demeanor told the story. They seemed a little embarrassed and well they might be.

While this was happening I could overhear a conversation with another customer over their test results. He told them their dKH was at 2, which was what they told me when testing my parameters the week before (a number so wildly impossible I duly ignored it.) I wanted to run over there and call out this BS. This is an established, well known LFS. The whole this was confounding.

So, there’s another place I’ll check in with this week, but failing that I’ll try to figure out a home solution. None of my faucets are “RODI ready.” I have some Phosban in a media bag, and will plan on getting the skimmer back in. I could never get it working quite right, but it can’t hurt. As frustrating as this was at least I finally know what’s up. In a weird way it has made me more confident in what I’m doing.

Yikes!

 

[takitaj]

If you get a RoDi unit you can keep it under the kitchen sink and plumb it with one of these John Guest Angle Stop Valve - Bulk Reef Supply . It connects between the existing cold water shut-off valve and the faucet line. Very simple to install. You'll need a wrench or pliers and like 2 minutes to install it.

When you're ready, put the waste line into the drain, turn on the valve and you're makin' water. You can even use the faucet while you're making water.

 

[Rmckoy]

I bought a adapter that goes from the faucet to a garden hose .

ties up the faucet and sink for a while but it works for now

 

[DirkCourage]

Something like this. https://primowater.com/self-service-refill-water/

Wow, I mean this sounds like it’s literally RODI water. This could really be the solution.

 

[Shirak]

Wow, I mean this sounds like it’s literally RODI water. This could really be the solution.

I believe it is sediment, carbon and RO so you would need a small pump and a mixed bed DI canister. Might be worth checking out though if you really can't find a way to get a RODI hooked up somewhere in your apartment.

 

[Rmckoy]

Buy it at the hardware store . Remove the one on the faucet and screw it onto the faucet .

 

[blasterman]

This is a perfect example of why I'm so vocal about RODI vs distilled debates.

You simply cannot trust RODI or purified water claims from commercial sources, and LFS stores are by far the worst offenders. Grocery stores are next. Ive had too many LFS stores get caught selling tap instead of RODI. Somebody has to change those filters at the grocery store. Typically its the kid who works in bottle return. You trust him,?

If you have to get commercial water get distilled. It comes from large scale purification machines. If at all possible plumb your own RODI.

 

[Shirak]

This is a perfect example of why I'm so vocal about RODI vs distilled debates.

You simply cannot trust RODI or purified water claims from commercial sources, and LFS stores are by far the worst offenders. Grocery stores are next. Ive had too many LFS stores get caught selling tap instead of RODI. Somebody has to change those filters at the grocery store. Typically its the kid who works in bottle return. You trust him,?

If you have to get commercial water get distilled. It comes from large scale purification machines. If at all possible plumb your own RODI.

No not necessarily but in a bind it would be easy and inexpensive to test the water from the machine for TDS and chlorines to make sure both the carbon and the RO is working. Have you actually gone around to various Primo water machines to test them? I haven't, so can't make any claims to how good they are but an RO is pretty hard to screw up so I suspect they are pretty decent, enough so that filtering it through a mixed bed DI at home would take out anything that would still be in the water. Would certainly be better than his LFS at .16 PO4! Distilled from a jug is great but the $ can really add up fast when you need gallons and gallons.

I am really not sure why DirkCourage is having issues finding something at the apartment. Sinks virtually all have removeable aerators so it should be possible to find one that can be used to hook a unit too.

 

[DirkCourage]

Yeah, reading some threads on here re: Primo and it all boils down to “can you trust it.” I could test TDS on it as I buy it, but I would still need an alternative if it failed. If I’m filtering that, might as well do the whole shebang.

As for plumbing a RODI, it’s just an old place with odd fixtures and plumbing. It might take a little creativity on my part. And though there’s nothing in my lease agreement that says I can’t have an aquarium, my landlord is... well, I’d rather keep it under the radar. It’s the building’s water too, so crazy as it sounds he might notice the extra consumption.

 

[Shirak]

Yeah, reading some threads on here re: Primo and it all boils down to “can you trust it.” I could test TDS on it as I buy it, but I would still need an alternative if it failed. If I’m filtering that, might as well do the whole shebang.

As for plumbing a RODI, it’s just an old place with odd fixtures and plumbing. It might take a little creativity on my part. And though there’s nothing in my lease agreement that says I can’t have an aquarium, my landlord is... well, I’d rather keep it under the radar. It’s the building’s water too, so crazy as it sounds he might notice the extra consumption.

How much water are you using each week?

 

[DirkCourage]

How much water are you using each week?

Not all that much, around 5 gallons a week with WCs. Might be less if I can get my phosphate under control lol. That’s why I’m ok with buying jugs of RODI is it’s possible. Making this at home is another level of hassle and gear I’d just as soon avoid. We’ll see.

 

[DirkCourage]

An update for those interested. The other LFS water forgoes DI filtering, though at least phosphates were a reasonable .05. Of course, this got me to thinking... how clean was any of this? Got a TDS meter, and neither of these places is 0 TDS. So, I’ve been rolling with measurable TDS since tank start.

The good news is everything looks healthy. I have managed to lower PO4 through Phosban, skimmer and Phosphate-E (to .5 on the Hanna) so that’s progress! Continuing those measures, trying to find fixture adapters for a RODI, and picked up an ICP test to see if there’s anything unusual building up in there.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I’m trying to get a handle on my phosphate levels, but have been confronted by odd test results. Not trying to chase numbers, but suddenly feels like I’m flying blind. Tank has been running six months, and everything seems happy. No algae outbreaks. Weekly water changes and nitrates run between 5-10.

I’ve tested with RedSea Pro since startup and have been consistently read .1-.12 on the dial (with 17ml tank water test.)

I picked up the Hanna Phosphate ULR and get .9! (Confirmed twice.)

I took a sample to my LFS and was told .35 They were crazy wrong on other parameters, so I really don’t trust that number either.

I don’t understand the divergent results, or that they would seem to be out of line with my relatively low nitrate levels. Any suggestions?

I actually get really divergent results as well with the Red Sea Pro and Hanna. When I did an ICP test it came in pretty close to the Hanna so I'm suspecting bad reagents with the Red Sea Pro kit. Similar to you, the Red Sea Pro kit always comes in around 0.12 to 0.14, and this is on 3 different tanks. Hanna way higher. Wish the Red Sea kit was right because the number would make me feel a lot better!