Panicking a little: High TDS

Eienna · Jun 24, 2013

I'm freaking out. I finally got my tds tester, and to my shock the RODI water from my unit is - at this point - over 400ppm, almost as bad as the tap water. No wonder I can't get the algae to clear up!!

Now, normally I'd be very nervous but not panicked - but I got to participate in the special Cherry Corals sale, and I have them coming the 9th or 10th...and I haven't a snowball's chance in a furnace of either affording new filters or getting a new unit at this point. Unless my dad comes through and gets me one before then (call it my birthday present), I am in serious trouble. Is there anything else I can do to mitigate the disaster if that doesn't happen?

florida reef · Jun 24, 2013

Buy ro water from an LFS.

Eienna · Jun 24, 2013

How much does that run, generally?

florida reef · Jun 24, 2013

less than .50 a gallon I think is reasonable.

Eienna · Jun 24, 2013

I'll call them tomorrow (they're closed for the day) and see what they charge.

RalphsReef · Jun 24, 2013

I'd see if Cherry could hold on to the frags while you get your RODI woes straightened out. I don't see why they would not help out by doing that.

Eienna · Jun 24, 2013

If I can't come up with a viable solution quickly, I'll call them.

TrialandError · Jun 24, 2013

You don't have the hoses crossed on the unit do you? What are the tds out of the waste line?

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RavePartyReef · Jun 24, 2013

Make sure you test the lfs ro water as well...they dont always change their filters as needed and the ppm can be high!

Kylecva · Jun 25, 2013

The RO water at my lfs is 25 cents per gallon I've also heard of people just going to a grocery store and buying distilled water by the gallon in desperate situations.

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Eienna · Jun 25, 2013

TrialandError said:
You don't have the hoses crossed on the unit do you? What are the tds out of the waste line?

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I assembled it according to the seller's diagram. Pretty straightforward....I really don't see how I could have goofed.

I didn't test the waste water. I'll have to do that a little later because I just put the thing away.

My mom brought me some large jugs of vending-machine water and it tests out at 11ppm TDS, so I'm okay for the moment.

gregoryleonard · Jun 25, 2013

florida reef said:
Buy ro water from an LFS.

I would take your TDS tester with you and make sure their's are under control. Hate for you to spend good $$ on bad water. I have seen LFS that don't test their RO water and have no idea what the reading is. Just my 2 cents worth.

Eienna · Jun 25, 2013

gregoryleonard said:
I would take your TDS tester with you and make sure their's are under control. Hate for you to spend good $$ on bad water. I have seen LFS that don't test their RO water and have no idea what the reading is. Just my 2 cents worth.

I'll keep that in mind

Thanks!
I also read of the saltwater from an LFS containing no salt...if I get that I'm gonna test it for salinity, too! XD

AZDesertRat · Jun 25, 2013

Triple rinse your TDS meter in some distilled water then test your tap water TDS, RO only TDS and final RO/DI water again making sure to triple rinse the meter between each test.
Never test from a storage container, always use either the cap which has been rinsed between sues or a clean clear drinking water glass triple rinsed between each use.

What are your three TDS readings from above?

beaslbob · Jun 25, 2013

Eienna said:
I'm freaking out. I finally got my tds tester, and to my shock the RODI water from my unit is - at this point - over 400ppm, almost as bad as the tap water. No wonder I can't get the algae to clear up!!

...

?

IMHO The nutrients come from the fish and other livestock much much much more then the tds of your input water.

IME the best thing to do is use a refugium with mocro algaes or an algae turf scrubber to consume the nutrients not the ugly algaes in the display.

but hey--- That's just me and my:

.02

Eienna · Jun 25, 2013

beaslbob said:
IMHO The nutrients come from the fish and other livestock much much much more then the tds of your input water.

IME the best thing to do is use a refugium with mocro algaes or an algae turf scrubber to consume the nutrients not the ugly algaes in the display.

but hey--- That's just me and my:

.02

Even daily water changes was not helping.

Eienna · Jun 25, 2013

AZDesertRat said:
Triple rinse your TDS meter in some distilled water then test your tap water TDS, RO only TDS and final RO/DI water again making sure to triple rinse the meter between each test.
Never test from a storage container, always use either the cap which has been rinsed between sues or a clean clear drinking water glass triple rinsed between each use.

What are your three TDS readings from above?

I don't have distilled water right now. I'll see about getting some.
It says it's factory-calibrated, but has a spot for calibrating with NaCl (table salt?)

AZDesertRat · Jun 26, 2013

You need to rinse the TDS meter in distilled water between tests until you know for sure you have good RO/DI to rinse it in otherwise you get a buildup on the probes and it will not be accurate, calibrated or not.

Post so pics of your RO/DI plumbing and we can troubleshoot it for you. Also the TDS readings from the tap, RO only, RO/DI and even the waste line are helpful once you can rinse the meter between tests and afterwards.

bucksfan1976 · Jun 26, 2013

When you test it, are the containers you are testing in completely clean, because any salt residue will cause a bad reading. If its a hand held, i have given up on those showing proper numbers

I went with one of these
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/dual-inline-tds-meter-dm-1-hm-digital.html

has never let me down since. It does sound like you have something backwards.

Opus · Jun 26, 2013

Is this a new RO unit? IMO, it sounds like you have one of two problems. Either the lines are hooked up wrong or the RO membrane is not seated properly. Since you mention going over the assembly diagram already I would unscrew the housing that contains the RO membrane and make sure it is in there correctly. Also a quick question. Did you ever allow the RO membrane to dry out? If they dry out then they are ruined.