Problems caused by high TDS RO/DI (85-95)?

[abinder]

I was wondering what problems RO/DI with high TDS (85-95) can cause. It was being used for auto topoff and was probably used for mixing the salt water I was using to do 10-15% water changes every week.
(I was buying it every week from a lfs.)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It depends entirely on what is in it, but it might have ammonia, metals, or nutrients for algae and diatoms.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I would highly recommend purchasing an RO/DI unit and make you're own water. I'm not surprised by what you were buying at your LFS....unfortunately this is rather typical. If funds are tight, HERE's a unit at a fair price.

 

[SROPE]

Great product and price.

 

[abinder]

I would highly recommend purchasing an RO/DI unit and make you're own water. I'm not surprised by what you were buying at your LFS....unfortunately this is rather typical. If funds are tight, HERE's a unit at a fair price.

I picked up the SpectraPure MaxCap 90 this week and will be setting it up this weekend.

 

[abinder]

It depends entirely on what is in it, but it might have ammonia, metals, or nutrients for algae and diatoms.

That's what I'm thinking.

My tanks been going for about a year now and I still get what appears to be diatoms on the gravel (gravel slowly gets 'brown' I between water changes.

I've never had any problems with hair algae and I have no problem with coralline algae growing (easily grows on things in the DT).

The only reason I know the TDS was high is I was going to make my own RO/DI and salt mix. I purchased a handheld HM meter and tested the RO/DI I was purchasing and saw the high numbers. I checked some DI water I have access to at work and it checked out at 0-1 TDS with the same HM meter.

I have a brain coral that's slowly been slowly dying over the past 4 months and am wondering if the high TDS could be causing it. Aldo, I can't seem to get zoas to live in the tank either. I've had the brain coral for almost 2 years and it was fine until about 4 months ago. It stopped extending the 'tentacles' whenever I would feed the corals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That's what I'm thinking.

My tanks been going for about a year now and I still get what appears to be diatoms on the gravel (gravel slowly gets 'brown' I between water changes.

I've never had any problems with hair algae and I have no problem with coralline algae growing (easily grows on things in the DT).

The only reason I know the TDS was high is I was going to make my own RO/DI and salt mix. I purchased a handheld HM meter and tested the RO/DI I was purchasing and saw the high numbers. I checked some DI water I have access to at work and it checked out at 0-1 TDS with the same HM meter.

I have a brain coral that's slowly been slowly dying over the past 4 months and am wondering if the high TDS could be causing it. Aldo, I can't seem to get zoas to live in the tank either. I've had the brain coral for almost 2 years and it was fine until about 4 months ago. It stopped extending the 'tentacles' whenever I would feed the corals.

Unless other inverts (like snails and crabs, etc.) are suffering (possibly from metals like copper), then I doubt it was from the source water.

 

[abinder]

Unless other inverts (like snails and crabs, etc.) are suffering (possibly from metals like copper), then I doubt it was from the source water.

I just only seem to have 1 hermit crab now. I had at least 6 before. There's also more empty snail shells as well.

 

[Naiad]

I would grab a polypad and just see what it filters out at this point. You have new clean water to start doing some good water changes. There is really no telling what the stores ro unit was letting through. I would politely let them know to check their filters next time you are there though.