Tds 35 help

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

My tds is 35 is this too high I have zoes and fish...ro-di not option as I have well. If I put skimmer on tank will this help? Also my nitrates are crazy high at 160. Here are my numbers 40 gal. Breeder tank.
Tds 35
Nitrates 160
Phosphates 0.25
Kh 161.1
Calcium 480
Any advise would be great also I am running a 15 gal.sump with bio ball and small refugium.
Please help newbie.

Cory · Jan 26, 2019

It depends whats in your well water. Do you know? Otherwise id use distilled water or purchase an ro/di. The main concern is heavy metals like copper. The skimmer wont help with tds entering the tank.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 26, 2019

Tds in tap water is not any sort of suitability measure.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Tds in tap water is not any sort of suitability measure.

Not sure what you mean sorry.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Cory said:
It depends whats in your well water. Do you know? Otherwise id use distilled water or purchase an ro/di. The main concern is heavy metals like copper. The skimmer wont help with tds entering

No copper so pic piping. Well water comes from a natural spring.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Cory said:
It depends whats in your well water. Do you know? Otherwise id use distilled water or purchase an ro/di. The main concern is heavy metals like copper. The skimmer wont help with tds entering the tank.

Sorry darn spell checker it is newer well all pvc piping so no metals and no copper. Water comes from a natural spring. Distilled water is .99cents a gallon which is crazy and can't have a ro-di because of well.

Brad Miller · Jan 26, 2019

You can still buy an rodi u it even on well water.
Just add a booster Pump to deliver the right steady pressure to the unit and you'll be amazed.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Pressure is not the problem my pump running alot is as I only get 200 gallons of water a day...grrrr

lapin · Jan 26, 2019

If your well can only produce 200 gallons a day something is wrong. You need to give us some info on this.
A natural spring in the desert can have high levels of arsenic that can kill. Its whats in the water that matters most. TDS number is not as important as to what the TDS is.

Brad Miller · Jan 26, 2019

Ahhhh....
Natural spring...and that explains the 35 tds !
Sounds like you need to dig a well

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Pressure is not the problem my pump running alot is as I only get 200 gallons of water a day...grrrr

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Brad Miller said:
Ahhhh....
Natural spring...and that explains the 35 tds !
Sounds like you need to dig a well

Why would I dig a well? I have natural spring water.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

lapin said:
If your well can only produce 200 gallons a day something is wrong. You need to give us some info on this.
A natural spring in the desert can have high levels of arsenic that can kill. Its whats in the water that matters most. TDS number is not as important as to what the TDS is.

We live in Alabama not the desert.... it is small spring and 200 gallons is usually plenty for me and my husband, but my problem is not that it is if 35 tds is high for my saltwater tank.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

Brad Miller said:
You can still buy an rodi u it even on well water.
Just add a booster Pump to deliver the right steady pressure to the unit and you'll be amazed.

Awesome set up brad.

trido · Jan 26, 2019

Get and ICP test and send a sample of the spring water in to be tested. It will cost $30 and may be able to tell you what the 35TDS is. It could simply be sediment that your filter it not catching, or could be high levels of iron. None of us can give you the answer you're hoping to hear.

trido · Jan 26, 2019

Or, you could also just use DI resin only. I use the first three chambers of an old RO unit along with a fourth free standing chamber. I use a sediment filter, carbon filter and two chambers of DI resin. It brings my TDS from 28 down to zero. It costs me about $80 a year to keep up on the resin but I have a 450G system and do WC's every two weeks.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

trido said:
Get and ICP test and send a sample of the spring water in to be tested. It will cost $30 and may be able to tell you what the 35TDS is. It could simply be sediment that your filter it not catching, or could be high levels of iron. None of us can give you the answer you're hoping to hear.

Oh ok sorry, I understand now. It is sediment our ground is limestone, clay and sand. We had it tested 3 years ago when we had our well put in.

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

trido said:
Or, you could also just use DI resin only. I use the first three chambers of an old RO unit along with a fourth free standing chamber. I use a sediment filter, carbon filter and two chambers of DI resin. It brings my TDS from 28 down to zero. It costs me about $80 a year to keep up on the resin but I have a 450G system and do WC's every two weeks.

If I use that only will it still have alot of waste? That is my only problem is dumping good water...lol

Bobbi Munoz · Jan 26, 2019

I do use distilled water for ato..lol I am just worried about the 35 tds..... when I do my water changes

lapin · Jan 26, 2019

Bobbi Munoz said:
If I use that only will it still have alot of waste? That is my only problem is dumping good water...lol

DI resin containers do not produce waste water. The resin absorbs and holds the impurities until it can hold no more. You pump water in and the same amount exits.

Sediment is sediment. Whole particles.
TDS is dissolved solids. For example chlorine is a dissolved solid.

I believe your high nitrates are caused by something in your well water.

Oh and welcome to R2R
howdy from Texas