Whats your leak test procedure?

[Bakedpwn]

Do you use tap, rodi, or full salt?
Do you fill sump and DT and do a standing water test for a period of time or just fully run the system?

Brand new tanks so im thinking of using rodi or full salt so i dont waste 80 gals of tap

 

[shakacuz]

leak testing? tap. no need to waste perfectly good rodi/salt water. if you're making rodi, there will still be "waste water", likely not as much but at least you're not preemptively using your resins/filters

for bigger tanks (100+), i'd assume they probably used rodi as most have their own water holding systems.

 

[Fish Fan]

leak testing? tap. no need to waste perfectly good rodi/salt water. if you're making rodi, there will still be "waste water", likely not as much but at least you're not preemptively using your resins/filters

My first thought was tap all the way for a leak test. But if the OP uses RODI and there's no leaks, he can just add salt and keep going, without wasting 80 gallons of tap water. If I thought there was any chance of a leak, I'd probably use tap water myself.

 

[shakacuz]

My first thought was tap all the way for a leak test. But if the OP uses RODI and there's no leaks, he can just add salt and keep going, without wasting 80 gallons of tap water. If I thought there was any chance of a leak, I'd probably use tap water myself.

valid point!

 

[TX_REEF]

what do you mean by wasting tap? it's way cheaper than RODI or salt. I just use the hose and test it in the garage.

 

[CBonito]

I filled mine up with RO, fired it up and checked. Then once I was happy, I added salt and then sand.
I dont care about "wasting" RO water...I care about wasting time.

 

[Jekyl]

My first thought was tap all the way for a leak test. But if the OP uses RODI and there's no leaks, he can just add salt and keep going, without wasting 80 gallons of tap water. If I thought there was any chance of a leak, I'd probably use tap water myself.

Shouldn't mix salt in the tank. Also will be issues adding sand after water.

 

[TX_REEF]

I filled mine up with RO, fired it up and checked. Then once I was happy, I added salt and then sand.
I dont care about "wasting" RO water...I care about wasting time.

So you leak test in your house? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose if it does leak? Just playing devils advocate here

 

[Bakedpwn]

what do you mean by wasting tap? it's way cheaper than RODI or salt. I just use the hose and test it in the garage.

Its cheaper if you are throwing it out. Aka using a **** ton of water for essentially nothing if i can use rodi and add salt.
I dont have a easy way to get 80 gals of tap to the tank in mid winter either

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do you use tap, rodi, or full salt?
Do you fill sump and DT and do a standing water test for a period of time or just fully run the system?

Brand new tanks so im thinking of using rodi or full salt so i dont waste 80 gals of tap

Ro water for 48 hours and if new- new saltwater. If there is a leak, simply salvage the newly mixed water.

 

[Bakedpwn]

Shouldn't mix salt in the tank. Also will be issues adding sand after water.

Yea the logistics of adding rock and sand later are stopping me. I may go with tap

 

[Fish Fan]

Shouldn't mix salt in the tank. Also will be issues adding sand after water.

Why can’t you mix salt in a totally empty tank, it’s just a vessel at this point?

 

[Fish Fan]

Can I just ask, do you have an old tank or a tank that you suspect will leak?

 

[Jekyl]

Why can’t you mix salt in a totally empty tank, it’s just a vessel at this point?

You should add rocks and sand ahead of time. Makes it a pain if the tank is full.

 

[crabgrass]

I filled mine up with RO, fired it up and checked. Then once I was happy, I added salt and then sand.
I dont care about "wasting" RO water...I care about wasting time.

This is exactly what I did. Filled with RO (display and sump), ran everything for 24 hours. No DT issues, but found lots of small issues with my connections that needing fixing. The saltwater, and then moved rocks and sand.

 

[Bakedpwn]

Can I just ask, do you have an old tank or a tank that you suspect will leak?

new tanks. 60 aqeuon and 40 breeder for sump

 

[CBonito]

So you leak test in your house? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose if it does leak? Just playing devils advocate here

Yup, on my third floor in my studio. My system was all hard plumbed with plenty of unions etc for maintenance/repairs. So if there was going to be a leak, then what better way to test how I would react to it?

For the record, I did have a pin leak in my overflow box, but even so, I was able to shut the pump, allow the overflow to drain and with a couple gooches of weld-on, I was rockin'. None of my plumbing leaked and I have 2 returns, a refugium, manifold and separate drain and the tank drain. No problemos gringos! lol

 

[crabgrass]

You should add rocks and sand ahead of time. Makes it a pain if the tank is full.

It does, but you should NOT put either in if they are live, right? If your 100% dry start that is fine

 

[mfinn]

Do you use tap, rodi, or full salt?
Do you fill sump and DT and do a standing water test for a period of time or just fully run the system?

Brand new tanks so im thinking of using rodi or full salt so i dont waste 80 gals of tap

When I'm setting up a new system I've always tried to do it out in my garage. Get everything plumbed up, using lots of unions.
Then run a 2 day freshwater/tap water test to make sure there are no leaks and everything holds the levels I want. Pumps, powerheads everything.
Drain everything and move it inside. Put everything back together and then run another test to make the noise level is acceptable.
Use tap water for all tests. IMO it's a complete waste of rodi water to use it for tests.

 

[Bakedpwn]

This is exactly what I did. Filled with RO (display and sump), ran everything for 24 hours. No DT issues, but found lots of small issues with my connections that needing fixing. The saltwater, and then moved rocks and sand.

you put the sand in filled with water? do you do that when its slap full or maybe just a few inches of water?