Hair Algae and RO/DI

[fordsvt04]

ok I just got my Big order from Air Water Ice.... Everything looks great and Shipped Very Well. Anyways I got all new filters... 10 mic Sed / 5 and 1 Mic Carbon Blocks 150gpd Membrane and I got a Add on DI unit cuz i heard my inline that I have is not the best in the world.... and also got that 5 cent Handheld TDS tester and a HM DM2 Inline Tester... Anyways I had a 48 ppm tds on my top off water.... Would that cause Hair Algae? I tesed water before filter and WOW so how much a filter does.... So I changed all my filters and my Sediment filter that went in white lol its was so rusty wow...... Its been about 8 months since I changed filters... Well now with everything replaced I am getting 0ppm but can 48ppm really cause my realy bad Hair Algae?

PS 2 thumbs up for Air Water Ice...

 

[rbursek]

DEpends on what it was, if phophates yes.

 

[wartskin]

If you have high levels of phosphate... possibly. Have you checked the levels in your aquarium to see what they are. It may be that some levels were just high enough that the top off water just helped the situation. I know that when I lived in SoCal that the winter months were always bad for my RO/DI because of all of the run off from the mountains we had extremely high phosphate levels and if I wasn't careful and on the up and up with the water changes or changing my RO/DI filters I would get hair algae outbreaks.

 

[downhillbiker]

I would say yes. I had HA for a long time and the TDS here in Eugene, OR before any filter is 18-25. That is the lowest in the country and I still had problems with HA. I thought RO/DI would be a waste of time and money for me, but I bought it anyway, and now I have no HA.

 

[fordsvt04]

wow 18? Mine before the filter is 200ppm

 

[jimwat]

So are you saying that your tap has a TDS of 48 or that the output of your RO/DI got up to a TDS of 48 before you replaced the filters?

 

[fordsvt04]

ro/di

 

[jimwat]

Wow 200! That explains why your filters are needing replaced after only 8 months.

I have been told that when the filter (specifically the DI) is completely used up that it can start leaching things back into the water. I replace my filters as soon as I notice that the TDS is starting to creep up (like before it gets above 3 or 4).

Anyway, at this point I would just do some precautionary water changes with your 0 TDS water to be safe. If there are any phosphates/silicates/etc. you do not want them saturating your tank with nutrients for future HA outbreaks.

 

[fordsvt04]

so 48ppm for top off is alot its should always be at 0pm?

 

[jimwat]

A TDS of 48 coming from a RO/DI unit is way to high IMO. A TDS of 0 is optimal.

BTW - I switch out my DI cartridge every 5 of 6 months. The rest of the filters every 12 months. RO membrane every 2 years.

 

[wartskin]

I got this from the Marine Depot website, this is what Kent Marine suggests.

Filter change times
NOTE: change times are varied depending on the tap water conditions.
Stated times are an average: TFC membrane: 3 to 5 years, CF1M(Sediment): 6 months, CFCE(Carbon Block): 3,500 gallons or 6 months, CFI(DI Cartridge): around 400 gallons.

This last one is responsible for the silicate and phosphate removal so it's vital to change that accordingly. Also a good way of know what filters are out is to purchase a second TDS monitor and but the carbon and sediment on one and the RO membrane and DI cartridge on the other. Thats what I did and it made it easier to know which ones were going out.

 

[downhillbiker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12432541#post12432541 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fordsvt04
wow 18? Mine before the filter is 200ppm

yeah, for the longest time i didnt see how i need a ro/di and decided to get one anyway. several people i know keep nice corals here without ro/di and one of which aquacultures sps corals and does great. i just have so much money invested i decided it would be stupid not to have the best for my corals.