Iron in tap water

[crimsontopper]

So I am not necessarily new to the hobby, but I have been out of the game for a few years. A lot has changed in that time. However, my issue is related to water quality. I am concerned about my local water. I live in Mississippi, so naturally utilities are about 30 years behind the rest of the nation. Our local water company is a mom and pop operation that only services a few neighborhoods. The well they take their water from is *RICH* in iron, to the point that our water is often brown from iron. This on top of an outstandingly inept staff who cannot seem to decide how to treat the water. I am wondering if a standard four stage RO/DI unit is going to be sufficient to filter the iron and fluctuating chemical levels, or even if a six stage would be enough. Does anyone have a similar experience? I know I could buy water from an LFS, but once again Mississippi, there are no LFS's within an hour. :headwalls: Any advice would be helpful.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

So I am not necessarily new to the hobby, but I have been out of the game for a few years. A lot has changed in that time. However, my issue is related to water quality. I am concerned about my local water. I live in Mississippi, so naturally utilities are about 30 years behind the rest of the nation. Our local water company is a mom and pop operation that only services a few neighborhoods. The well they take their water from is *RICH* in iron, to the point that our water is often brown from iron. This on top of an outstandingly inept staff who cannot seem to decide how to treat the water. I am wondering if a standard four stage RO/DI unit is going to be sufficient to filter the iron and fluctuating chemical levels, or even if a six stage would be enough. Does anyone have a similar experience? I know I could buy water from an LFS, but once again Mississippi, there are no LFS's within an hour. :headwalls: Any advice would be helpful.

https://www.filterwaterdirect.com/products/whole-house-iron-water-filter

 

[crimsontopper]

Thanks. I should note that I am grad student (poor) and I am planning on a Nuvo 20.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Thanks. I should note that I am grad student (poor) and I am planning on a Nuvo 20.

OK, but do realise that this type of filter is a whole house filter, so it will filter the water you are drinking also.

 

[crimsontopper]

The money is the real issue. The iron levels are fine for human consumption. I am only concerned about fish/corals. If that is what it takes to make sure I have good enough water for a tank, I just wont get a tank. I really wanted to know if anyone has experience filtering higher than normal levels of iron effectively with a normal RO/DI unit which is within my budget.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

The money is the real issue. The iron levels are fine for human consumption. I am only concerned about fish/corals. If that is what it takes to make sure I have good enough water for a tank, I just wont get a tank. I really wanted to know if anyone has experience filtering higher than normal levels of iron effectively with a normal RO/DI unit which is within my budget.

depending on the level of iron in your water supply, a standard RODI filter will surfice. The iron level, if unusually high, will just shorten the life of your RO filter somewhat. If the water is drinkable, I doubt it is a problem.

I suggest using a test kit to actuall measure the iron level, & then talk to Buckeye Hydrohttp://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=446

He is very helpful & knowlegable on the matter.

 

[crimsontopper]

Sounds good. Thank you.

 

[outy]

My water will be brown from rusty pipes until you let it run clean, but TDS is low so I'm lucky.

Your TDS is more important then possible iron levels, as the membrane will clean up the fine iron

 

[crimsontopper]

So what should I be looking for when I get the ro/di? Do i need to test TDS before? I talked to the water people and they said they only use chlorine, so chloramine is not a concern.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

So what should I be looking for when I get the ro/di? Do i need to test TDS before? I talked to the water people and they said they only use chlorine, so chloramine is not a concern.

Make sure your unit has a pressure guage. A pressure drop means your sediment filter is clogging up.

A total chlorine test kit will tell you when your carbon filter is spent, as the adsoption of organic compounds filling the pores will prevent electron exchange occuring & removing chlorine/ chloramine.

A hand held TDS meter will tell you when the ro membrane, or the di resin need replacing.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

https://www.ebay.com.au/i/252801615...%3D705-139619-5960-0%26rvr_id%3D1418824216979

 

[crimsontopper]

Nice, I found the american version and will check it out.

 

[josephxsxn]

I have accidentally dosed my tank as high as 0.3+ ppm of Iron with no ill effects, I wouldn't recommend it ofc. The Red Sea Program recommends an Iron level of 0.15 ppm. Maybe the water treatment place has a water quality report you can snag to get all the average levels? Mine issues a quality report yearly.

if your looking for cheap innovative ideas what about mixing it up as saltwater in a bucket, but growing chaeto in it for a few days to suck up the iron. My tank reads 0ppm iron now a days because all the alage is sucking it up faster then I dose it.

 

[Subsea]

+10 to what Jose said. Iron is a good thing in a reef tank. Randy Holmes Farley said it differrently with an article on “dosing iron in a reef tank”. He said that “It would be difficult to dose too much iron”.

I noticed the effect of iron dosing on seaweed tumble culture of Gracilaria Hayi within a few hours. It darkened up from dull to bright red. In the case of C Prolifera, this mimic of Oar Grass took on a vibrant emerald green as an intank contrast to Bortacladia, Red Grapes.

On my 120G new build, I included 20 lbs of Flourite which is advertised as a fresh water substrate.

 

[outy]

Iron is a good thing in a reef tank.

IN moderation only.

It feeds bad algae.

 

[Subsea]

IN moderation only.

It feeds bad algae.

More specifically, iron feeds all algae, including zooanthellia in coral.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/10/aafeature

 

[Subsea]

As a Gardner, I look at things from a holistic point of view. Iron is a micro nutrient. Micronutrients do not fuel algae growth, they provide enzymes to open up nutrient pathways. The major components in the Redfield Ratio 106/16/1 are carbon, nitrogen & phosphate. They fuel all growth, including coral. I prefer to fill the gap with herbivores as it is on the “natural reef”.

 

[josephxsxn]

Yes if your phosphates are high I would avoid dosing iron as it will likely generate an algae bloom. But when phosphates are low I have found iron to increase the colors of my corals greatly, mostly of the greens and reds.

 

[outy]

, iron feeds all algae,

Yes, true, but food for bad algae is the actual problem here.

I have dosed iron before feeding my ATS, started a massive outbreak in display, even at just adding under normal recommended amounts. [added very little]

The large outbreak had other factors, the iron just helped it along.

 

[PatW]

I run GFO, granular ferric oxide, to remove phosphates. Doing so is a common practice. Also, I would think that running GFO had to increase iron levels in the water. It is my guess that running the water through an RODI system should work fine.