Lots of talk here lately about Chloramines in our water
- Thread starter AquamanE
- Start date
AquamanE
Active member
No addition needed Doc- just replace regular carbon filters with Chloramine filters. Check out filterguys. Nothing against BRS, i love them also, just what i used.
novahobbies
New member
Just to add my 2 cents, I actually called Broward Water & Wastewater about 6 months ago and got to speak to an on-staff chemist. Yes, chloramines are used in Broward systems as a disinfectant, so ANYBODY using RODI units should be testing their processed water for ammonia before (or after, doesn't matter I suppose) making saltwater for your water changes. Personally I use a sediment filter, a chloramine filter, a regular carbon block, and then of course the RO and the DI cartridges.
You know, to be safe we ought to be testing for chlorine and ammonia in the fresh water coming out of our RODIs just as a matter of habit. Just to be safe.
You know, to be safe we ought to be testing for chlorine and ammonia in the fresh water coming out of our RODIs just as a matter of habit. Just to be safe.
Good Info on this thread . . . Could explain a lot of little problems . . . Just ordered this bad boy!!!
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reverse-osmosis-chloramines-monster.html
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reverse-osmosis-chloramines-monster.html
novahobbies
New member
Adam, here is the note from the 2010 Broward PDF. The guy I talked to said this is still the case:
Disinfection
Disinfection, which is the final treatment step, is
accomplished by the addition of chlorine and ammonia,
otherwise known as chloramines. A small amount (residual
levels) of chloramines disinfectant is maintained throughout
the distribution system in order to control microbial
regrowth.
Short version: at least a small level of chloramines are present all the time.
Rarewon
Member
Yes, & if you use Prime by seachem you break the bond that should in theory detect the ammonia. If you have ammonia in your test then you have chloramines if you used Prime- check first that there is no ammonia in your water. I think at this point the test kit for chloramines is not a bad idea to have. Many of you guys have plenty of money invest in your aquarium to have it die from something we can test.
AquamanE
Active member
You think YEARLY is OCD. Try every 3 months for me!!! AND I STILL HAD THE ISSUE. Mind you i was not using the right carbon for chloramines.
I also am looking into BRS because they sell the chloramine carbon in bulk and you can refill their cannisters. Still checking out if its worth it though vs just buying the correct carbon block with not having to refill. Havent had time to do the math.
I thought about that as well, I'm not OCD like you. Once a year for me and maybe sediment every 6 months. For most people, that's what I would recommend unless your doing extremely large water changes.
AquamanE
Active member
If reeksreef is correct i have to change every 7 months. Remember your ro/do usually has a ratio of 4:1, so for every 1 gallon you make you have 4 gallons of waste. All that water goes thru the carbon filters. So you have to fiqure 5 gallons total.
I make 142 gallons per month of ro/di. Seventy for WC, 74 for evapration, thats 142 gallons a month. 5 gallons of water thru carbon and sediment filters per gallon of water= 710 gallons per month. If carbon is depleted at 100% by 5000 gallons, I can use for 7 months at 100%. I hate taking anything to 100% depletion cause you dont know what is happening in between. Hence my hesitation with the risks.
I always allowed TDS to be my guide, but as i have learned the hard way, its not enough.
Long story short, i will be researching a good chloramine test kit to compliment my TDS.
nivram
New member
You probably just need a chlorine test.
AquamanE
Active member
Marvin- Chlorine and Chloramines are two totally different things. Chlorine is easily eliminated with regular carbon and or water just sitting around. Chloramines are not.
Please check out the article i mentioned and the fact that I checked out the Pembroke Pines Water plant for the levels. It it well beyond the acceptable rate for marine animals. Dont know about where you live, but it is definitely a concern for some in our surrounding community.
roblack
Active member
I found this interesting. Of course, this is just what was tested for at a particular time.
Scroll down to see the water test data
http://www.miamidade.gov/water/library/reports/water-quality-2012.pdf
Scroll down to see the water test data
http://www.miamidade.gov/water/library/reports/water-quality-2012.pdf
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Something else I'll toss into the mix from my experience:
When cities do a higher spike in chlorine/chloramine/ammonia - it tends to wipe out carbon and DI beds faster than the typical use. If you can get X amount of gallons out of it with regular parameter source water, it can drop off very quickly when the media gets hit with a spike.
The City of Davie is the worst source water I deal with. I change carbon and DI beds almost like clock work every 3/4 weeks. I run the same commercial unit on Pem Pines water and only need to change them out every 8-10 months or so. I base it on TDS readings, and looking at parameters on my RO/DI holding vats. When a city does a big spike to clean their water up, I get ammonia readings that would make you cringe if I posted them. There is often times a pH swing when the beds get wiped from the additional chemical as well.
When cities do a higher spike in chlorine/chloramine/ammonia - it tends to wipe out carbon and DI beds faster than the typical use. If you can get X amount of gallons out of it with regular parameter source water, it can drop off very quickly when the media gets hit with a spike.
The City of Davie is the worst source water I deal with. I change carbon and DI beds almost like clock work every 3/4 weeks. I run the same commercial unit on Pem Pines water and only need to change them out every 8-10 months or so. I base it on TDS readings, and looking at parameters on my RO/DI holding vats. When a city does a big spike to clean their water up, I get ammonia readings that would make you cringe if I posted them. There is often times a pH swing when the beds get wiped from the additional chemical as well.
nivram
New member
Marvin- Chlorine and Chloramines are two totally different things. Chlorine is easily eliminated with regular carbon and or water just sitting around. Chloramines are not.
Please check out the article i mentioned and the fact that I checked out the Pembroke Pines Water plant for the levels. It it well beyond the acceptable rate for marine animals. Dont know about where you live, but it is definitely a concern for some in our surrounding community.
I've read the article before when Marcel found out Boynton Beach or where ever up there had chloramine years ago. I may be wrong but my understanding is that if you are running your std rodi filters, the carbon block we run breaks the chloramine up into chlorine and ammonia. Thus why I stated testing for chlorine.
Maybe one of the chemistry gurus can chime in on this.
