My AWT test results....what changes should i make?

[USC-fan]

Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/l
Tested: 0.010 mg/l

Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/l
Tested: 0.005 mg/l

Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/l
Tested: 0.40 mg/l

Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/l
Tested: 0.220 mg/l

Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/l
Tested: 2.30 mg/l

Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/l
Tested: 471 mg/l

Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/l
Tested: 416 mg/l

Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 3.0 â€"œ 6.0 mg/l
Tested: 5.90 mg/l

Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.100 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.080 to 0.120 mg/l
Tested: 0.10 mg/l

Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/l
Tested: 9.20 mg/l

Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/l
Tested: 1157 mg/l

Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/l
Tested: 0.050 mg/l

Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/l
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/l
Tested: 0.0 mg/l

Alkalinity (meq/l)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/l
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/l
Tested: 2.630 meq/l

Thanks

 

[bertoni]

The phosphate level is high enough to cause issues with stony corals. The other numbers seem fine to me.

 

[JetCat USA]

run a GFO reactor, IMO your PO4 is to high.

on the Silica, change the filters in your RO/DI. look at the SilicaBuster from SpectraPure

 

[CapitalO]

Hey fellow charlestonian everything looks good except your silica (phosphate could be lower too). I'm guessing you have a diatom issue??? The silicates are very likely coming from makeup water, living in Charleston, I know theres a ton of phosphate and silicate in our tap water. The easiest way to solve this is with a DI system. Preferably an RODI, but RO alone won't do anything for silica.

 

[USC-fan]

i just hook up my phosban reactor right after i sent this off.

i brought a new fish and had to start feeding frozen food. That is what is driving my PO4.

Can i just change my DI or should i change all my RO filters?

Thanks for the help!!

 

[JetCat USA]

all of them if they havent been changed in the last 6 months or so.

 

[USC-fan]

Its been about 4 months, but i have been making a lot of water. I'm going to drain my 15 gal of top off and re-fill after i change my DI.

I went ahead and order new filters for my typhoon III RO/DI.

Hopefully by next month test i will have my levels right where they need to be.

 

[JetCat USA]

defiantly check out the SilicaBuster from SpectraPure if you have high levels in your tap.

 

[CapitalO]

I agree with JetCat, I was using a RODI system that had the mini horizontal DI cartridge, it didn't take out all the silicate and seemed to get expended too quickly. Media thats specifically designed for silica removal would be a good call.

 

[USC-fan]

What is this silicabuster and can i add it to my ro/di system?

I look on their site and couldn't find any info on it.

 

[JetCat USA]

it's a cartridge made by SpectraPure and you can get a separate cart holder and add it to your present system or replace one of the carts in your system now.


http://www.spectrapure.com/St_replac_p4.htm#mix

FWIW i'd get a new housing and add it after your current DI if it were me......

 

[bertoni]

I would check the TDS of the RO-DI output before replacing cartridges.

Some DI cartridges are rated for more silica removal than others. Kent and SpectraPure sell such media. I'm sure others do, as well.

 

[JetCat USA]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10959825#post10959825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
I would check the TDS of the RO-DI output before replacing cartridges.

Some DI cartridges are rated for more silica removal than others. Kent and SpectraPure sell such media. I'm sure others do, as well.

silicates, phosphates and nitrates can pass by a DI and not register TDS. that's why i recommend running the SilicaBuster AFTER your current DI, it'll usually last through 2-3 DI cart replacements before it needs replacing.

 

[bertoni]

Silica is more weakly ionized than many other chemical we'd like removed, but I don't think it's so weakly ionized that it won't register. I'll have to check that.

 

[USC-fan]

My PH is reading right around 8.00. Anything i should add to bring it up or is this an okay level? I am planning on dripping kalkwasser...,good idea?

Thanks

 

[CapitalO]

I wouldn't be too concerned. In my opinion, the stability of the pH is way more important (assuming its not way out of range).

I'm a big fan of kalkwasser and I use it for all my top off water. Its a great way to raise your pH and your alk/ca in proper proportion (among other things). I usually drip about 1 gallon every night to help counter the pH drop that happens during lights off.

Theres some really great articles by Randy Holmes-Farley about Kalkwasser you should check out for more info. You can find them in the sticky at the top of the forum.

 

[King-Kong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10959882#post10959882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Silica is more weakly ionized than many other chemical we'd like removed, but I don't think it's so weakly ionized that it won't register. I'll have to check that.

Any update with this?

 

[bertoni]

I keep meaning to email SpectraPure, so I did it just now.

 

[down and outman]

With frozen food, I thaw it in a cup of tank water, then pour it into my net to drain off the water into the sink. Walk the net over to the tank, turn it over into the tank and watch the feeding frenzy begin. Helps to reduce the introduction of phosphates. I feed frozen food about every other day, using pellets in between.

 

[USC-fan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11013078#post11013078 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by King-Kong
Any update with this?

i just read this:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11046713#post11046713 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SpectraPure
Your water processing system is taking out most everything but silica.

I assume the resin tank is regularly serviced and as long as it reads 000, it's considered good. The resin tank is "strong-based" whereas silica is weakly ionized and not easily removed by this type of resin or detected by a typical TDS meter.

The best arrangement for you would be two carts: our DI-SF-CI-10 "Silica-Free" cartridge followed by our DI-MB-10 Mixed-Bed. You need both, because the SF cart changes the pH in order to better liberate the silica and the MB brings it back to neutral. The SF will change color with exhaustion, water at that stage can't be measured accurately.

Two 20" DI carts may put some undesirable back-pressure on the membrane, reducing production. If you have plenty of tap pressure, go for 'em. But, even the 10" carts will last longer than normal because the resin tank is relieving the carts of a lot of the ionic load.

Scott
SpectraPure, Inc.