Tank Update

[bradleym]

So as some of you may know, I'm having issues with my tank lately. A hard coral died, and now my aneomones are looking rougher by the day. I'm also seeing signs of stress on a few soft corals. I've done water changes every other day for a week without signs of improvement so I ordered a whole new set of test kits. I haven't needed them in a while, so I don't trust the old ones. The test kit arrived yesterday, so I started running down the list from most likely to least likely.

So let's see what we got here... Nitrates 2-5ppm, not too shabby! Phosphates under .03 cool! Hmm, ok... Alk of 7. Not ideal but not typically a tank killer. I'll add something for that later. Moving on... PH of 8.2 good. Nitrites .05 that's unusual. Ammonia - HOLY CRAP!!!
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/246XNMd.jpg" width="640" height="400">

My first thought was "what died" but after doing a quick head count all my fish are just fine. OK, well, crap. I guess I better get on with another water change at least, before it gets any worse. I already had the water mixed, so I immediately start draining the sump. As I'm standing there it occurs to me - "I'm sure the new saltwater is perfect. Right? Right??" Wrong.
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/5V4ipxC.jpg" width="640" height="400">

My tank was actually CLEANER! OK. OK. Well we can always buy another box and make more. Let's just make sure the top off water is good and...
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/xiwpJ8l.jpg" width="640" height="400">

F#$K. I take a quick look at the filters in the RODI but they all look fine. My TDS meter has a dead battery so I know it's only a guess but I can usually tell when a filter looks shot. So wait! Maybe it's a bad test kit. I just got it, and I haven't had any good readings yet. So I pick up a trusty control water source from the store and:
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/UcWyKzx.jpg" width="640" height="400">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/1nvu9du.jpg" width="640" height="400">

By this time it's 10pm and all the stores are closed. So I unplug the top off, I dose some vodka for whatever help that would give the bacteria, have some for myself and call it a night.

 

[bradleym]

The next morning it looked like things were getting better, so at least the live rock is still alive and doing it's thing.
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/YzVxhdn.jpg" width="640" height="400">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MFuL2Mi.jpg" width="640" height="400">

I get some batteries for my inline TDS meter and huh, I guess that blue DI resin isn't so good at color changing after all.
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/KYwcYRQ.jpg" width="640" height="400">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/1wJiV3w.jpg" width="640" height="400">

Fortunately I have a bag right there so I go to change it. That's when I see it:
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/3AFBHdf.jpg" width="640" height="400">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/vW1JtrI.jpg" width="640" height="400">

Apparently it wasn't packed well enough? Or something? And so while the whole front side stayed nice and blue, the back side got all the attention and was completely exhausted. I don't really know what's this is all about, so if anyone knows why this happens and how to avoid it I'd love to know what went wrong. On the up side, I got it all reassembled and refilled my ATO with something much less toxic:
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/iht8jGG.jpg" width="640" height="400">

I had to dump all my water change water, but hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll be mixing a clean water again for a water change. Hang in there animals!
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/RHV9ZZI.jpg" width="640" height="400">

 

[Djbeasley05]

Glad to hear you caught it! Everyone should have one of these in their tanks. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...MI8Mzm4Lr36gIVEb7ACh0TiQD5EAQYASABEgIc5PD_BwE


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[Mr D smack]

Good news on finding it


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[tubbsiewubbsie]

So I'm no expert but I do make about 250 gallons of ro a week and I've notice poorly packed di along with presure below 80 - 90 psi can contribute to uneven flows through the canister.

Maybe something to look at.

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[bradleym]

So I'm no expert but I do make about 250 gallons of ro a week and I've notice poorly packed di along with presure below 80 - 90 psi can contribute to uneven flows through the canister.

Maybe something to look at.

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Thanks for the suggestion. I packed it as tight as I could this time. Used a thin bottle as a tamper and everything. My PSI is at 70 so I'll try upping it to around 100 and see how it fares.

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[cobra9]

even bad DI giving off 10ppm isnt going to raise your tank ammonia levels.....

 

[bradleym]

even bad DI giving off 10ppm isnt going to raise your tank ammonia levels.....

I don't know how else I could be getting ammonia in my RODI output water. My tank levels were actually lower than the water I've been adding via large water changes and regular ATO.

Can you think of anything else I should be checking?

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[cobra9]

No idea, but even if you had a little ammonia in your ro water unless your doing 50% water changes your tanks bacteria would remove it pretty fast.

Does DI even absorb ammonia?

 

[MperRluvR]

Did you test the ro for ammonia or the fresh saltwater?
I have heard that many salts will show some ammonia on a test after being mixed up.

 

[bradleym]

Did you test the ro for ammonia or the fresh saltwater?
I have heard that many salts will show some ammonia on a test after being mixed up.

I'll be honest, I've never tested ammonia on new saltwater mix before, so I didn't know about that.

Here are all the results below, to make it less confusing: RO/ATO on the left, new saltwater mix in the middle, and tank water on the right. The top is 2 nights ago when I got the test kit. The bottom is tonight. So IDK why the DI made a difference to the ammonia but it did on the top off/RO water. And the tank is improving as well. Thanks MperRluvR for the comment above though, or I might've been pulling my hair out tonight over the latest new saltwater results! :headwallblue:

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/uXozTIU.jpg" width="640" height="400">

 

[MperRluvR]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2644063

Never tested it myself but it could be true
Unless you were doing water changes daily though i wouldve thought the ammonia wouldve fully converted by now.

"The industrial processes used to aquire the different chemicals used in salt mix utilize ammonia to extract them, hence you will find some levels of ammonia in the salt mixes."

 

[maxxII]

St Louis area is using Chloramines now (ammonia) to treat water to make it safe for drinking (for humans). Alot of the carbon filter blocks on the market are not able to handle Chloramines for very long, (like failure in about 20 gallons).

BRS has some pretty good videos on RODi and why they sell what they sell.
Yes, they're proud of their upper end stuff, but they do sell add on kits for less if you prefer to upgrade your current RODi system.

I used to have an AIRWATERICE 5 stage Typhoon RODi system, but sold it when I got out of the hobby a couple of years back. I never really understood a whole lot about RODi other than the filters pulled the stuff out of the tap water so my critters didnt die, and the filters needed to be replaced every so often.

When I got back into the hobby just last year, I started watching a bunch of different videos just to see what had changed since I'd been out. Youtube took me down a few rabbit holes and I stumbled on the BRS videos about RODi. This is where I learned that Chloramines exist and why they are a problem. I did some looking at Missouri American Water's website and they do state they use Chloramines in their water treatment.

I waited until Black Friday sale and bought a 7 stage system.

Go to BRS's website, check out their video's on RODi.
You dont necessarily need to buy anything from them, but at least watching their videos will give you some more information regarding your RODi set up and a possible source of ammonia that you werent aware of.