TD Question

[JMorris271]

HI Guys
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
My problem.After doing a 100% water change to clear out an overdose, and filling up again with RODI,heres what I've got.
water coming in is at 0.
water in the holding barrel is 0 ppm tds
Ammonia in the DT is 800 ppm td's

It must be the rock.
What can I do to get this right?

Thanks.

 

[CStrickland]

It would be hard to get 800 ppm ammonia in your dt, like real hard.
Are you sure that the test is working right?
what do you mean "ammonia 800 ppm tds" are you measuring ammonia or tds?

 

[JMorris271]

It would be hard to get 800 ppm ammonia in your dt, like real hard.
Are you sure that the test is working right?
what do you mean "ammonia 800 ppm tds" are you measuring ammonia or tds?

Sorry. I screwed that line up bad:crazy1:
ammonia reads zero
There's no ammonia. Tested with API and Salfert
TD in the display tank reads 800

 

[billdogg]

And you're still not being clear. Do you mean TDS? That number is meaningless in the DT. The only time TDS means anything is at the output of your ro/di. As soon as you start adding salt your TDS goes up.

Out of curiosity what was the supposed overdose and why a 100% waterchange?

 

[gone fishin]

I would be very nervous if There was no TDS in the DT, if that is what your meaning.

Curious as well what got overdosed?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

You don't test TDS of the tank mixed water, of course it's going to be a high TDS it's reading what was in your salt mix, and whatever else is floating around in your tank.

What was overdosed?

 

[JMorris271]

I first added ammonia to the DT (display tank)a few days ago to reach 2 ppm to begin the cycle. I somehow mis-measured and added way too much ammonia. This brought the level up to 8 ppm. So I did a 100% water change (necessary or not) to try to make things right. The fact that I did a water change really has no baring on my current question.
I was under the impression that it is desirable to have low TD content in the main tank. I am obviously in error here. I measured the TDs to see what the reading was. That is how I found out here was a reading of 800 ppm which was a far cry from zero; so again in error,I thought would be concern.
Please help me out here.

 

[disc1]

TD in the display tank reads 800

After adding salt? Like dissolving in a bunch of solids? Then it registered some dissolved solids?

 

[gone fishin]

by TD do you mean Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), if so then there will always be a high TDS in you DT water. By adding the salt to the RO/DI water( zero TDS), solids have been added to it. Plus all the other multitude of solids in the tank. Hope that helps.

 

[CStrickland]

I first added ammonia to the DT (display tank)a few days ago to reach 2 ppm to begin the cycle. I somehow mis-measured and added way too much ammonia. This brought the level up to 8 ppm. So I did a 100% water change (necessary or not) to try to make things right. The fact that I did a water change really has no baring on my current question.
I was under the impression that it is desirable to have low TD content in the main tank. I am obviously in error here. I measured the TDs to see what the reading was. That is how I found out here was a reading of 800 ppm which was a far cry from zero; so again in error,I thought would be concern.
Please help me out here.

I think you answered your question.

The only thing your TDS meter does is tell you whether the last stage of your rodi is in good working order. If it is, your unit is producing pure H20 like it should. When the meter reads 1 then your DI is used up and needs to be replaced because something that the meter can see is getting through.

Here is more info, you'll save yourself some trouble if you get your head around what the diff tests tell you about your tank.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/rhf/feature/index.php

 

[JMorris271]

Thanks for that explanation and the link. After reading it I realize how much less I know than I thought I knew.

 

[CStrickland]

I realize how much less I know than I thought I knew.

story of my life bud
gotta love this hobby for that