Water Purification Problems

crn005

New member
I just recently moved and the water quality here is garbage. I have a four stage RO/DI that has a membrane that's about a year old. I just changed the sediment filter and carbon to see if it will help but it didn't. My water is coming out with .02 ppm PO4. The DI resin is still in good condition (I have the color changing kind from BRS and only a third has browned out). At my previous location, I never had an issue with water quality. What do y'all think some options are?
 
Not sure if it applies to your problem or not, but you may want to. Check to see if your new location uses Chloramines in there water treatment system. If so there is another filter to buy.
 
Hmm I'll have to do some research about that. Any other ideas about how to clean the water better?
 
Don't know what you are using to test water with. If it is a TDS meter you can just round off to zero as it has a variance of 1ppm anyway. Chloromines and PO4 are not related but you should add one more stage filled with ferric hydroxide to eliminate any PO4 to 0.0 However bottom line is 0.02 PO4 coming out of a RODI is not a problem. It is food added to the display that significantly raises the PO4 in the system. Not 0.02 from your RODI top off and water changees. Think about this. If you change your water at a rate of 20% per month with 0.02 ppm PO4 water. And let's say your system runs at 0.02 ppm PO4 which is a fine number to be at. If you have a 100 G system and add 20 G of 0.02ppm to 0.02 ppm you get no change Ha! Now if you are running anything lower than its already too low and you are starving your coral anyuway.
 
Measure the TDS. If it is 0 ppm, then there's no need to worry about measuring anything in it.

Also, 0.02 ppm phosphate in the top off water you use is no concern, despite popular misconception. You add way, way more than that each day in foods. :)
 
I suppose I should get a TDS meter. I was just using a Hanna Phosphate checker on it. I had a couple of algae spots show up on the sand over the past few days so I started getting concerned. Anyway, after a little snooping around, I found that the saltwater coming out of my new mixing station tank is at .08 ppm. I checked the freshwater tank and it's at .002 ppm, just the same as right out of the unit. I think the pump I have in my saltwater tank keeping it stirred might be the culprit. I didn't think it would be an issue but it had been used for a week or so on a temporary tank. Maybe a good vinegar bath will help clean it up?
 
Oh, and I recently changed my water changing schedule to 5%, twice a week. I don't think that is effecting it too much though. Like y'all brought up, feeding is probably the main offender. I need to get my turf scrubber back to its former glory!
 
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