Why you need a TDS meter

[HumbleLobster]

Just a friendly reminder to always check your fresh water before you mix it up. Because my total water volume for my frag and display tank setup is all of about 22 gallons, and because I'm in an apartment, I've never had to get a RO/DI system. I always just got water 10g at a time using two containers from a LFS.

I've been fighting severe diatom/red slime issues in my display, and brown hair algae in my frag tank for a few months now, so I decided to get a TDS meter. Lo and behold, the TDS from the LFS is 330! My tap was only 210. I verified the meter was reading correctly using some test solution and rechecked. Same numbers both times.

So now I know why I have algae issues and probably the reason many of my SPS frags brown out in my system, regardless of how much/little I feed and skim.

Just a reminder to all to check your TDS!

 

[spongebob281]

And dont forget to ask for refund. Some LFS owner neglect to change their filter as they see it too costly.

 

[JustinReef]

Man that sucks! Sorry to hear that.

Good reminder!

I actually found a similar thing out when I was buying "RO" water from home depot. I tested the TDS once I got a meter and it was 20 ppm or more. Our tap water is usually around 11 ppm. So obviously spending money on the "RO" they were selling was pointless.

I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI.

Hope your tank gets better after switching water sources!

 

[sikpupy]

Man, that sucks! I would think that a LFS should KNOW how important this is, and, to sell you that crap after all the hard work you do should have thier b*lls hung, seriously!

Hope you find a good trustable source.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14159419#post14159419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by justinpsmith

I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI.

Really? What are your tap water readings? Do you know what brand RO filter you use?

 

[Colione]

my LFS water is horrible. like 230 or something.

I never thought I could have an RODI unit in my apartment. But I just threw out some crap under my sink and hooked it up! Tied up in the corner, it actually takes up surprisingly little space. Plus clean drinking water now! Best purchase ever ...

 

[austin93]

They can be had for cheap, probably a good investment.

 

[fcmatt]

i agree the LFS should refund your money. I assumed
the whole point of buying it there was to get clean/pure
water below 10.

 

[JEFFR259]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14159419#post14159419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by justinpsmith
Man that sucks! Sorry to hear that.

Good reminder!

I actually found a similar thing out when I was buying "RO" water from home depot. I tested the TDS once I got a meter and it was 20 ppm or more. Our tap water is usually around 11 ppm. So obviously spending money on the "RO" they were selling was pointless.

I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI.

Hope your tank gets better after switching water sources!

Your tap water (out of the faucet) is 11ppm!!! That's awesome! You have some great public water purification up there in Canada!

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

We have a terrible LFS around here. I have my own unit, so I never worry about it, but I was talking to two guys who used to work there and they said when they used to work there he didnt have any prefilters in the unit, just a membrane! I'm sure the membrane was shot from the chlorine within days, and all the water people were (are?) buying has been tap!

 

[heller792]

just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds.

Dave

 

[Henryreef]

wow, I can't believe a LFS would do that. What a rip off, a TDS of 330 WOW. I have always thought TDS meters are worth the money, as they make it easy to tell you if your R.O./D.I. is functioning right and help to save you from GHA.

 

[Cadu]

I still didn't find a LFS that sells 0 TDS RO/DI water. It is not cost effective for them. The serious LFS do not even sell RO/DI water.
The best investment you can make for your reef tank is to buy a RO/DI unit for yourself.

 

[ssamick]

Every time I talk to someone that wants to get in the hobby, I always tell them the first thing you buy is a ro/di. It's amazing how much trouble bad water can cause. You will be so happy to have one. Good luck with the algae.

 

[GoingPostal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14163132#post14163132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by heller792
just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds.

Dave

This is very important actually, you have to test it at the source, not out of your container.

 

[aquaman67]

There was a LFS selling water that had only been through a softener as RO/DI. The TDS was actually higher than the tap water.

Also if you get your water from one of those machines at Costco, ect check it too. The person might not have maintained the machine for months.

 

[cashman95]

If you guys want to save some money, assumming you have a low TDS to start with, you can just use a DI filter to get 0 TDS.


My tap water is around 22 tds and I have 2 DI filters in line. The output water is 0 and last about 3 months each DI. Just Change the first exhausted DI and replace it with the unexhausted 2nd DI filter, the add a new one to the 2nd filter. Cheap on the water bill as well.

 

[HumbleLobster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14163132#post14163132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by heller792
just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds.

Dave

I thought about that and wondered if that was the case. I went back to the LFS and got some more water (I fill my own jugs) and put it in a glass bowl. Got 330 again on the TDS. I only use the containers for fresh water, and they are two aquatainers.