TDSWhat are TDS, how bad are they for the tank

[PrettyFishies]

What are TDS, how bad are they for the tank and what can i do to get rid of them?

I use RO water. The 1st filter is a rust color and only 2 months old.

 

[carey]

Total dissolved solids i believe.

 

[neilanh]

Carey is correct. TDS is the measure of Total Dissolved Solids. It's a reading that "counts" the total amount of elements in the water. It doesn't differentiate or distinguish what the solids are, just tells you how much of something is in the water.

For a reef tank, it's preferred to use your source water at 0 TDS, that way you have control of what is going in your water. The salt mix contains all of the elements you want, and none (or extremely low levels) of those you don't.

 

[PrettyFishies]

Checked my RO and it's close to zero, it was the top off water. Either the container is leeching or it was the saltwater that got in there. I emptied it out and refilled with fresh RO. I'll keep tabs and see where we are.

So the tank water should be around how many PPM?

 

[neilanh]

Well like I said, the fresh source water you use you want to be as close to 0 as possible. Once you mix salt into it, dependant upon the salt you use will determine how many TDS it has at that point.