Testing Ro/di water

[carey]

So I got a good 5 gallons already purged from my new ro unit and I wanna test it to make sure it's good. I was going to do the following tests: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphates. I should have but don't have a TDS meter.

Will these tests be enough or is there anything else i should test for?

Thanks guys!

 

[jsoong]

Better tests would be GH, KH & pH. If the RO is working, GH & KH should be near zero. <If you have a TDS - then 0 TDS would indicate 0 KH & GH.>

pH should be near 7.0 or a bit below.

 

[carey]

I'll go check the ph and gh/kh. Never tested for gh or kh but we'll see how i do.

thanks!

 

[Fishguy2727]

The LFS should have a TDS meter, you could take a sample there.

IMO there is no point in having an RO/DI sytem if you can't make sure it is working properly with a TDS meter and know when to change the cartridges. I got mine for $10 shipped on eBay.

You may have to run a lot more than 5 gallons before you get the system producing 0 TDS.

 

[carey]

I've already been looking on ebay. I'll probably pick one up ral soon.

 

[frankieg2]

Best to get a TDS meter, I bought one and checked my well water, just to see what it was and it was 176 I then checked the RO water I was getting form LFS thinking I would see 0 well guess what, It's was 336! I then checked some distilled water and that was 0 > I cound't believe it. I bought a RO/DI unit on ebay that same day and just recieve it yesterday. So I would not have know if not for the meter. Also going back to LFS today to see whats been going on, I been using that water since I started my tank I would have been better of using my well water.

 

[carey]

Best to get a TDS meter, I bought one and checked my well water, just to see what it was and it was 176 I then checked the RO water I was getting form LFS thinking I would see 0 well guess what, It's was 336! I then checked some distilled water and that was 0 > I cound't believe it. I bought a RO/DI unit on ebay that same day and just recieve it yesterday. So I would not have know if not for the meter. Also going back to LFS today to see whats been going on, I been using that water since I started my tank I would have been better of using my well water.

Good advice! I'm on it. lol
I also was getting bad water from my lfs and only found out after I ran the regular tests on it.

 

[denwhite16]

Ok, not to sound like a noob, but what is TDS?

 

[carey]

total dissolved solids

 

[denwhite16]

So anything other than zero is bad? What do high readings mean, or do?

IMO there is no point in having an RO/DI sytem if you can't make sure it is working properly with a TDS meter and know when to change the cartridges.

So if your RO/DI water starts to not read zero, you need to replace filters?

 

[carey]

Yep thats what I'm going on. I ordered a tds meter last week.

 

[denwhite16]

I just ordered one. You and I are becoming old friends on here it seems!

 

[carey]

Lol. :-d

 

[hackteck]

I got mine off eBay I just have an ro unit without the di mine is 1ppm I'm fine with that my tap water is different everyday for instance today it was 250 yesterday it was 170 lol

 

[Fishguy2727]

High TDS means there are a lot of things other than water in your water. TDS is a measure of condutivity which is directly related to what all is in the water besides water since water itself will not conduct electricity. This means more nitrate, silicates, phosphates, etc. All of these are unwanted in a reef tank or if you spent the money on an RO/DI system. VERY low numbers (single digits) may be as good as some system can get, or at least they don't stay at 0 long. When the TDS starts to go up it means one or more of the stages of the RO/DI filter are exhausted and need to be replaced.