Another TDS Issue

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Hello friends,

I recently changed all the filters and 150 gpd membrane in my 5 stage RO unit (no DI) (2 year old unit kept very clean) not to mention all the lines. My problem is my TDS after only 5 months on a new membrane and filters went up to 47. Now after changing everything out my TDS is still very high at 35. This was tested with In-Line TDS meter and I have 2 Hanna TDS meters. All meters were within 2 points, so average of the 3 different meters is 35 TDS.

The filters and membrane were recommended through Big Al's supplies.

I do not have a pump on here as my water pressure gauge (in-line) reads about 52 psi. Even my ph is as high as 7.3. When this unit was new, ph was 6.6/6.8 max.

Any ideas friends on how to obtain "0" TDS again other than buying a new unit?

Thank you,

Jeff

[DerekFF]

Its possible the membrane just isnt the same quality as the origional

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Hello all,

Now that I have a new RO/DI 300gpd system, my TDS is now at 0. Before I add RO Right to this water, what is the lowest TDS to keep discus in? meaning breeding pairs, show tank, juvies and for fry?

I can add tap to the water to regulate the TDS to about 50 for breeding, but if I need higher TDS for everyone else, I may just go through RO Right like crazy.

Thoughts and suggestions please.

Jeff

[BobDaniel]

I only used similarly processed water for my breeders. As the water left the DI, I ran it through a bed of peat moss and then collected it in my water containers. I had a receipe for rejuvination that I got from either a Discus Brief or a DSG article... anyway magnesium and calcium where two ingredients. I mixed my rejuvination chemicals togeter and added them to the reagent grade water (like yours now after ro & DI ) until I was at 80 Microsiemens. My ph was about 6.5 and stable.

[Ray-OBrien]

Hello all,

Now that I have a new RO/DI 300gpd system, my TDS is now at 0. Before I add RO Right to this water, what is the lowest TDS to keep discus in? meaning breeding pairs, show tank, juvies and for fry?

I can add tap to the water to regulate the TDS to about 50 for breeding, but if I need higher TDS for everyone else, I may just go through RO Right like crazy.

Thoughts and suggestions please.

Jeff

When breeding my Discus I have the TDS around 20/30ppm, When growing out fry I try and get the TDS to 200, I use my own remin Mixture to achieve this
Hope this helps
Ray

[DiscusLoverJeff]

I could get to 200 TDS using 25% RO and 75% Tap (Tap is about 275 TDS) for the juvies. Sounds like a plan.

Thanks all.

Jeff

[Ray-OBrien]

I could get to 200 TDS using 25% RO and 75% Tap (Tap is about 275 TDS) for the juvies. Sounds like a plan.

Thanks all.

Jeff

I take it when you say tap water that you filter through an HMA filter

[DiscusLoverJeff]

No, our tap water is only filtered through the filtration plants on Lake Michigan. And anyone ling on the great lakes know that this water is hard. But through better filtration over the years it is acceptable tap water.

[Brent1972]

No, our tap water is only filtered through the filtration plants on Lake Michigan. And anyone ling on the great lakes know that this water is hard. But through better filtration over the years it is acceptable tap water.

Do you use prime ?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Only use prime when adding tap. No need for it with RO water.

[cjr8420]

I could get to 200 TDS using 25% RO and 75% Tap (Tap is about 275 TDS) for the juvies. Sounds like a plan.

Thanks all.

Jeff
just curious jeff im on lake mich. water and i have a tds of 150 out of tap and ur 20-30 miles away and u have tds of 275 out of the tap from the same source?

[Trier20]

Hey Jeff I think u should be done growing out with just your tap water. The tds shouldn't be bad for them.

[DiscusDrew]

I couldnt even imagine regulating my water for growing out fish.... In my fish room it is enough work alone to regulate it for the breeding pairs when they are hatching eggs, then they go straight back to aged tap. It is true a higher TDS (generally speaking) is better for growing out, but as Brandon said there should really be no reason for you to be using your RO unit at all when growing out fish. More work for you, more steps to possibly go wrong, and less stability for the fish. JME, this is what works for me and I have no problems growing out fish or breeding them and raising fry.

[Brent1972]

Only use prime when adding tap. No need for it with RO water.

I know about the RO Jeff :), I think Ray-OBrien Was worried you were using straight tap water. A lot of people in the UK use HMA filters now .

[Buckeye Field Supply]

Question for you - if you have an RO system, or an RODI system, And if you want to mix/blend it with higher TDS water, seems to me you have two choices:
1. Tap water treated with something like Prime, or
2. Filtered and dechlorinated water taken from the line of your RO or RODI system after the carbon block but before the membrane.

I hear many people going for option 1 rather than option 2. I'm not sure I understand why.

Russ

[Brent1972]

Question for you - if you have an RO system, or an RODI system, And if you want to mix/blend it with higher TDS water, seems to me you have two choices:
1. Tap water treated with something like Prime, or
2. Filtered and dechlorinated water taken from the line of your RO or RODI system after the carbon block but before the membrane.

I hear many people going for option 1 rather than option 2. I'm not sure I understand why.

Russ
I agree with what you are saying , In the Uk you can get a combined RO / HMA filter all they do is tee off before the Ro membrane with two taps . This way there is no need to use prime or safe.

[Keith Perkins]

Jeff - my water out of the tap is a good 100 points higher than yours and I generally use it for all my fish that aren't breeding...straight tap. I do filter, age, and heat it for 24 hours first, but it's straight tap. The only time that isn't true is when I'm using 100% of my reservoir water and I run short on tap and mix a little RO just to do all the WCs I want to do.

On a side note, just for experimental purposes right now I playing with a batch of RTs that are a couple of months old or so. Half the batch I'm growing out in straight tap and the other half in straight RO and RO Right. After a month or more of doing this to date I see little or no difference.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Good to know that Keith. It is always good when people post their experiment progress like you are doing, thanks!

I just went with another RO/DI unit. My first was just an RO filter that I used for a couple years with good results other than higher TDS range.

Now I am at 0 TDS out of the unit and a steady 6.8 ph. I am using RO Right and I am not having any issues thus far. I will incorporate some Tap for the juvies.

I think I am on what we call a community well that is fed from Lake Michigan. I think that is the reason for the higher TDS out of the tap.

Will post updates as I go.

Thanks all, and thanks Keith for your testings.

[Keith Perkins]

Jeff - if you're community is on a well the water isn't really coming from Lake Michigan. I suspected you were on well water when you said what your TDS was, the number seemed too high for LM water. Odds are your calcium content is considerably higher than if you were on LM water, which is a good thing if you're raising juvies in it.

[Buckeye Field Supply]

Also be awae guys that a pH measurement taken on most 0 TDS water is just about meaningless.

Russ