Interesting observation with water quality and 0 tds. How often do you change your filters and should you be changing filters more often?

OP
OP
LRT

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One thing as well @LRT your water may have higher levels of organic carbon, which aren't easily removed by membranes. High levels of organic carbon through your system will lead to fouling of the system, and even undetectable levels of organic carbon could be fueling your growth.
I was checking out that thread you posted and going to give it a read when I get a chance later this afternoon.
I may shoot you a message. Tbh I'm not really sure what im looking at when I look at my Mesa az water report. Or what would be the best way to configure my rodi based on that. I have noticed the chlorine blocks made I difference. But I don't think im seeing chloramine or chlorine being used. Been awhile since ive looked at it though. Maybe it's the .1 blocks making the difference?
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I was checking out that thread you posted and going to give it a read when I get a chance later this afternoon.
I may shoot you a message. Tbh I'm not really sure what im looking at when I look at my Mesa az water report. Or what would be the best way to configure my rodi based on that. I have noticed the chlorine blocks made I difference. But I don't think im seeing chloramine or chlorine being used. Been awhile since ive looked at it though. Maybe it's the .1 blocks making the difference?

It may be, the finer the carbon (lower micron) the more contact there is with water which means it can pull more of the nasties out prior to your RO.

I think you mean 0.5 though not 0.1

But 0.1 carbon blocks are a thing they just aren't sold by most places which is why I assume you mean 0.5
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I was checking out that thread you posted and going to give it a read when I get a chance later this afternoon.
I may shoot you a message. Tbh I'm not really sure what im looking at when I look at my Mesa az water report. Or what would be the best way to configure my rodi based on that. I have noticed the chlorine blocks made I difference. But I don't think im seeing chloramine or chlorine being used. Been awhile since ive looked at it though. Maybe it's the .1 blocks making the difference?

Some water municipalities don't specifically state chloramines are used even when they are.
 

z0mbeh

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
34
Reaction score
38
Location
Spring Hill
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This a point many ignore, the meters we use are only so sensitive. If you really want to measure your talking meters in the hundreds to thousands. A resistivity meter would be nice and they aren't horribly expensive, but also not exactly needed for our purposes.

Also, once you start making that ultra pure water it will become immediately contaminated by compounds from your storage container.

If I remember correctly the last 100 gallon plastic vat we had installed affected the ultra pure water for ~6 months, it dimishes over time, but the minute impurities in the production, storage, and handling of the containers will contaminate ultra pure water for a time.
This is interesting, and in reality are those impurities worth worrying about did they change your tds over time?
 
OP
OP
LRT

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It may be, the finer the carbon (lower micron) the more contact there is with water which means it can pull more of the nasties out prior to your RO.

I think you mean 0.5 though not 0.1

But 0.1 carbon blocks are a thing they just aren't sold by most places which is why I assume you mean 0.5
Could be totally wrong but could have sworn the Pentek blocks are lower micron.
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is interesting, and in reality are those impurities worth worrying about did they change your tds over time?

In a laboratory seeing yes it matters. In our tanks I would say no.

They have minimal effect on TDS, things like TOC, resistivity/conductivity they make a difference.
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Could be totally wrong but could have sworn the Pentek blocks are lower micron.
They may be, I know BRS doesn't sell below the 0.5 micron, and lots of people buy from them. Like I said though 0.1 microns do exist just not from the typical suppliers we see on here. Spectrapure doesn't even carry the 0.1 though I imagine they could be special ordered.
 
OP
OP
LRT

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
They may be, I know BRS doesn't sell below the 0.5 micron, and lots of people buy from them. Like I said though 0.1 microns do exist just not from the typical suppliers we see on here. Spectrapure doesn't even carry the 0.1 though I imagine they could be special ordered.
Honestly I think you may be right. Ive tried many now and did special order a cpl different chlorine removing filters. One was granulated and lower micron I believe but I may be confusing the decimal with the pentek. Def noticed a difference with lower micron and length of life for my membrane. I did use the standard brs .5 this last time.
 

Malcontent

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
1,099
Reaction score
1,076
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have not done that. It seems like its the really fine particulates in 1-5 micron range that gets to my membrane and boggles it up that ends up getting past my dionization cans.
Ive tried both the 1 and 5micron prefilters before membrane and doesn't seem to make a difference on how fast I go through membranes.

Scale can form on membranes and there's no way to filter out its constituents except with another RO membrane.

Might be some way to reverse it:

 

rtparty

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
4,667
Reaction score
8,024
Location
Utah
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Chlorine and Chloramines are removed by the carbon blocks. I believe some of the chlorine and ammonia may get through and this is where the DI resin cleans it up. Chloramines will exhaust a carbon block much quicker than chlorine
 
OP
OP
LRT

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Some water municipalities don't specifically state chloramines are used even when they are.
Ok heres the deal! Just for the heck of it i went and did a sniff test on my discharge water ive been watering garden with. Sure enough I can most definitely smell chlorine or chloramine in the water! I have given the smell test in past and sure I did not smell it using the chlorine blocks so I think it was a little bit of my error and my water company actually using chlorine when they say they don't. Although its vague as they say certain sectors do sometimes so idk. Going back to the lower micron chlorine blocks I was using in past! Just have to go through some old orders and figure out which one worked best!
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok heres the deal! Just for the heck of it i went and did a sniff test on my discharge water ive been watering garden with. Sure enough I can most definitely smell chlorine or chloramine in the water! I have given the smell test in past and sure I did not smell it using the chlorine blocks so I think it was a little bit of my error and my water company actually using chlorine when they say they don't. Although its vague as they say certain sectors do sometimes so idk. Going back to the lower micron chlorine blocks I was using in past! Just have to go through some old orders and figure out which one worked best!
If your not already run dual carbon with a 0.5 micron sediment prefilter. For carbon I'd do a 1/5 micron followed by a 0.5 micron carbon.
 
OP
OP
LRT

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If your not already run dual carbon with a 0.5 micron sediment prefilter. For carbon I'd do a 1/5 micron followed by a 0.5 micron carbon.
Right on this last go around I used the standard brs sediment prefilter and carbon blocks. Sediment followed by 2 x .5 standard brs blocks. Not sure the micron rating for brs sediment prefilter ill have to check on that.
I may just order the right filters up. Ive only made a cpl batches from new set of filters and membrane is already hitting 4ppm after flush so def going to burn through membranes alot faster this way!
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Right on this last go around I used the standard brs sediment prefilter and carbon blocks. Sediment followed by 2 x .5 standard brs blocks. Not sure the micron rating for brs sediment prefilter ill have to check on that.
I may just order the right filters up. Ive only made a cpl batches from new set of filters and membrane is already hitting 4ppm after flush so def going to burn through membranes alot faster this way!
2 0.5 are better, if you can find out about chloramine usage the chloramine buster from spectrapure would be good to use as one of your carbon blocks.
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Chart.png


Here's a nice chart for you.
 

rtparty

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
4,667
Reaction score
8,024
Location
Utah
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
For chloramines, the BRS carbon blocks were already shown to out perform other carbon blocks (at least the old carbon blocks BRS used.) I'd like to see an internal picture of the SpectraPure blocks. Chloramine buster and all those marketing terms are just that, marketing.

When it comes to chloramines, you don't want to replace both carbon blocks at the same time. You want to stagger replacing them and always put the oldest carbon block first, if my memory serves.
 

Woodyman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
2,587
Reaction score
3,383
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For chloramines, the BRS carbon blocks were already shown to out perform other carbon blocks (at least the old carbon blocks BRS used.) I'd like to see an internal picture of the SpectraPure blocks. Chloramine buster and all those marketing terms are just that, marketing.

When it comes to chloramines, you don't want to replace both carbon blocks at the same time. You want to stagger replacing them and always put the oldest carbon block first, if my memory serves.
Yes marketing at it's best!

You are correct with carbon blocks, but only when using the same size in each. Rotating 0.5 micron carbon blocks from the 2nd to 1st and putting a new in number 2 is the best way to do it.

If you're using different sizes like a 1 micron and then a 0.5 just check both for breakthrough
 

Laith

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
881
Reaction score
1,591
Location
Nyon, Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Chart.png


Here's a nice chart for you.

I've noticed this as well but with a twist...

My water after the RO membrane was (and is) always around 2-3 TDS and after the DI it is 0 TDS.

As I never saw a change in the TDS coming out of the RO membrane, I didn't change membranes (I run two in sequence) for years.

However even with a consistent 2-3 TDS coming into the DI resin, I was changing out the DI resin more and more often.

I installed new RO membranes about six months ago and my DI resin suddenly was lasting much longer.

I don't know why this is though? But now I will be replacing my RO membranes once a year, especially as they are not that expensive anyway.
 

nano reef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
1,734
Reaction score
458
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think I might just start buying from my lfs again!! This is all getting to complicated for a 60 year old woman! LOL.I sure wish my hubby was in the hobby!

So my hubby bought me the cheapest one BRS had the 4stage one and I just found out I left it on a slow trickle while on vacay for 3 days BUT the kicker is I checked a 5 gallon container I had just filled and it says 428 ppm! I have been filling my tanks with bad water and didn't know it! Its only been up and running maybe 6 weeks tops! My tanks are registering 7800 and 8800! Does the salinity raise it? My tap is 560 so I dont get it! The whole time I was just drizzling the water over the probes and not fully dipping it which I cant believe how dumb that was but I still cant see how it can be cash so soon!

I also dont get where you guys are coming up with the other numbers! How would know what comes out of what membrane ect?

I could really use some advise because I am freaking out because I have over 30 mid to high end zoa frags and 2 holy grail acans coming tomorrow and find out al this crap with my new rodi! I had ordered just refills to because I noticed it was almost 2/3 of the way up the color change indicator on the last membrane! Now I know that cant be trusted because the water I just checked tonight was almost 46 or something and my house is 56 and that was taken out while still less then 2/3 the way up! Some of my corals are reacting in my 20 gallon and just lost a hammer probably from the water!

I really like to get my new corals in as soon as they arrive as well but cant even get water until 10 pm tomorrow plus mix and all this so I am praying I dont loose these corals and not even sure how much water is safe to take out and not really time to make multiple trips up to lfs for water either if I take out out more then 60 perecnt or so! I also have been noticing my tank walls getting dirty much quicker then when I bought water! I dont see any real savings but sure was convenient not having to run to the lfs all the time!
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 32.8%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top