Just setup new RO/DI system. What should I be testing for?

[PeterB113]

I just set up a new RO/DI system from aquatic life 4 stage ro/di. My question is what should I test it for? This is the first time I'm making my own water and want to know that its good before I start mixing salt.I flushed the carbon and membrane and now have two 5 gallon buckets of RO/DI. Also I tested my tank water yesterday at 9.1 Dkh. What salt mix should I use? I have a 20 gallon long mixed reef(zoanthids frogspawn torch acan Duncan & Goniopora all small frags). Please let me know what I should test my RO/DI water for and what salt you guys recommend. Ive been looking at Tropic Marin (not the pro reef). Before this I've been using water from my LFS.

 

[Gtinnel]

The only test that you do on your rodi water is for tds (total dissolved solids). It should be 0.
I use reef crystals, mostly because its cheap and I use a bucket every 2 months.

 

[zalick]

I install a T with a valve right after my carbon in my RO. Then I can test the water right after the carbon to see if there is chlorine breakthrough. If yes, time for new carbon!

Probably not what you were expecting but it's something to test for.

 

[PeterB113]

So basically you're saying test for chlorine?

 

[zalick]

So basically you're saying test for chlorine?

Yes. But it's most important to test it just after carbon. Chlorine destroys the RO membrane. The carbon is there to protect the membrane.

Some people just replace the carbon say every 6 months. This works if you know for certain you won't have chlorine breakthrough before then.

 

[PeterB113]

Im only using it for 10gallons a week and just set it up. Do you thibk it would be an issuse soon or later down the line.

 

[elcapitan1993]

Usually if it is coming out as 0 tds the water should be good, I use the same system and I love it, it produces 0 tds water for me the only thing I hate is the resin got exhausted after about 8 uses, but I do have a 90 gallon aquarium, test for ammonia and chlorine, that is what I test for

 

[zalick]

Im only using it for 10gallons a week and just set it up. Do you thibk it would be an issuse soon or later down the line.

It all depends on your local water source and how much chlorine or chloramine they put in there and also how good your carbon block is.

But in general you should be good for 6 months.

 

[zalick]

Usually if it is coming out as 0 tds the water should be good, I use the same system and I love it, it produces 0 tds water for me the only thing I hate is the resin got exhausted after about 8 uses, but I do have a 90 gallon aquarium, test for ammonia and chlorine, that is what I test for

Something is wrong there.... I probably get 10,000g of processed water (5,000g of RO) out of a single resin. That indicates your RO membrane has an issue.

 

[PeterB113]

Thanks also i dont know if this makes a difference.. I just lost a royal gramma and clownfish so im going fishless for about 3mos to make sure i have no more velvet parasite in my tank. Any advice on feeding when theres only corals and inverts? Right now my water is really cloudy i dont know why.

 

[zalick]

Thanks also i dont know if this makes a difference.. I just lost a royal gramma and clownfish so im going fishless for about 3mos to make sure i have no more velvet parasite in my tank. Any advice on feeding when theres only corals and inverts? Right now my water is really cloudy i dont know why.

How long has your tank been setup? Sounds like a bacterial bloom.

What corals and inverts?

 

[PeterB113]

2 and a half months.

Inverts-
Arrow crab( that spawned zoae) 4 small blue leg hermits 1 small purple pincushion urchin , sand sifting starfish 1 scarlet hermit

Corals- all small frags
Duncan, zoanthids(4 frags), frogspawn, toadstool,goniopora, galaxea, lord acan

1 AI prime 16 for lighting
1 hygger powerhead
1 heater

No skimmer or filter using live rock and live sand. I was feeding mysis and reefroids and phyto and zoo plankton. (Pellets when my fish were alive)

 

[PeterB113]

Theres also a barnacle and baby brittle starfish living on the goniopora I just bought (that still hasnt opened idk why). Ive tried moving it to lower light and flow today so hopefully that helps. All my other corals look fine.

 

[zalick]

2 and a half months.

Inverts-
Arrow crab( that spawned zoae) 4 small blue leg hermits 1 small purple pincushion urchin , sand sifting starfish 1 scarlet hermit

Corals- all small frags
Duncan, zoanthids(4 frags), frogspawn, toadstool,goniopora, galaxea, lord acan

1 AI prime 16 for lighting
1 hygger powerhead
1 heater

No skimmer or filter using live rock and live sand. I was feeding mysis and reefroids and phyto and zoo plankton. (Pellets when my fish were alive)

You won't really need to feed much but you urchin will need algae. The starfish is unlikely to make it. They are very hard to keep alive because they eat all the food in the sand bed and slowly starve. I don't have any advice on how to keep that fed.

You're should post a question in the invert forum on best way to keep the urchin and starfish fed.

As for the others, just a tiny bit of mysis or similar should be plenty.