Mixing bin has become a nitrate factory.

[FUNGI]

Brute gray trash can leaching nitrate into RODI water

I would question the accuracy of using a marine test kit on freshwater. Even if the testing method is the same as a freshwater kit. I’m certain the color chart is adjusted for interferences present in saltwater. Also it seems this is both a RODI storage and salt mixing bin. Unless you are...

www.reef2reef.com

@Cory
-leaching something from the brute but unlikely but worth investigating.

-saltwater contains traces of ammonia from magnesium chloride usually which converts to nitrate by bacteria (they grow in anything)

-a small trace of nitrite (no2) will show up as a lot of nitrate (no3) on a test kit.

- your ro water is letting ammonia through and bacteria are converting it to nitrate.

 

[truckTech95]

I do have forced air yes, couple that with it’s an apartment that I can bet ya have never been cleaned that’s really where my thoughts were going.

I did also test the tank, tank read 67 ppm, which is also super high for it.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I do have forced air yes, couple that with it’s an apartment that I can bet ya have never been cleaned that’s really where my thoughts were going.

Do you at least have access to the filter.....might be a good place to start, especially if it hasn't been changed recently. When I had forced air, I use to change the filters twice a year.

 

[truckTech95]

Do you at least have access to the filter.....might be a good place to start, especially if it hasn't been changed recently. When I had forced air, I use to change the filters twice a year.

I do and I will source an replacement tomorrow morning.

 

[truckTech95]

Do you at least have access to the filter.....might be a good place to start, especially if it hasn't been changed recently. When I had forced air, I use to change the filters twice a year.

Well it would probably help if there was an filter in the heater at all…

 

[FUNGI]

Tiffin city does use chloramines. I read my cities report when I was specking out my RO unit.

I would no be drinking that cities water.......

EWG's Tap Water Database: What's in Your Drinking Water?

Look up your local water system to find out which pollutants might be of concern, and find suggestions on the best kinds of home filters to remove those chemicals.

www.ewg.org

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I did also test the tank, tank read 67 ppm, which is also super high for it.

Sounds like test error is viable explanation.

 

[truckTech95]

I would no be drinking that cities water.......

EWG's Tap Water Database: What's in Your Drinking Water?

Look up your local water system to find out which pollutants might be of concern, and find suggestions on the best kinds of home filters to remove those chemicals.

www.ewg.org

Yea you’re telling me. Less than an hour from the greatest freshwater source in the world and uh yeah it’s trash.

 

[FUNGI]

Hopefully just a test error

 

[Dan_P]

So maybe op should test for ammonia in a new batch? Seems like it may be quite a bit if so yeah?

If the nitrate test is very sensitive to nitrite, a small amount of ammonia contamination like 0.1 ppm total ammonia will produce about 0.25 ppm NO2 and that could be equivalent to several 10’s of ppm NO3.

 

[truckTech95]

Yea you’re telling me. Less than an hour from the greatest freshwater source in the world and uh yeah it’s

If the nitrate test is very sensitive to nitrite, a small amount of ammonia contamination like 0.1 ppm total ammonia will produce about 0.25 ppm NO2 and that could be equivalent to several 10’s of ppm NO3.

See and here’s my issue with that, I keep up on my RO system and the filter changes don’t ya think two stages of RO membrane two stages of carbon block and two stages of DI mixed bed resin would remove any excess ammonia? I’m legit asking because I was always aware of my city water being crap and thought I had sourced a system that could keep up with it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

See and here’s my issue with that, I keep up on my RO system and the filter changes don’t ya think two stages of RO membrane two stages of carbon block and two stages of DI mixed bed resin would remove any excess ammonia? I’m legit asking because I was always aware of my city water being crap and thought I had sourced a system that could keep up with it.

Ammonia comes out of a di as soon as the second one begins to deplete. It can be much higher coming out in that situation than is coming into the di.

 

[twentyleagues]

See and here’s my issue with that, I keep up on my RO system and the filter changes don’t ya think two stages of RO membrane two stages of carbon block and two stages of DI mixed bed resin would remove any excess ammonia? I’m legit asking because I was always aware of my city water being crap and thought I had sourced a system that could keep up with it.

While it may be possible that the ro/di is allowing a bit of ammonia through it could be from the salt mix also as pointed out by @FUNGI and possibly others. The nitrate test could be actually reading nitrite which would read as a lot more nitrate than is actually there as pointed out by @Dan_P . I dont know if either theory is correct but they are decent theories that are possibly the most accurate.

I have used brute cans for years prior to getting large specialty water storage bins in the past before I got out of the hobby and now that I have been back. I also have used them for freshwater filtration. I think the least likely cause is the bin itself. Before I moved and got back into salt I had my 180 and my 80g cube setup that went to my basement where the filtration was 2-30g brutes one used as a settling tank the other a wetland filter then to a 75g sump and back to the tanks upstairs. in the basement I had a rack of breeding tanks for fw shrimp, guppies, a couple tanks for a few larger fish I was breeding these were also filtered by a 30g brute set up. I never saw any weird nitrate readings from these. It may be the fact that saltwater is a lot more corrosive and is acting on the plastic in some way but again I have used and do use them currently for mixing and holding of salt water.

I dont remember who put it out there that it could be coming from the dirty air ducts. That also makes a lot of sense as there would be bacteria and food for the bacteria within the ducts, that stuff getting into the water would grow and possibly cause a cycle within the holding bin.

As an experiment you could mix a new batch of saltwater and test it for ammonia. If none maybe try to seal the can better maybe a large trash bag over the top and test again in a few days. If you have ammonia then maybe its the salt or the ro unit. I dont know of a really good ammonia freshwater test kit thats accurate at really low numbers to test the rodi. Kind of in the same spot for saltwater. I use salifert or api but I know I can use an api test on my tank and get a .25 reading when I know that probably isnt true the same goes for salifert.

 

[truckTech95]

I want to say thank you to all who posted in this thread, The community on this forum is great and has always pointed me in the right direction on several occasions including this one!
I will begin making changes slowly to see what works and what doesn’t beginning with the air filter in the furnace (as one should be there regardless)

As far as the bin itself I am acutely aware just like in our tanks Nitrate is a byproduct and doesn’t magically appear - it is put there by the care giver. I believe the same thing is happening here I am putting it in there some how and the fact it’s in my mixing bin is only a symptom and not a cause.

I will be picking up an ammonia test kit regardless of accuracy and begin testing fresh batches of water with it to try and see if that is an avenue worth exploring, and if it comes to pass I will be incrementally changing filters in the RO unit until I find the culprit.

If any further note worthy things come up I will be sure to update this thread as I find them.

Again thanks to the fantastic community here and happy holidays to you all!

 

[redfishbluefish]

Since you'll be testing for ammonia, just realized that with any and all salt brands, you will find a smidge of ammonia in a fresh made batch of saltwater.

 

[truckTech95]

Since you'll be testing for ammonia, just realized that with any and all salt brands, you will find a smidge of ammonia in a fresh made batch of saltwater.

@redfishbluefish
Noted, I understand the api kits which is what I got are not the most accurate in the first place, mostly was on the look out for elevated levels .3 and up I should think would be a good threshold. What are you getting when you do this test so I have a reference point?

 

[exnisstech]

Just tagging along as I've been using brute trash cans for years to store rodi and salt mix. I also store salt water for weeks at a time and clean the cans maybe once a year if I'm feeling up to it. I must confess tho I have never tested my salt water for anything other than salinity.

 

[Dan_P]

See and here’s my issue with that, I keep up on my RO system and the filter changes don’t ya think two stages of RO membrane two stages of carbon block and two stages of DI mixed bed resin would remove any excess ammonia? I’m legit asking because I was always aware of my city water being crap and thought I had sourced a system that could keep up with it.

Ammonia can come from salt mixes as well. I measured 0.1 ppm total ammonia in Instant Ocean today.

 

[twentyleagues]

Ammonia can come from salt mixes as well. I measured 0.1 ppm total ammonia in Instant Ocean today.

What test did you use to test it?

 

[Peace River]

Do you have access to a LFS (or other source) that can test your water so you can verify your test results? Also, have you tested for nitrite to check that theory?