Which Water for Your Reef?

bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
TDS levels
A - 105
B - 76
C - 12
D - 142
E - 524
F - 360
G - 298
I posted them in the order of what I thought would be cleanest to dirtiest water. Am I the only one Surprised by the results?
A = Culligan RO/DI from a vending machine
B = Walmart Distilled
C = RO from my filter
D = Walmart RO
E = Dannon Spring Water
F = My Tap Water
G= My Well Water
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
I believe it. I tested some generic bottled drinking water and it was like soup! Looks like the culligan machine needs to have it's filters cleaned.
 
druluv

druluv

Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
TDS levels
A - 105
B - 76
C - 12
D - 524
E - 360
F - 298
I posted them in the order of what I thought would be cleanest to dirtiest water. Am I the only one Surprised by the results?
A = Culligan RO/DI from a vending machine
B = Walmart Distilled
C = RO from my filter
D = Dannon Spring Water
E = My Tap Water
F = My Well Water
Tap water is dirtier than well water

Spring water I figure has a lot of nutrients
Culligan now that is bad
Bang you don't use a di after your ro.
NY tap is around 40 but it has clorine in it
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
Bang, was the Wal-Mart distilled in gallon jugs with purple labels and caps and manufactured and bottled in Kutztown, PA?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Bonebrake
Bang, was the Wal-Mart distilled in gallon jugs with purple labels and caps and manufactured and bottled in Kutztown, PA?
Purple labels but it was from Concord, NY.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Weberian
Bang, is this true? No DI? Thank you for posting these results.
No, I have a 64 square foot Lagoon to handle Phosphate and Silicates. I suppose I don't practice what I preach. DI would undoubtably reduce TDS to 0 or 1. If you have a 8' X 8' sandbed with 3000 pounds of sand then you can probably get by with just RO, but it's still a small risk. RO/DI is pure water so that's what I recommend when people ask.
 
stuckinfla

stuckinfla

Active Member
Total disolved solids.
My RO/DI = 13 (filter change due)
Tap = 376
Filtered from fridge = 368
I always said my RO/DI was one of the best investments I made for my tank!!
Dannon is gross!!
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
I am sorry for this question, but what are you testing the water with to determine TDS and were would you get it?
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
Thanks Bang Guy, It says it is a Water Hardness Monitor is that correct? How much does one of those run, $100? Is it necessary to have? I am curious becuase I just got a coralife RO/DI unit for Christmas and am wondering what it would read
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
The Culligan RO at my hometown Wal-Mart was 1 TDS and another vender at a Weis Market was 3 TDS. Hometown is Chambersburg, PA.
 
stuckinfla

stuckinfla

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bonebrake
Will a cheap TDS meter be close enough or do you have to get a 200 dollar one?
:notsure:

Would be fine.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Just for fun, will you post the TDS of Aquafina?? They say it's pure water, but I never thought to actually test the stuff, LOL!!
My TDS unit is installed in the water line so I can't just randomly test all the water.
 
ktsdad

ktsdad

Member
I must be doing something wrong. I just replaced all 4 units in my RO/DI unit (including the membrane) and my TDS still measures between 25-30. The input water measured around 500 so I think I am doing well.
I have talked to our local water expert and he agrees that it is very difficult to get a zero TDS reading even if you are using a large prefessional series RO/DI unit.
He agrees that a $200 Kent HI-S unit that takes the TDS from 500 down to 25 is doing extremly well.
How do you all get zero readings? Maybe my calibration is off on both units I use to test.
Just wondering.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
If your RO brings your TDS down to 10% or less of the TDS of your plain water then it works well, however a DI should get the remainder and bring it down to 0. 500 is an extremely high number to begin with though... Maybe you can double check with another TDS unit??
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Originally Posted by 1911_Guy
What type of RO filter do you use? What type of RO/DI do you recommend?
Typhoon III, 5 stage RO/DI unit,. cost about $200
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top