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Acceptable TDS Level Question

Reef Keeper

Reef Keeper

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I buy R.O. H2O with a TDS reading of .06: Great! But after mixing Aqua Vitro, my TDS reading indicated 1710, which seems way high; in the tank it's apx 1760. Is that an acceptable TDS level for SPS etcetera? :~
 
.06 TDS? What kind of meter do you have that measures that level of accuracy?

And yeah, salt + water = mucho high TDS I think some of it might be a bit higher due to the increased conductivity of salt vs random crap in your water.
 
sfsuphysics said:
.06 TDS? What kind of meter do you have that measures that level of accuracy?

And yeah, salt + water = mucho high TDS I think some of it might be a bit higher due to the increased conductivity of salt vs random crap in your water.
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Thanks for all the quick responses. I'm guessing my TDS is just fine. Out of the tap is 136, so I'm guessing it comes from BRS calibrated.

Got it from BRS a few days ago. HM TDS-3
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/tds-3-handheld-tds-meter-hm-digital.html

Came with a nice case too.

I buy the RO at Lighthouse in HMB. http://halfmoonbay.patch.com/listings/lighthouse-water they're great.



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Mr. Ugly said:
If you dissolve salt in your water, your Total Dissolved Solids is suppose to increase :D
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Mr. Ugly said:
If you dissolve salt in your water, your Total Dissolved Solids is suppose to increase :D
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Sure: Just had been wondering if other salt mixes have lower TDSs.

I was thinking about chg'ng salt mixes b/c Aqua Vitro leaves a lot of stuff at the bottom of the r/o mixing barrel; and I'm wondering why that is - thinking it may relate to higher solids that don't break down. I'm not wanting to think about changing salts, but I had some RTN'ng that I've haven't seen in my display in over 4 years now (lost 2 mother colonies Blue Formosa and Blue Tip Acro). Seeing all that junk at the bottom of my barrel has me wondering if the corals are getting everything their suppose to get from the A.V. Salinity?

The tank is still looking good though, and I know after a few years, yer bound to have a loss along the way.

TY for taking the time to chime in. :0)

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tuberider said:
Mixing salt with RO will increase your TDS. Conductivity is also a way to measure your SG ;)
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Conductivity: That's not something you hear about every day, yet it's mentioned on this thread a bit. You folks sure know your stuff. I read a lot about keeping TDS low, but by time you get your salt mixed up, it seems the TDS is off the charts. Is 7000 ppm a good number? I guess that's what I was getting at... :tired:
 
As far as the salt, add it to your mixing barrel slowly so that it dissolves better. The residue is likely mostly calcium carbonate, and your tank may not be getting enough alk and calcium if it's precipitating out of your new water.

Some people said it's ok to add it to your tank while cloudy. Just be aware that if you're relying on the numbers printed on the bucket label, you may end up with depressed alk and Ca levels over time, which can cause problems.
 
TDS = Total Dissolved Solids.

If you dissolve anything(that's not gas or liquid) in water, by definition your TDS increases.

TDS is not a relevent measurement for for mixed saltwater. What your meter is telling you is that you have a lot of salt and other stuff dissolved in your water now, which you already knew.

For reef keeping, you want low TDS for your starting water so that you know you're not using water that has a lot of dissolved phosphate, sulfate, copper, iron, or whatever.
 
Mr. Ugly said:
As far as the salt, add it to your mixing barrel slowly so that it dissolves better. The residue is likely mostly calcium carbonate, and your tank may not be getting enough alk and calcium if it's precipitating out of your new water.

Some people said it's ok to add it to your tank while cloudy. Just be aware that if you're relying on the numbers printed on the bucket label, you may end up with depressed alk and Ca levels over time, which can cause problems.
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Thank you for letting me know about that. I've been dosing with BRS 2 Part on Drew's dosing pumps, and that would explain why I've been having to ratchet up the minutes on them, as both levels have been noticeably dropping off. This is the first salt that I can recall using that precipitates like this. Plus the water is not just cloudy, but almost a dark grayish color. There's no way I can put that through my sump. Is that normal?

TYVM :0)
 
Hi Joel,

Well, it's normal for fast mixing with this salt. Ian and I both were having that problem.

Another thing to watch for - if the container of Ca for your doser is open to atmosphere, you can get enough gas exchange that your solution picks up enough C02 to precipitate out your Ca. If your Ca seems to be dropping inexplicably, double check that you're not getting a lot of calcium carbonate sediment in your 2 part container.

Also, if you're increasing your dosing times more than what you'd expect for growth, double check if your tubing is getting clogged.
 
For mixed saltwater, you should be testing specific gravity (~salinity) rather than TDS, and probably a few of the other tests that you run on your tank, such as Ca/alk/mag, maybe phosphates and nitrates if you're having problems, or super thorough :)

Fwiw - the slow clearing time, the gray haze, and the crazy buildup of white stuff on the inside of the mixing bucket no matter how slowly the salt was added... wound up not being worth the trouble in my case. The fish/corals didn't mind any, but I'm willing to dose a little more threepart rather than deal with scrubbing out the mixing bucket and then waiting 1-2 days for clear water every time I need to wc.

Also! in addition to what Mr. Ugly said, if you're having to keep ratcheting up the ca dosing with no apparent effect, check your magnesium! If mag is low, ca won't climb properly.
 
I seem to have lots of precipitation too no matter how I add the salt. If I add fast, it precipitates right away. If I add slow, I get fairly clear water, but if I leave it in the bucket for 30minutes, the precipitation happens and water gets very couldy.
I just gave up and just use the water and don't bother with the precipitation.
 
Mr. Ugly said:
Hi Joel,

Well, it's normal for fast mixing with this salt. Ian and I both were having that problem.

Another thing to watch for - if the container of Ca for your doser is open to atmosphere, you can get enough gas exchange that your solution picks up enough C02 to precipitate out your Ca. If your Ca seems to be dropping inexplicably, double check that you're not getting a lot of calcium carbonate sediment in your 2 part container.

Also, if you're increasing your dosing times more than what you'd expect for growth, double check if your tubing is getting clogged.
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If you are increasing your dosage of Cal and Alk.........make sure you increase your Mag dosing as well.
 
A few things to note without getting too technical when using Salinity salt (found out the hard way):

1. Pour in the salt a few cups at a time and make sure it mixes thoroughly before adding more.

2. Don't use a heater, higher temp actual inhibits the salt from mixing properly.
 
Hey Jim, perhaps I'm misinterpreting what you mean on point 2 ... I always thought that warmer solutions meant that solids would dissolve easier while colder temps makes it harder to dissolve. For this reason one had to adjust the salinity / SG measurements slightly when comparing mixed water at say 84 degrees vs 70 degrees.

I of course fully realize that making a statement like this in full view of all those on here with advanced (or at least more current) expertise with water chemistry leaves me open to ridicule ... just be kind :)
 
Robin, the enemy for the aquavitro salt is heat. When you add the salt too fast it heats the water up (exothermic reaction) and causes the precipitation.
 
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