Cali Kid Corals

RODI water

svreef

svreef

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I’m starting a new tank soon and I have no idea how I’m going to get 175g of RODI water. We have an RO unit for drinking water that produces very little and the source water comes from a well - so there’s no chlorine.

The RO unit needs a new membrane, but currently I’m reading 580 TDS before the RO and 50 after.

So, the question is, what’s the harm of starting the tank with water straight from the well? What does the high TDS translate to? Would I have a chance to test and adjust the chemistry before adding livestock?

Additionally, we don’t have a place to buy saltwater anywhere near us. I may be able to buy RODI water from our local water shop, but 175g...


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Get the DI component from amazon or brs and make a Tee off your filtered out 1/4 tube. Get a 50g brute and let it fill up over night. You should get 150g in about 3 days.


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I could just go down to Santa Cruz and get ready-made water from the Pacific Ocean.



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If you are not producing enough water for your household needs, consider getting a tank with a pump. I was just at a property in the Midwest that had this problem and this is what the well guy suggested.

Don't use straight well water as it has heavy metals and bacteria. Probably worst if you treat it too. Have you tested it before? Just like using TAP water with some heavy metals, lots of stuff that promotes heavy growth of algae, GHA and etc. and more bacteria with well water.

Any chance for you to pick up water anywhere else? Or if your well produce enough water and filter it and soften it, then process it through a new RODI. Well waters are notorious for clogging membranes so prefiltering it is a good idea otherwise you will run into the same problem.
 
Our RO unit does produce enough for our needs. We do have 10,000 g in tanks from the well and a pressure pump feeding the house as well as a water softener.

Come to think of it, the new tank will be close enough that I can tee off the RO supply and fill it directly. I just have to service the RO unit and add DI


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I think almost everyone with a tank that size has their own RODI unit. Not just for startup for for ongoing use. You’ll need it eventually, may as well start with it.

To answer your specific question- You will have no idea what is in the water after your non-reef spec RO system, or what the residual TDS is composed of. You can guess, but you won’t know. Some people report success with approaches like this, but I wouldn’t.
 
xcaret said:
Where are you located? I’m sure some people nearby wouldn’t mind sharing some water so you can start mixing salt
Click to expand...

I’m in Scotts Valley - but I’m not quite ready yet. Just thinking through a plan


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If you have a 175G tank going in, I would advise simply buying a new RODI setup separate for the aquarium.
The needs and usage is a bit different from normal drinking water setup.
Running those together may be as much hassle as savings.

You need a new membrane anyway, and the incremental for a full new setup is not that much.
Especially compared to lights, power, coral, etc.
 
svreef said:
BRS says no




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I buy filtered NSW that is dosed for Ca+ and adjusted for dkh.

Sometimes Bob seems to be a bit laxed with the collection and filtration... like 10% of the time, the water is full of potentially unwanted goodness... had a batch contribute a wall of slime algae in one of .y new setups... but that was once over 2 years of buying water
 
I think you need to have a water test done to see what is actually in your well water if you want to know. I would think a dedicated rodi unit fed with your well water will be fine as long as you can get good pressure to it. Assuming your pump can provide 50-80 psi?
 
svreef said:
Just ordered an ICP test. I get close to 50 psi


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50 is minimum for good performance, have never used well water with a delivery mount before. I know it can be done but have no direct experience. With normal tap water it is easy to add a booster pump for $130 or so that bumps up the pressure from 38 to 85 for me no problem. Not sure that’s an option with the delivery pump tho.
 
thanh510 said:
Will ICP test everything? Isn't it just parameters for Saltwater tanks?

Well Testing | Wells | Private Water Systems | Drinking Water | Healthy Water | CDC

Education and information about well testing, including when to test, water quality indicators, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, pH, nitrate, volatile organic compounds, total dissolved solids, germs, sewage, feces, chemicals, and state certified drinking water laboratories.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov
Click to expand...
There are probably other things you’d want to test as well.
 
I would assume main well pump fills large storage tanks, then run a small booster pump from those tanks to RODI.

One test may not give you a full picture. I think some well water changes seasonally.
 
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