Mario

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I have a six stage RO water system. I use the water and do changes every 2 weeks (5 gallon) in a 26 gallon system. All of a sudden I have lost a clam, and the others dont look good.

Tested the alkalinity in the tank and it was 1 dKK!!!
Started the RO unit and added Coralife salt solution, waited a few hours and tested the alkalinity....AND IT WAS ZERO.

Subsequent batches from the RO water+salt was zero too..pH was 8.4 (as is usual with freshly made up salt water).

What the heck is happening?????
Any ideas???

The unit is 6 months old and plumbed from the laundry room cold water faucet!!! No problem until this week....

(I just made up 10 gallons using good old Westchester Water and the dKH is 3.5
 
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boardryder

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Could be a number of things, not really your ro/di. Your tank could be using every last bit up, PO4 could be precipitating it, etc... Make sure your test kit is correct. Get a second opinion.
 

Mario

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Could be a number of things, not really your ro/di. Your tank could be using every last bit up, PO4 could be precipitating it, etc... Make sure your test kit is correct. Get a second opinion.

Double checked the RO/DI water with a second test kit..same result.....one thing I notice is the sediiment filter of the RO unit has gotten really brown over the past six months. I called the manufacturer and they said it should be changed over year when the output drops..so far it has not....
 

KathyC

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What kind of test kit are you using?
Do you have a TDS meter to check your ro/di unit? Cartridges should be changed when your TDS meter begins to read over '0', not necessarily when the production of the volume of water starts to drop.
What size is the package of salt mix you are using & are you 'mixing' up the dry salt before you add it to your rodo water? ( this is suggested as the ingredients in the salt mix may well be 'layered' when being packaged)
What are all of your other water parameters?

It doesn't make any sense to me that using tap water would give you an Alk reading of 3.5 when rodi water mixed with the same salt gives you a reading of 1 DKH:scratch:
 

Mario

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What kind of test kit are you using?
Do you have a TDS meter to check your ro/di unit? Cartridges should be changed when your TDS meter begins to read over '0', not necessarily when the production of the volume of water starts to drop.
What size is the package of salt mix you are using & are you 'mixing' up the dry salt before you add it to your rodo water? ( this is suggested as the ingredients in the salt mix may well be 'layered' when being packaged)
What are all of your other water parameters?

It doesn't make any sense to me that using tap water would give you an Alk reading of 3.5 when rodi water mixed with the same salt gives you a reading of 1 DKH:scratch:

Hello Kathy

I agree with you it is not making any sense..however, today it seems all the clams are appearing semi closed and there is defintely something wrong. Havent done the water change with Westchester water yet...BUT yes it is strange.
I do not have a TDS meter....I used the 10 gallon mix of salt...coral-life, then tried reef crystals. Not sure whats going on......

One thing of note: I noticed the RO+salt crystals appeared cloudy all the time after mixing the last three times I did a water change..never happened before...Ca levels are at 400mg/dl in the newly made up water BUT dKH is zero or 1.....ODD
 

juiceguy

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there are to many variables here, test kits, salt, RO.....if you are getting a lower reading after mixing the salt than from the tap, then i would say that your RO is working because it is removing any alk from your incoming water. i would make a few gals of fresh RO water and just add a buffer to it, see if you can borrow someone's alk test kit and go from there
 

KathyC

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Are you adding the salt to the water or the water to the salt ?

How cold is the water coming from the rodi unit and are you immediately mixing the salt into it?

What's the SG?..using a hydrometer or refractometer?

One more :)..what kind of test kit?
 

Mario

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Are you adding the salt to the water or the water to the salt ?

How cold is the water coming from the rodi unit and are you immediately mixing the salt into it?

What's the SG?..using a hydrometer or refractometer?

One more :)..what kind of test kit?

I appreciate all your help...I took some of the RO/DI water (from the cold water tap in the laundry) this morning and did a salt solution...the alk is fine....4dKH...even MORE odd however is my pH in the display tank....7.8!!!! maybe lower..BUT the display alkalinity is 3.5dKH, calcium is 300 mg.dl.....

the low pH with the normal alkalinity!!! how does it happen...thats what caused the lost of the squamosa.....!!

This hobby.....rocket science is easier!!
 

Mario

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Are you adding the salt to the water or the water to the salt ?

How cold is the water coming from the rodi unit and are you immediately mixing the salt into it?

What's the SG?..using a hydrometer or refractometer?

One more :)..what kind of test kit?

oh salt to the water.....sorry
 

MikeyZO

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even MORE odd however is my pH in the display tank....7.8!!!! maybe lower..BUT the display alkalinity is 3.5dKH, calcium is 300 mg.dl.....

the low pH with the normal alkalinity!!! how does it happen...thats what caused the lost of the squamosa.....!!

This hobby.....rocket science is easier!!

pH tends to drop overnight when the lights are out, so a lower pH in the morning is not unusual. And I thought a normal alkalinity should be anywhere from 8-12 dKH, not 3.5 dKH. Mine usually floats between 8 and 10. 3.5 sounds right if you are reading alk as meq/L (which would be around 10ish dKH)
 
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Mario

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pH tends to drop overnight when the lights are out, so a lower pH in the morning is not unusual. And I thought a normal alkalinity should be anywhere from 8-12 dKH, not 3.5 dKH. Mine usually floats between 8 and 10. 3.5 sounds right if you are reading alk as meq/L (which would be around 10ish dKH)

Thanks..I also checked it last night and it was 7.8....so interesting...

I think I need that rum now too.....:)
 

KathyC

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I appreciate all your help...I took some of the RO/DI water (from the cold water tap in the laundry) this morning and did a salt solution...the alk is fine....4dKH...even MORE odd however is my pH in the display tank....7.8!!!! maybe lower..BUT the display alkalinity is 3.5dKH, calcium is 300 mg.dl.....

the low pH with the normal alkalinity!!! how does it happen...thats what caused the lost of the squamosa.....!!

This hobby.....rocket science is easier!!

What? You didn't want to become a chemist? :)

It's all about balance.
Your Ca is a little on the low side, your Alk looks good (this morning anyway...lol)..but did ya check your Magnesium level?
Mg helps the Ca & Alk numbers stay stable.
 

Mario

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What? You didn't want to become a chemist? :)

It's all about balance.
Your Ca is a little on the low side, your Alk looks good (this morning anyway...lol)..but did ya check your Magnesium level?
Mg helps the Ca & Alk numbers stay stable.

Nooo, medicine is just fine with me...dont have to know the chemical names, just rx them

Never tested Mg levels....how does one add Mg?
 

MikeyZO

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I meant to write that about the Mg too... totally forgot. Get yourself a test kit to test for Mg... I use salifert. And I add Kent Tech-M. Not sure what others do.

And anytime youre on LI... look me up. Im always in the mood for rum :)
 

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