Kinda's Large Tank Adventure (LTA)

[Kindanewtothis]

13 minutes ago, DevilDuck said:

Yes, that should work also. If you are going to be making a lot of water and have the space, you might want to replace the RO Buddie Sediment and Carbon filters with 10" filters also. The larger ones last longer and are cheaper in the long run.

 

 

Thanks mate!

[seabass]

17 hours ago, DevilDuck said:

You'll need to route it after the RO Buddie sediment and carbon filters.

You're right about it being a standard 10" filter.  And I agree that with a 120 gallon tank, that it might be time to upgrade the whole system.  However, I believe that he just got a DI cartridge; so it would be added somewhere after the RO membrane.

 

I think that this type of silicate busting DI filter is typically used as the final stage (to strip any remaining silicate from the product water).  I believe that it can be used as the only DI stage, or (probably more commonly) as a second DI stage (which follows a cheaper, more typical DI cartridge).

 

@Kindanewtothis, are you still fighting diatoms in this tank?  I assume that this DI cartridge is to help deal with that recurring issue.

[Kindanewtothis]

1 hour ago, seabass said:

You're right about it being a standard 10" filter.  And I agree that with a 120 gallon tank, that it might be time to upgrade the whole system.  However, I believe that he just got a DI cartridge; so it would be added somewhere after the RO membrane.

 

I think that this type of silicate busting DI filter is typically used as the final stage (to strip any remaining silicate from the product water).  I believe that it can be used as the only DI stage, or (probably more commonly) as a second DI stage (which follows a cheaper, more typical DI cartridge).

 

@Kindanewtothis, are you still fighting diatoms in this tank?  I assume that this DI cartridge is to help deal with that recurring issue.

My actual system now gives me 1tds water, I think the actual DI stage needs to be change. The plan was to use the new one as the only DI stage. If I remember correctly @seabass your are the one that told me about the sillicate blaster one. 

 

Yes I'm still fighting diatoms in this tank, I think I'm fuelling it with my top off water... same as in the 50g and same problem, brown sand where the pistol doesn't turn the sand.

[Kindanewtothis]

Received my Hanna checker reagent yesterday (was all out)

 

Po4 was 0.00 yesterday, I dosed NeoPhost and this morning it's 0.07.

 

No3 10.7

dKH 9.3 

Ca 425

Mg 1320

[seabass]

Yeah, I'm actually surprised that silica is (or still is) an issue, but that's the only thing I can think of that explains the diatoms (which I know were confirmed with your microscope).

 

I'm pretty sure that I've shared this link with you before: https://reefs.com/magazine/silica-in-reef-aquariums/#:~:text=Silica In Reef Aquariums S ilica is a,in fact%2C increase diatom growth in reef tanks.

 

1 hour ago, Kindanewtothis said:

The plan was to use the new one as the only DI stage.

I think that would be fine.

[Kindanewtothis]

7 minutes ago, seabass said:

which I know were confirmed with your microscope).

It was but I'm keeping a close look as my nutrients (mainly po4) were low. I'm affraid of dinos.

 

8 minutes ago, seabass said:

I'm pretty sure that I've shared this link with you before

Yup, tx!

[Kindanewtothis]

5 hours ago, seabass said:

are you still fighting diatoms in this tank?  I assume that this DI cartridge is to help deal with that recurring issue.

At first it was ok in the 120g, but after a few weeks it came back, one of the reason I replaced the GKM bulb however I think it's broken and I'm not investing more on it. Still I don't have a diatoms bloom in the water column like in the other one in which my hands were coming out orange/brown

 

In the 120g you can clearly see the pistol shrimp territory and the diatoms covered sand.

 

[Kindanewtothis]

On 11/19/2022 at 6:07 AM, seabass said:

I believe that it can be used as the only DI stage, or (probably more commonly) as a second DI stage (which follows a cheaper, more typical DI cartridge).

I'm getting 1 tds right now (it was 0 before) using my cheaper and older DI cartridge, should I still use it and just add the new DI at the end? Over time, is there a problem doing so? 

 

I will eventually renew the other stages but would have kept the actual DI for a while.

[mcarroll]

There may not be much difference, statistically speaking, between zero and 1 depending on your TDS meter.   You'd need to know its accuracy +/-, resolution, etc as well as its limits...some things (calibration, CO2 in sample, etc) can cause the meter to be "fooled" by a pmm or two.  Check out this PDF: https://assets.freshwatersystems.com/images/k9tv2cf8rhplmoe2sidl/hm-digital-tds-meter-general-usage-calibration-instruct.pdf

 

For comparison, this handheld TDS meter has an accuracy of +/- 2%.

 

That said, it's not heartening to see TDS go up when you switch to a brand new cart, especially if you are sampling and testing EXACTLY the same way that you were before WITHOUT variation.

 

If that's the case I don't think it would hurt anything to reach out to the vendor and ask their opinion.

 

Did you give it several minutes to run so the DI resin could be "rinsed" before you measured for TDS?

[DevilDuck]

On 11/19/2022 at 5:07 AM, seabass said:

You're right about it being a standard 10" filter.  And I agree that with a 120 gallon tank, that it might be time to upgrade the whole system.  However, I believe that he just got a DI cartridge; so it would be added somewhere after the RO membrane.

 

I think that this type of silicate busting DI filter is typically used as the final stage (to strip any remaining silicate from the product water).  I believe that it can be used as the only DI stage, or (probably more commonly) as a second DI stage (which follows a cheaper, more typical DI cartridge).

 

@Kindanewtothis, are you still fighting diatoms in this tank?  I assume that this DI cartridge is to help deal with that recurring issue.

I stand corrected then. I thought it was extra pre-membrane stage like a specialized carbon. My bad!

 

PS. I don't think 1tds is bad. I don't change my filters until I get 4tds. I'm cheap.

[Kindanewtothis]

47 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

There may not be much difference, statistically speaking, between zero and 1 depending on your TDS meter.   You'd need to know its accuracy +/-, resolution, etc as well as its limits...some things (calibration, CO2 in sample, etc) can cause the meter to be "fooled" by a pmm or two.  Check out this PDF: https://assets.freshwatersystems.com/images/k9tv2cf8rhplmoe2sidl/hm-digital-tds-meter-general-usage-calibration-instruct.pdf

 

For comparison, this handheld TDS meter has an accuracy of +/- 2%.

 

That said, it's not heartening to see TDS go up when you switch to a brand new cart, especially if you are sampling and testing EXACTLY the same way that you were before WITHOUT variation.

 

If that's the case I don't think it would hurt anything to reach out to the vendor and ask their opinion.

 

Did you give it several minutes to run so the DI resin could be "rinsed" before you measured for TDS?

The NEW cartridge is not installed yet, the OLD one gives me 1 tds. What I'm asking, and I think I got my answer, is if I can still use the OLD but would connect the NEW (silicate blaster) after it.

[seabass]

Hmm, if the old DI is producing 1 TDS, then I'd guess that it's probably exhausted (or soon to be).

 

I'd either just replace the old with  the new DI cartridge, or run a new general DI with the silica buster after it (2 DI stages).  When running two DI stages, the first one basically does all the work (and becomes exhausted much sooner).  The second one serves as a backup, and in this case, also helps remove silica.

[Kindanewtothis]

16 minutes ago, seabass said:

Hmm, if the old DI is producing 1 TDS, then I'd guess that it's probably exhausted (or soon to be).

I understand but is there any harm in using it a few months still? Letting do some work before the silica remover finishes it? Then I would get a new DI cartridge. I wish the sillicate blaster to last.

 

Thanks !

[Kindanewtothis]

Do I remove this cap?

[seabass]

 

Quote

Several issues arise relating to the depletion of the DI resins that aquarists need to be aware of. Primary among these is that when a DI resin becomes depleted, that does not simply mean that the water passes through just as it came from the RO effluent. It may actually be much worse from an aquarist’s perspective. The reason for this is that while the DI resin is functioning properly, all ions will be caught. But when it is depleted, not only the new ions are coming through and might show up in the product water, but so are all the ions that ever got into the DI resin in the first place. The total concentration of ions coming out of the exhausted DI resin will not be raised as compared to the RO's effluent, but which ions are released may be very different.

Source: https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rhf/index.php#7

 

 

 

Once you start seeing TDS, I'd replace the DI resin.

 

3 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Do I remove this cap?

No

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

Teflon tape?

[Kindanewtothis]

3 minutes ago, seabass said:

 

Source: https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rhf/index.php#7

 

 

 

Once you start seeing TDS, I'd replace the DI resin.

 

No

 

 

Thanks that exactly what I needed to know!

[seabass]

3 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Teflon tape?

No.  Teflon tape allows you to over tighten the fitting.

 

I've always used Teflon tape on metal fittings, but not on plastic.

 

Although larger PVC fittings might need a thread sealant.

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, Kindanewtothis said:

The NEW cartridge is not installed yet, the OLD one gives me 1 tds. What I'm asking, and I think I got my answer, is if I can still use the OLD but would connect the NEW (silicate blaster) after it.

Sorry, then YES. 😉   

 

Use up the old one until it's completely kaput, with the NEW one running downstream catching the "overflow TDS" from the first/old unit.   I think spectrapure recommends this setup....or AquaFX...somewhere like that I read about it.   😉 

[mcarroll]

45 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Teflon tape?

For this, I agree with seabass – this is not a place for thread tape, although it would probably work.  (It's pretty universal.)

 

The tape, if used, would be a lube in this case, as he pointed out.

 

But there's supposed to be silicone lube (if anything) in there for the sake of the O-ring.

 

Maybe more importantly, it should not be necessary at all....and the O-ring lube should already be there....doesn't take much, and it's unlikely you'll ever need more IME.

 

You really just want those connections hand tight – just enough to seat the O-ring properly.  If you have a housing wrench, it's just for unthreading.

 

[mcarroll]

9 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Sorry, then YES. 😉   

 

Use up the old one until it's completely kaput, with the NEW one running downstream catching the "overflow TDS" from the first/old unit.   I think spectrapure recommends this setup....or AquaFX...somewhere like that I read about it.   😉 

After ruminating on this, I think this was actually in relation to dye-indicators wearing out, in DI carts where it's used, before the resin wears out....which isn't quite the same circumstance you're in.

 

Once you see unacceptable TDS readings from your DI the way you're set up and sampling now, the DI media is probably done.

[Kindanewtothis]

7 hours ago, mcarroll said:

After ruminating on this, I think this was actually in relation to dye-indicators wearing out, in DI carts where it's used, before the resin wears out....which isn't quite the same circumstance you're in.

 

Once you see unacceptable TDS readings from your DI the way you're set up and sampling now, the DI media is probably done.

 

16 hours ago, seabass said:

 

Source: https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rhf/index.php#7

 

 

 

Once you start seeing TDS, I'd replace the DI resin.

 

No

 

 

Ok so.... sorry I made you loose your time. 

 

I retested my Ro/Di water, making sure the cup was completely clean and discarded the water made in the 20-30 first seconds and I got 0 TDS...

 

So I will keep the old Di stage running and add the new Di at the end hoping it will do its sillica removing job.

 

In a few months I will change the RO cartridge and the old Di.

 

Thanks again!

[Kindanewtothis]

It's leaking by the cap, there was no instruction, I have 3 seals but don't know what to do with them exactly.

 

@seabass ?

[Kindanewtothis]

 

So just 1 o-ring? Why do I have 3? Spares?

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

Ok it's now leaking from the in and outakes. Reconsidering teflon.

 

It's not leaking a lot, I suppose I could make 20 gallons before a cup has leak so I could just use a bucket or something but it doesn't seems normal.