TDS meter reading

bill37 · 05/15/2009, 05:59 PM

As RO/DI water sits, with powerhead running and heater, will the TDS reading increase with time?

WaterKeeper · 05/15/2009, 06:05 PM

Sure will. As atmospheric gasses enter the water they increase TDS. Depending on the water container it may also leach out small;, but detectable, ions into the water. All increase TDS. It is rare to see zero TDS after the water sits for awhile.

Aquarist007 · 05/15/2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WaterKeeper
Sure will. As atmospheric gasses enter the water they increase TDS. Depending on the water container it may also leach out small;, but detectable, ions into the water. All increase TDS. It is rare to see zero TDS after the water sits for awhile.

especially when one leaves the lid off a garbage can of ro/di water that is sitting right under a copper pipe overhead that is sweating
don't even ask

WaterKeeper · 05/15/2009, 06:46 PM

I won't.

mmedeiros2 · 05/15/2009, 08:50 PM

Tom, what do you consider a while? 1 wk. / 1 day / 1 mo.
Thanks

Rae C. · 05/15/2009, 09:20 PM

Does this mean that if I left some water at the bottom of the storage container (a 32 gal Brute), it would no longer be "RODI" water? Would the TDS increase from sitting around cause an algae outbreak when I do a water change from this water that has been sitting unstirred for a week?

Aquarist007 · 05/15/2009, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rae C.
Does this mean that if I left some water at the bottom of the storage container (a 32 gal Brute), it would no longer be "RODI" water? Would the TDS increase from sitting around cause an algae outbreak when I do a water change from this water that has been sitting unstirred for a week?

no Rae--it would be now called Brute water

--but if it smells like the commercial product you will be able to tell without a tds meter

Algae is caused by nitrates and phosphates--changs are slim but not impossible I guess that they might dissolve in there but I think its more like carbonates or carbon dioxide that can change the pH and the alk of the water.

Is a cheap investment at 25 dollars for a pocket TDS meter if you want to check occasionally

cloak · 05/16/2009, 01:07 AM

Am I understanding this right? RO/DI water that sit's out for awhile decomposes? How long before it's tap? Isn't TDS TDS? One way or the other?

bgraves · 05/16/2009, 04:27 AM

where can I get the $25 tds meter. Is it accurate?

bill37 · 05/16/2009, 05:54 AM

So is it better to leave the lid on my trashcan? so for an auto top off system, is it better to keep a minimal amount of water?

Aquarist007 · 05/16/2009, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cloak
Am I understanding this right? RO/DI water that sit's out for awhile decomposes? How long before it's tap? Isn't TDS TDS? One way or the other?

I think you are running with the water keepers statements. Decomposes---I think not---adding a trace of tds back into the water---yes. Leeching some tds back from a plastic pail possible.

I think the point more is if you take the trouble and expense to purchase an ro/di water filter to get zero tds then put the lid back on the garbage pail

Aquarist007 · 05/16/2009, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bgraves
where can I get the $25 tds meter. Is it accurate?

here you go--right from melevsreef.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/Melevs-Reef-TDS-...3A1%7C294%3A24

cloak · 05/16/2009, 10:20 AM

I was under the impression that RO/DI water was the cats meow, now you have to worry about it going bad if it's sits in a bucket for awhile. Whoa! I wonder what those people who have prepared water sitting in a bucket are thinking right now. This is news to me.

WaterKeeper · 05/16/2009, 10:42 AM

Man, this thread has taken a nasty turn.

Water RO/DI or tap does not decompose. It still remains good old H₂O. It does slowly pick up atmospheric gasses and will leach most any container where it is stored. That's why it is know as the universal solvent. It is not a major concern as the amount is exceedingly small and it takes a very long time for any significant deterioration to occur. Shortly after it is produced in will increase about 2-3ppm in TDS. The increase is mainly gasses from the air that are returned to the water as it sits. After an even longer time it may reach 5-10ppm as it leaches material from the container and household dust. The amount is highly dependant on the container material but still, the amount of material dissolved, is small. The later increase may take a couple of years to occur. It is no real concern to the hobbyist who has water with a TDS if 3500ppm sitting in their marine tank.

Aquarist007 · 05/16/2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WaterKeeper

Man, this thread has taken a nasty turn.

Water RO/DI or tap does not decompose. It still remains good old H₂O. It does slowly pick up atmospheric gasses and will leach most any container where it is stored. That's why it is know as the universal solvent. It is not a major concern as the amount is exceedingly small and it takes a very long time for any significant deterioration to occur. Shortly after it is produced in will increase about 2-3ppm in TDS. The increase is mainly gasses from the air that are returned to the water as it sits. After an even longer time it may reach 5-10ppm as it leaches material from the container and household dust. The amount is highly dependant on the container material but still, the amount of material dissolved, is small. The later increase may take a couple of years to occur. It is no real concern to the hobbyist who has water with a TDS if 3500ppm sitting in their marine tank.

I believe I tried too but you always say it so much more eloquently

cloak · 05/16/2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WaterKeeper

Man, this thread has taken a nasty turn.

Water RO/DI or tap does not decompose. It still remains good old H₂O. It does slowly pick up atmospheric gasses and will leach most any container where it is stored. That's why it is know as the universal solvent. It is not a major concern as the amount is exceedingly small and it takes a very long time for any significant deterioration to occur. Shortly after it is produced in will increase about 2-3ppm in TDS. The increase is mainly gasses from the air that are returned to the water as it sits. After an even longer time it may reach 5-10ppm as it leaches material from the container and household dust. The amount is highly dependant on the container material but still, the amount of material dissolved, is small. The later increase may take a couple of years to occur. It is no real concern to the hobbyist who has water with a TDS if 3500ppm sitting in their marine tank.

That's what I was looking for. Something just didn't sit right.

Thank you.

Aquarist007 · 05/16/2009, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cloak
That's what I was looking for. Something just didn't sit right.

Thank you.

Cloak---I figured you knew all along but was just stirring the sand up a touch----that's not nice---I guess you really don't appreciate how busy moderators like WK are

bill37 · 05/16/2009, 06:56 PM

Thank you WK. One more question. I have a hanna TDS meter. When I check my water it reads 007. It should read 000 so is 007 really that bad?

Whys · 05/16/2009, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
I guess you really don't appreciate how busy moderators like WK are

I do my best to keep him on his toes.

That copper pipe story is a real doozy. At what point did you figure it out?

Aquarist007 · 05/16/2009, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Whys
I do my best to keep him on his toes.

That copper pipe story is a real doozy. At what point did you figure it out?

when some of the sweat from the pipe landed on my bald head while doing some maintenance

the pipe actually spans overhead across two open refugiums, an open sump and 60 gals of ro/di water.. No harm done -zero tds when I tested the ro/di water------only one problem--two green tarnish spots on my head
I think I should get a free reef central hat for that story

EverettReef · 05/16/2009, 10:54 PM

Capn, is your avitar a picture of you when the sweat from your pipe landed on your forehead?

Whys · 05/17/2009, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
...the pipe actually spans overhead across two open refugiums, an open sump and 60 gals of ro/di water.. No harm done -zero tds when I tested the ro/di water

That was a bit of luck. I'm trying to imagine how long it would take all of us here to solve a similar problem if a newbie came into the forum complaining of perpetual inverticide. I mean sure, you can test for copper, but that wouldn't explain the source. Yikes!

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
I think I should get a free reef central hat for that story

There's a hat?!

EnglishRebel · 05/17/2009, 08:55 AM

Reminds me of the time I was project manager on a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Puerto Rico. We had the effluent water tested and found that there was a high content of zinc that was not present in the city water.????

After we drained the holding basin we found about twenty corrugated galvanized roof sheets that had blown off houses during their many hurricanes. The zinc in the galvanizing was leaching into the water.

Aquarist007 · 05/17/2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EverettReef
Capn, is your avitar a picture of you when the sweat from your pipe landed on your forehead?

nope--its my grandson with a shock look on his face after he overhear what I said after

what the ****

Aquarist007 · 05/17/2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EnglishRebel
Reminds me of the time I was project manager on a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Puerto Rico. We had the effluent water tested and found that there was a high content of zinc that was not present in the city water.????
After we drained the holding basin we found about twenty corrugated galvanized roof sheets that had blown off houses during their many hurricanes. The zinc in the galvanizing was leaching into the water.

that's a scarry thought in itself---when I was young we had a cottage on Lake Erie--everyone at that time was digging down about 15-30 feet to tap into the water table there for a well.
They were lining the wells with galvenized culvert or drain piping.
That was 40 years ago--imagine the heavy metals in some of the people who have used those wells all that time.

05/15/2009, 05:59 PM	#1
bill37 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,201	TDS meter reading As RO/DI water sits, with powerhead running and heater, will the TDS reading increase with time?

05/15/2009, 06:05 PM	#2
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Sure will. As atmospheric gasses enter the water they increase TDS. Depending on the water container it may also leach out small;, but detectable, ions into the water. All increase TDS. It is rare to see zero TDS after the water sits for awhile. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

05/15/2009, 06:46 PM	#4
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I won't. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

05/15/2009, 08:50 PM	#5
mmedeiros2 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dartmouth, Ma. Posts: 452	Tom, what do you consider a while? 1 wk. / 1 day / 1 mo. Thanks __________________ One must always be aware for the unexpected. Mike Current Tank Info: 75 gal. / Sump / Skimmer / 65 Lbs. LR / 2 Cleaner Shrimp / Firefish / Bangi Cardinal / Pearly Jawfish / 3 - Yellow Clown Gobies / Yellow Wrasse / Hermits

05/15/2009, 09:20 PM	#6
Rae C. Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 916	Does this mean that if I left some water at the bottom of the storage container (a 32 gal Brute), it would no longer be "RODI" water? Would the TDS increase from sitting around cause an algae outbreak when I do a water change from this water that has been sitting unstirred for a week? __________________ Rae C It's 8:30, kids. Turn off the tank and go to bed! Current Tank Info: 65 gal, softies, 1 mandarine, 1 clown

05/16/2009, 01:07 AM	#8
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Am I understanding this right? RO/DI water that sit's out for awhile decomposes? How long before it's tap? Isn't TDS TDS? One way or the other?

05/16/2009, 04:27 AM	#9
bgraves Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 366	where can I get the $25 tds meter. Is it accurate?

05/16/2009, 05:54 AM	#10
bill37 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,201	So is it better to leave the lid on my trashcan? so for an auto top off system, is it better to keep a minimal amount of water?

05/16/2009, 10:20 AM	#13
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I was under the impression that RO/DI water was the cats meow, now you have to worry about it going bad if it's sits in a bucket for awhile. Whoa! I wonder what those people who have prepared water sitting in a bucket are thinking right now. This is news to me.

05/16/2009, 10:42 AM	#14
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Man, this thread has taken a nasty turn. Water RO/DI or tap does not decompose. It still remains good old H₂O. It does slowly pick up atmospheric gasses and will leach most any container where it is stored. That's why it is know as the universal solvent. It is not a major concern as the amount is exceedingly small and it takes a very long time for any significant deterioration to occur. Shortly after it is produced in will increase about 2-3ppm in TDS. The increase is mainly gasses from the air that are returned to the water as it sits. After an even longer time it may reach 5-10ppm as it leaches material from the container and household dust. The amount is highly dependant on the container material but still, the amount of material dissolved, is small. The later increase may take a couple of years to occur. It is no real concern to the hobbyist who has water with a TDS if 3500ppm sitting in their marine tank. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

05/16/2009, 06:56 PM	#18
bill37 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,201	Thank you WK. One more question. I have a hanna TDS meter. When I check my water it reads 007. It should read 000 so is 007 really that bad?

05/16/2009, 10:54 PM	#21
EverettReef Lounge Pariah Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Everett, Wa Posts: 257	Capn, is your avitar a picture of you when the sweat from your pipe landed on your forehead? __________________ Bruce

05/17/2009, 08:55 AM	#23
EnglishRebel Retired Rebel Reefer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Triad NC Posts: 1,902	Reminds me of the time I was project manager on a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Puerto Rico. We had the effluent water tested and found that there was a high content of zinc that was not present in the city water.???? After we drained the holding basin we found about twenty corrugated galvanized roof sheets that had blown off houses during their many hurricanes. The zinc in the galvanizing was leaching into the water. __________________ Alan "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " Sir Winston Churchill praising those young RAF pilots. August 20th 1940 Click on my name for drop down list and select "Visit EnglishRebels Home Page" for my build thread. Current Tank Info: 60x30x24 200G AO custom glass tank, basement equipment room, 30G and 55G Fuges, LifeReef sump & 30" skimmer.