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Phosphate reading
- Thread starter NEWSALT
- Start date
NEWSALT said:
How old are your RO/DI filters? Maybe you purchased the faulty one that is passing phosphates through.
Next step (well first step really 
) would be testing your source water. If that has it you know where it is coming from. If it *doesn't* have measurable PO4 then I'd check some SW mixed in a glass container. Certain plastic containers leach "TDS" into the water (water sitting in a non-food-grade plastic container will have a higher TDS than the water fresh from the RO/DI).
) would be testing your source water. If that has it you know where it is coming from. If it *doesn't* have measurable PO4 then I'd check some SW mixed in a glass container. Certain plastic containers leach "TDS" into the water (water sitting in a non-food-grade plastic container will have a higher TDS than the water fresh from the RO/DI).
Ok then you know those numbers are spot on.
You could try testing fresh water that has sat in your mixing bucket for 12-24hrs and see if there's any noticable PO4 leaching in from your mixing container. Otherwise you know the bulk of it is your Reef Crystals.
Makes me want to go do another TM Pro water change! ;D
You could try testing fresh water that has sat in your mixing bucket for 12-24hrs and see if there's any noticable PO4 leaching in from your mixing container. Otherwise you know the bulk of it is your Reef Crystals.
Makes me want to go do another TM Pro water change! ;D
Phyl said:
I think that's a good next step. The phosphate of the water going into the bucket will be 0.05. If it sits for a day or two and the PO4 rises, the PO4 is leaching from the bucket. If the PO4 doesn't go up then it's the Reef Crystals. Ok, here's my question: let's say the bucket is the culprit. What type of container should I use to mix my saltwater? In the meantime, I think I'll run the saltwater I've got mixing at a PO4 of 0.19 through a PO4 reactor before the water change. Phyl, thanks for all the help you've given me on this.
Mike
My pleasure, Mike. Good idea on the phosban reactor before the water change. Hmmm...
The big white 55g food grade drums we bought are perfect because I know they don't leach anything into the water. My topoff water sits in there and never goes up in TDS. I don't know where you can get food grade drums like that anymore though. Aren't Brute trash cans supposed to be food grade?
The big white 55g food grade drums we bought are perfect because I know they don't leach anything into the water. My topoff water sits in there and never goes up in TDS. I don't know where you can get food grade drums like that anymore though. Aren't Brute trash cans supposed to be food grade?
NEWSALT said:
That would be some really, really strange bucket, because phosphates normally do not come from plastics. Unless that bucket was full of some kind of detergent or fertilizer or something, before you used for salt mixing, there is no reason for it to contain any significant trace of phosphates.
So, your reading of phosphates in new salt mix can be only from one of the following three sources: a) uncalibrated or bad testing equipment, b) water or c) salt.
That shouldn't happen either Phyl if the container is marked for potable water use.
Most if not all of the time people blame a container when the water sits. You can get the same effect using glass where the TDS will go up as the water sits. It's from dirty air and bacteria. You should always keep a lid on your RO/DI and salt mix buckets to reduce this as much as possible and to keep the light out.
Carlo
Most if not all of the time people blame a container when the water sits. You can get the same effect using glass where the TDS will go up as the water sits. It's from dirty air and bacteria. You should always keep a lid on your RO/DI and salt mix buckets to reduce this as much as possible and to keep the light out.
Carlo
I'm sure that salt bucket (along with the garbage cans typically used) isn't marked for potable water, Carlo. Fill a plastic container with water and a glass container. The TDS will be higher in the plastic container, even if both are tightly covered. I don't know why and I'm not sure what it is leaching... but it happens.
Put new egg crate in a saltwater tank under halides. You're very likely to see a hair algae breakout.
Put new egg crate in a saltwater tank under halides. You're very likely to see a hair algae breakout.
Guys, remember, we started with phosphates
, and they are based on phosphorus. While essential for many biomolecules and present in most biomasses, it is not a compound of mostly used plastics. Though the phosphates contamination of the plastic that the bucket is made of, can certainly exist, the amount of it leaching into the water will not be detectable.TDS on the other hand can still exist, whether from organic source as Carlo mentioned, or from braking plastic itself (polymers unwrapping and breaking into polymer strands, individual crystals or ions and who knows what else). It all depends what is your instrument actually measuring and how is that translating into real TDS amount.
I was thinking about getting one of these:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/va...ory_name=25&product_id=15691&variant_id=74208
It claims to meet FDA and USDA standards. Do you think this will be good?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/va...ory_name=25&product_id=15691&variant_id=74208
It claims to meet FDA and USDA standards. Do you think this will be good?
So we tested the RO/DI and got .05, and we tested the mixed saltwater and got .19.
Between these 2 points the possible inputs are the salt mix, leaching from the container, or contaminants from the air or items used in the mixing process.
A simple test was suggested a while back to take the .05 RO/DI and put it in the container and see if the phosphates increase. I think that is the logical next step.
Of course if Mike does that test too soon, we'll miss out on our chemistry lessons! ;D
Between these 2 points the possible inputs are the salt mix, leaching from the container, or contaminants from the air or items used in the mixing process.
A simple test was suggested a while back to take the .05 RO/DI and put it in the container and see if the phosphates increase. I think that is the logical next step.
Of course if Mike does that test too soon, we'll miss out on our chemistry lessons! ;D