Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > General Interest Forums > The Reef Chemistry Forum

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01/09/2008, 04:40 PM
snodine snodine is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Romeoville, IL
Posts: 37
My house has copper pipes - am I in trouble?

As the title states, my house has copper pipes. Am I in trouble for setting up a reef tank?

OK, I'm not too bright it seems as I've been looking at the pipes in the basement all along and not "seeing" them. Have set up an RO/DI unit, working on an in-wall 130 gallon system, and was standing there thinking about how to set up a drain and sink in the fish room. Thought "well, I can run another copper pipe from the inlet here to the corner there......" and then it hit me. DUH, copper not good, copper bad.

Suggestions? Advice? Brain tonic ideas?

Thanks,

Steve
  #2  
Old 01/09/2008, 04:47 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
Reef Chemist
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Arlington, Massachusetts
Posts: 52,068
I recommend using an RO/DI system to purify the water first.
__________________
Randy Holmes-Farley
  #3  
Old 01/09/2008, 04:54 PM
snodine snodine is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Romeoville, IL
Posts: 37
Quote:
Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
I recommend using an RO/DI system to purify the water first.
Randy,

I have an RO/DI unit that I'll be using. Will this be enough?
  #4  
Old 01/09/2008, 05:19 PM
bertoni bertoni is offline
RC Mod
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Foster City, CA, USA
Posts: 35,743
That should be fine, as long as you use a good TDS meter regularly to check the status of the filter.
__________________
Jonathan Bertoni
  #5  
Old 01/09/2008, 05:31 PM
snodine snodine is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Romeoville, IL
Posts: 37
OK, I can start breathing again. TDS meter, PH meter, and refractometer already waiting for use. Thanks for your assistance.
  #6  
Old 01/09/2008, 07:30 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
Reef Chemist
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Arlington, Massachusetts
Posts: 52,068
Sounds great.

Good luck.
__________________
Randy Holmes-Farley
  #7  
Old 01/09/2008, 08:39 PM
el Deutche el Deutche is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3
Stupid question. What is a TDS meter? I am in the process of buying a house and it has copper pipes.
  #8  
Old 01/09/2008, 08:43 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 5,920
TDS = total desolved solids

tells how pure your water is.
__________________
Sam
  #9  
Old 01/09/2008, 08:52 PM
el Deutche el Deutche is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3
You guys have any recommendations for a TDS meter?
  #10  
Old 01/09/2008, 08:54 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 5,920
hana is a good brand. IMO
__________________
Sam
  #11  
Old 01/09/2008, 09:05 PM
SPStoner SPStoner is offline
2007 Eastern Conf. Champs
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Madison,OH
Posts: 1,348
ok, my turn for the stupid question. Is this what the "red light/green light" unit is that came with my Spectrapure RO/DI unit? A TDS indicator of some sort? If so, how reliable do you think it is....... I have a conductivity meter (American Marine Pinpoint). Can this be used instead to test RO/DI?
__________________
"Baseball is 90% mental...The other half is physical."- Yogi Berra
  #12  
Old 01/09/2008, 09:17 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 5,920
IIRC that shows the TDS creep. IMO worthless as your always gonna have TDS creep unless it runs 24/7.

if that is the light your talking about. does it go off after a few min.? if so then it is.
__________________
Sam
  #13  
Old 01/10/2008, 02:34 AM
bertoni bertoni is offline
RC Mod
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Foster City, CA, USA
Posts: 35,743
I use the PinPoint conductivity meter, and it seems fine to me. The HM COM100 has gotten good reviews, and I intend to try mine out soon now.
__________________
Jonathan Bertoni
  #14  
Old 01/10/2008, 08:02 AM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
Reef Chemist
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Arlington, Massachusetts
Posts: 52,068
I used the red light/green light on my original spectrapure system for nearly a decade. If you have it set to the most sensitive setting, and read it when the system is running, it is a fine way to judge the time to replace the DI.

I now use a more sophisticated system from them with four in line meters, and like it better, but the lights do work OK.
__________________
Randy Holmes-Farley
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009