algea removal questions

[Vin7250]

trying to get over my hair algea and cyano problem.....

1. got 2 more powerheads going for better circulation
2. started doing more frequent waterchanges
3. got a DI add on for my RO unit
4. adding one more power head
5. want to know if PHOS reactor is worth it and can i fill it with carbon and rowaphos??

also i just added the DI yesterday.... before my TDS with just RO was 7 now after making 10 gallons and dumping them my tds is only 6 should i keep making and dumping water, should i assume 6 is the best it will get i mean, a DI only takes away 1 TDS???? or should i assume the unit is defective???

[MalHavoc]

After a DI unit with a fresh cartridge, your TDS should read 0. Have you calibrated your meter?

[Vin7250]

the meter is brand new and says it doesnt require calibration for a long time, how long should it take to get the TDS to 0 cause i was told that i hve to run water through the unit for a while before the water is usable????

[Vin7250]

?????????????????????

[pikachusalad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11120621#post11120621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vin7250
?????????????????????

What does the instruction manual say?

[Vin7250]

instruction manual for what? the cartridge??? cause ive never bought an ro or a di cartridge that came with an nstruction manual....the guy at marine depot told me to run it and dump the first 5 or 10 gallons. Ive done that and still the TDS is only one less then with just the RO unit by itsself

[pikachusalad]

I hate crap that doesn't come with an instruction manual almost as much as I hate crap that comes with a 500 page manual.

Anyway...what's the TDS of your water before any filtration?

[Vin7250]

289 before anything then 7 after RO and now that ive started to test with the DI that i installed yesterday im down to 6 tds, do you think that the cartridge just needs to have more water running through it??

[MalHavoc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11120375#post11120375 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vin7250
the meter is brand new and says it doesnt require calibration for a long time, how long should it take to get the TDS to 0 cause i was told that i hve to run water through the unit for a while before the water is usable????

It may not need calibration once set, but it probably should be calibrated at first, anyway.

[Vin7250]

ok well ill try that, but with a 35 gpd RO with a DI cartridge i should be reading 0 TDS correct??

[Aimiel]

I ordered a skimmer and RO/DI unit from a ReefCentral member, to solve my Cyanobacteria problem; but while I waited for them to arrive, I tried the 'cheap' fix: turning off lights. I left my tank lights off for three days, and when I turned them back on, there not only was no cyano anywhere, but my hair algae had all disappeared (except for a small well-established colony on my live rock that was easily removed. The Coral Beauty quickly gobbled up all that I left behind.

[Vin7250]

ive done that and it works to a point but it doesnt change the fact that there are a ton of phosphates in my water causing these outbreaks, i just need to figure out whats up with my RO/DI and if its worth gerting a phos reactor

[a2fire2i]

What have your phosphates tested at? If you are getting readings, then i would run one for sure! I tested mine with a salifert kit, and they were barely there, but I run a phos reactor anyways. Your DI should be able to take that 7 down to zero with out any issues. What type of DI add on did you get? Are you using a TDS handheld, or is it inline?

[Vin7250]

hand held unit and its a captive purity brand from marine depot. the RO unit is great but this DI is kinda weird, but maybe the cartridges need a longer break in period. Phosphates at one point were nearing 20-30 ppm but now the are down under 10 which is still high im sure!!

[GlobaLPimP]

TDS should be ZERO
Phos should be ZERO

What is the PSI from your water line? I have a 75gpd unit which requires at least 40 PSI to effectively push the water through the DI resin chamber. Your unit may be different so you may want to call the manufacture if your unit didn't come with a manual. I'd say it's your water pressure is too low due to the fact that you are only eliminating ONE point of TDS after connecting the DI (unless you got a bad bag of resin) Also, the resin needs to be stored in a cool dry and preferably dark place to maintain it's shelf storage-life.

[Vin7250]

the DI resin is installed in a sealed cartridge so i have no choice as to where it was or is stored, its now mounted to the wall near my sink for easy hookup.....as for the PSI im not sure how much is flowing through it but ill try cranking it up more to see, thanks thyough man!!!!

[GlobaLPimP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11122053#post11122053 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vin7250
the DI resin is installed in a sealed cartridge so i have no choice as to where it was or is stored, its now mounted to the wall near my sink for easy hookup.....as for the PSI im not sure how much is flowing through it but ill try cranking it up more to see, thanks thyough man!!!!

Yes...turn the water ALL the way ON. Hopefully that will solve your problem the easy way;)

If that doesn't work - you can get a water pressure guage at Home Depot that will thread onto a hose fitting to check your pressure.

I was referring to storing extra DI resin if you have any. If your problem isn't solved by fully opening the water valve and your pressure tests in an operational range...you may consider purchasing some new DI resin - it's about $15 and usually enough for 2 refills.

Also, I'd dump the first gallon or so each time you use the unit to get rid of the water that was sitting in the unit since the last use.

[Vin7250]

ive never dealt with a DI before, are you saying i can reuse the cartridge and just get new resin to fill it with??? if so where can i get it from

[GlobaLPimP]

sorry - double post gremlins

[GlobaLPimP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11127735#post11127735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vin7250
ive never dealt with a DI before, are you saying i can reuse the cartridge and just get new resin to fill it with??? if so where can i get it from

Yes - your LFS may stock it or they can order it for you if you don't want to pay shipping for an online purchase.

When you remove the DI canister there should be another canister inside filled with DI resin. Just dump out the old and refill with new. Just make sure you get it as FULL as possible by tapping the canister on the counter to get the resin to settle/pack down until you can't fit anymore in.

[Vin7250]

thanks man

[st9z]

i had a massive green algae problems last month and I got rid of it by running Kent's phosphate sponge and nitrate sponge inside a canister. I changed the substrate every 3 days. after 2 weeks no more algae. BTW pluck as many GHA out before doing this :)

good luck to ya mate!

[Vin7250]

thanks man,
btw i did a major clean up last night 2 time in less then a week.....so this week i did a 10 gallon change on a 40 gal system and i cleaned every rock and scrubbed them with a toothbrush, and used a turkey baster to get all of the junk off the rocks, then last night i did a 5 gal change and scrubbed rocks used turkey baster and sucked up as much alge as i could.....its starting to look way better but there is still a lot of decaying matter on the sand bed in areas where i cant reach w/o removing all of the rocks......but all in all more attention and care tto my tank is starting to pay off....ive got a phos reactor and rowaphos, another 2 maxijet 1200s comming and ive been taking better care to clean and empty the protien skimmer, im sure with all of this ill be back in business in no time!!

[GlobaLPimP]

yes, it will take some time as the negative effects did not happen over night - good luck and keep us updated ;)

[Vin7250]

hey thanks man, you know this all started to go downhill when i left my friend in charge of the tank when iwent on my honeymoon for 3 weeks....i came back 2 of my powerheads were clogged and not working and my protein skimmer was full and overflowing into the sump......guess this goes to prove never let that guy babysit my tank.