Victoria Water

[StirCrazy]

Ok, Victoria water is different in different areas, depending on the age and type of the water mains it goes through.. out in the westren comunities I get about 10 to 18 ppm depending on the season, a friend of mine on Glanford ave has a ppm of 110.

should you get one.. yes it is worth it for the peace of mind.

Jaws, what kind of pipes do you have under your counter? I will say this again... take the pericing sadle type connections and throw them in the garbage, just a bad way to do it.

you can buy a fitting that fits inbetween the shut off tap for your cold water and the hose going to the tap on your sik, this fitting has a 1.4" take off which you plumb your RO from.,. it is about 3 to 5 bucks. you move, just take it with you.

Steve

[Squinch]

I live in the camosun college interurban area, and my tap water is just plain nasty. Every month I have to change my prefilters because there packed solid with brown crap! With how much the prefilters cost I tryed a sediment filter before my RO unit. It makes it so I get another week out of my prefilters. Oh well I just take the hit every month and replace them all.

When I had my discus the 55 gallon garbage can I used to season water in would need to be cleaned out everyday after there water change. The brown sludge I cleaned out of it looked and smelt like tree bark. From that I now only use RO for cooking and drinking at my house.

Also ruth I don't blame you for using only RO for your tanks. I work every year in the oil field out of fort st john and your water there tastes like bleach.

[Ruth]

I am not on town water as I live in the country and have a well. The water tastes and smells OK but the analytical on it shows high TDS and I can't rememer all the stuff in it (nothing bad as far a health goes) but it is not a good candidate for a reef tank unless treated.
If you are up here this year drop me a note and come over and see my tanks.
ruthch@uniserve.com

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Squinch

I live in the camosun college interurban area, and my tap water is just plain nasty. Every month I have to change my prefilters because there packed solid with brown crap! .

that would be algae, Victoria has a very high algae content in there water because of our mild winters.

If you go to a graduated sediment filters, I use a 25 micron to 1 micron sediment filter and it last for about 8 or 9 months (about 4000 gal of water). it is a bigger one so you need to buy the 4" X 10" housing for it but it is well worth it.

Steve

[Jaws]

How about this Steve. You only live 5 minutes from my house. Why don't you head over one night or on the weekend sometime soon and give me a hand. I've got some frags you might want for your troubles. It's not that I'm an invalid, I'm just pretty inexperienced when it comes to plumbing, this is the first place I've owned and I'd like to try to not wreck it if can avoid it.

[StirCrazy]

Ok, sounds fine.. PM me your address and such and well set it up.

Steve

[Werbo]

Kinda off topic but might of interest to those Victorians who do not have an RO unit. If you buy your RO water from Thrifty's, Safeway, ect for $3 there is a new store on the Island Hiway selling 5 G jugs for $2 a refill. If you live out that way this might alliviate the costs of buying RO water if that is your current situation.

[TheReefGeek]

Why not plumb the RODI into the water tap used for your washing machine? Just get a Y-adapter with valves for $10 or less at the hardware store. Heck while you are at the hardware store, buy a sprinkler solonoid to screw into the RODI side of the Y adapter, and plug the solenoid into a timer so that you have some failsafe when filling a container for RODI water?

[Jaws]

The problem I have with that is the John Guest style connections on most of the RO units. It's such a tiny piece of white plastic that's securing the tubing and if one day it pops from the pressure then you're coming home to an aweful mess. My Aquasafe unit leaks where the pressure guage screws in to the tube fixture too. I have mine set up in my bathtub when I need it. This is really annoying and not the best to look at but I feel better about leaving the house for the day while it's hooked up.

[RonD]

Originally Posted by Jaws

The problem I have with that is the John Guest style connections on most of the RO units. It's such a tiny piece of white plastic that's securing the tubing and if one day it pops from the pressure then you're coming home to an aweful mess. My Aquasafe unit leaks where the pressure guage screws in to the tube fixture too. I have mine set up in my bathtub when I need it. This is really annoying and not the best to look at but I feel better about leaving the house for the day while it's hooked up.

Jaws.. if you grab a small slotted screw driver and slip in between the fitting and the grabber portion of the fittting and then push harder on the tube that should help possible leaks.. I noticed earlier in the thread about your water params.. your alk is thru the roof .. 8 is where actual seawater is. So your algea problems are more likely coming from that. Water change or buffer it .. I use Kents Tech CB A&B with reasonabliy good results but am looking into a calcium reactor to make it even better...oh goodie, more money lol

Some good reading and hit the sublink's as well
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php


Re the RO/DI question... I am carey rd area and my TDS without the rodi can run from 15-22 ppm and with the rodi I get a flutter from zero to one. We (victoria) may have better tap water than most but the better you can make it, the better your displays results will be, plain and simple. Like reeferaddict.. mine is also in the laundry room... I 'T'ed it of the washing machines feeder as well and then used the washers drain to get rid of the waste water as well.. nice and simple.. we move and its a five minute job to take the unit with us.