Tips and Tricks 101

[mark]

Originally Posted by Swags

Posted this on another thread, thought it should be here as well:
If you need to check the reliability of your alk test kit, here is a good check:
1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1 gallon of distilled water=10dkh

Cheers,
Phil

any hints on how to measure 1.1350grams?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by mark

any hints on how to measure 1.1350grams?

That's darned close to a quarter of a teaspoon.

[Zylumn]

A little trick I have been using as of late due to the fact I have been doing large water changes every day. I have 5 gal buckets that I heat water and add salt to with a small heater and power head. As of late I have had to do more than 5g changes and it is a pain to setup another heater and power head. So I have been adding 3 or four times the required amount of salt and heat to 90 degrees and found once mixed for 24 hrs I can dilute in a separate bucket and it mixes up in a minute.
Kevin

[fishface]

here's a bit of a warning regarding auto-top off systems. i've been running my FW top off water into a reservoir but checking my TDS from the RO/DI unit itself getting a TDS of 0...perfect right?

well, i just checked the water in the reservoir and to my surprise it was 35ppm and that's the water that feeds into my tank!! i guess it just slowly built up in there. so, a quick drain and refill every now and again "cleans" up that problem easily enough. hope this helps someone else.

ps. don't forget to flush upir membrane every week or so.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by fishface

here's a bit of a warning regarding auto-top off systems. i've been running my FW top off water into a reservoir but checking my TDS from the RO/DI unit itself getting a TDS of 0...perfect right?

well, i just checked the water in the reservoir and to my surprise it was 35ppm and that's the water that feeds into my tank!! i guess it just slowly built up in there. so, a quick drain and refill every now and again "cleans" up that problem easily enough. hope this helps someone else.

good one!! my reservoir gets a funky smell every once in awhile which is a good reminder to clean it out or at least let it dry out overnight. Never checked the TDS though, I think I'll try that

[surgeonfish]

Originally Posted by christyf5

good one!! my reservoir gets a funky smell every once in awhile which is a good reminder to clean it out or at least let it dry out overnight. Never checked the TDS though, I think I'll try that

I use a 55 gal tank for my reservoir. My TDS never goes up, but I do get a slime build up over time. I wipe down the tank every 1-2 weeks after my waterchange. I was looking for UV lights to run at night over the tank to help sterilize it. I don't know if you can get UV fluorescent bulbs that will fit into a regular aquarium canopy?

[fishface]

i believe the TDS was merely an accumulation built up over the course of a year, that's all. i never thought to check there since the TDS outta the line was 0 ppm.

[niloc16]

hey christy this a post marc started a gazillion years ago. some of these ideas could go to your new forum, which i think rocks by the way

[christyf5]

Good call Colin!!