DI Water Causing Issues

rexman · 08-16-2005, 09:16 AM

I recently added a Coralife DI cartridge to my existing RO system. I used all plastic pipe and fitting during the install and flushed 10 gallons through the catridge prior to use. My tank is over 1 year old and was doing great. 1.025 salinity, 0 Nitrates, 0 Nitrites, pH 8.2 and 480 calcium.

The first water top off I did using the RO/DI water, my zoanthids and Green star polyps closed. My house took a lighting strike that day, so I assumed that was the problem.

THe next day they were still closed and I did a 5 gallon water change using the RO/DI water from my system and OCeanic salt (1.025 SG). AS soon as I did this, both my white and brown Xenia closed and my rose BTA started to Stress.

I have done 3 five gallon water changes since and my BTA is looking OK. My star polyps, Zoos and white xenia are still closed. My Brown Xenia are OK.

I would like to learn from my mistakes, but I can't figure out what I have done wrong..

Could adding the DI water to my exisitng system upset it that much??

Has anyone experienced this before??

APC · 08-16-2005, 09:27 AM

That is strange. I have the Coralife RO/DI set up and have no problems at all. I have simmilar critters in my tank too. Are you sure you have everything hooked up correctly? All the hoses going to the right places, nothing getting bypassed, etc.?

rexman · 08-16-2005, 09:41 AM

My RO dumps into a pressure tank. I placed a tee in the line from the tank to the house. This line feeds the DI cartridge.

inwall75 · 08-16-2005, 09:58 AM

Was it a brass T? Brass' chemical composition is Cu3Zn2.

I wonder if it's the Copper (Cu) in the brass T if that's what you have.

rexman · 08-16-2005, 10:19 AM

I used all plastic fittings..

GraviT · 08-16-2005, 12:48 PM

My RO/DI system also uses a pressurized tank to store RO water for drinking, but I bypass it when making water for my aquarium. It has been my experience that the water travels too fast from the pressure of the tank for the DI to keep up. When not using the tank stored water, I get a TDS of 0 ppm after the DI, but with the tank, I get a TDS of 10 ppm.

Not to say this would cause the problem, just an observation.

rexman · 08-16-2005, 06:22 PM

Good Point!!! Thanks for that advice!!

I am going to take a sample of my water to the lab at work and run an ICP on it. We'll see what I find..

BuckeyeFieldSupply · 08-21-2005, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraviT

My RO/DI system also uses a pressurized tank to store RO water for drinking, but I bypass it when making water for my aquarium. It has been my experience that the water travels too fast from the pressure of the tank for the DI to keep up. When not using the tank stored water, I get a TDS of 0 ppm after the DI, but with the tank, I get a TDS of 10 ppm.

Not to say this would cause the problem, just an observation.

This is correct. The tee leading to the DI cartridge should be before the pressure tank, and your should install a check valve between the tee and the pressure tank. As Gravit said however, its not clear that this plumbing issue is the cause of your problem.