TDS meter reading question

[Travis]

I got a new typhoon 3 RO/DI filter and it came with a TDS meter. My tap water has a reading of 45, I guess thats good? My question is I took a reading on my freshwater tank and it was 610X10, why is this number off the chart?

Thanks in advance

[dragonflylures]

That's really high, hard to say why your tank would be that high. I know my tap water is around 800, my RO water is around 60 and my RO/DI water is less than 10 but we have really bad tap water. The tap water in the neighboring towns is in the 300's to start but why you would have 6100 x 10 doesn't seem right or it's picking up something else.

[Travis]

I have a .03 salt level if that helps. I also dont use any carbon. All the water levels are fine.

PH 8
amonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 5

[Tangster]

All a TDS meter does is read the resistance of Millivolts across the probes and at 45 that is high and if you are saying that 610X10 is high thats shows what needed minerals and elements are dissolved into the water as they create more resistance. Salt Calcium strontium stuff like that .. With your tap water that is really bad it could be metals or other unwanted minerals and elements in that water..

[ziggy222]

my tap waters 534ppm before mixing with salt.tanks 11 months and great.last tank was twice that old.lfs guy says it probably has'nt effected the tank because the solids in my water probably are'nt bad or maybe even good for my corals.no way to tell.i checked my meter against his and its correct.

[ziggy222]

ok i just got a water analysis on my tap water that i've been using and here is what they found.
calcium 92ppm
magnesium 18ppm
sodium 26ppm

p.alkalinity 2ppm
total alkalinity 32ppm
chloride 65ppm
sulfate 106ppm
nitrate 0.99ppm
nitrite 0.05ppm
iron 0.014ppm
total manganese 0.023ppm
chlorine 0.3-1.2ppm
total hardness 110ppm as CaCO3
total hardness 6.4 grains/gal as CaCO3
fluoride 1.0ppm
lead <0.001ppm
specific conductance 369 micromhos/cm
ph 8.3-8.5
turbidity 0.05ntu
color 1 apha units
total dissolved solids 534 ppm

[Tangster]

Well I'd get a R/O DI all the metals you see are going into your tank and they vere come out and they are just building up with every drop of water thats evaporated.. Lead Iron are enough to do the job in themselves .. Not to mention the The Chloride and fluoride.

[ziggy222]

well i may but i've never lost anything.i was wondering if anyones ever had a tank die do to using tap water.i understand the reason not to and have been told to use ro water but i've never heard of a tank dying from tap water yet.so far all i've heard of is algae problems caused by tap water.can someone please show me or tell me about a tank that actually did die from tap water?

[Tangster]

I have One in N.J right now comes to mind.. he lost his 3 or 4 times in a row. Right nw his tank is on hold..

[reef_guru]

ive never seen a tank last with tap water, there are to many elements that are not wanted in a reef tank. like tangy said, they build up, ro/di is the way to go.