Need To Vent!!!!!!!!

bobby

bobby

I like to do bad things.
How can every bit of water I get have a phos reading of 1. ppm I've went to 6 places now AND ALL THE SAME!!!! :frustrat: :frustrat:

Some of the places I've went to said they just changed filters and tested it and still has a reading of 1. ppm, they say is because of this areas water this time of year. OOOOOOOHHHHHHH IIIIII"MMMMM SSSSSOOOO MMMMAAADDDD!!!! I'm about to give up. After going to these places for water and having that reading, I then went to walmart to get ro/di water in the jug off the shelf. Well I just got home, and guess what. SSSSSSTTTTTIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLL TTTTTTTHHHHEEEEEE SSSSSAAAAMMMMEEE!!!! I've thought about getting my own ro/di unit, but is this a waste? wouldnt it come out the same as everybody else using a ro/di unit? :frustrat: :frustrat: :frustrat: :chair: :censored: :pissed: :protest: :mad!!: What can I do to get some good water and finally have a algae free tank?
Sorry for the vent' and thanks for baring with me. Dose anybody have any ideas, anything, maybe something? I just want some good water. Is there anything I can do to remove the phos from the ro, that is if I cant find a way to get good water in the first place.
 
a ro/di unit is a very good investment in my honest opinion..i also use this product and have had very good results from it.. my :twocents: also you could email walter at airwaterice.com and he will help you in any way possible about selecting a ro/di unit or just basic questions..i have a typhoon III and i love it...good luck with your algae battle i know it sucks
 
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Same problem here, bobby. I've tried the red phosphate pads, DIDN'T WORK. I tried Phosban and Phosgard, DIDN'T WORK. I cut back on feedings, DIDN'T WORK. So I tried using this on my tank:

Blue Life Phosphate Control 1oz - Marine Depot - Marine and Reef Aquarium Super Store

It got great reviews on Marine Depot, but hasn't made a bit of difference in my tank (it's *supposed* to work in one dose, but I've dosed four days in a row now!). I don't know how desperate you are, but you may want to try it, maybe it'll work for you.

P.S. jermpool told me that some plastic containers will leach phosphates into the water. Don't know if this is true, but maybe try storing it in a different container then test it? I'm going to test my NEW water tomorrow to see if that is where mine's coming from.
 
I have used 4 different buckets and 2 different 1 gal jugs and all the same. Thanks for the links I'll try one, once I figure how to get better water. I think I need to get better water before I treat the tank though. would'nt you think? I want to buy a ro unit but wouldnt my water come out the same as everybody else useing one? I'm scarred to buy one though, because if I get phos laiden water then I'm out of the hooby and its just a waste of 200. bucks or so. The way I see it, is way have a salt water tank if its just going to look like crap and your just putting bad water in. All I want is good water you know. I dont think I'm asking for much, just some good water. I jsut want to YELL!! Man this is sssooo frusterating.
 
i was getting a slight tds/phosphate reading when i filled my buckets or top off container..thought it was the ro/di unit but i called and talked to walter and he said to swish the bucket or container 2 or 3 times with the ro/di water and that would solve my problem..which it did..they do have a few units over @ airwaterice that are designed to fight high phosphates..also have you tried a diff phosphate test kit..the one you have could be giving false readings
 
I thoght it was giving me a false reading at first, but the lfs said they just tested there water (which they dont sell) after putting in new filters and it still has a reading of 1.ppm, so I dont think its the test anymore. Are you saying to put a little water in swish then refill, or just swish the water thats already in it? Not saying your wrong or anything, but how dose that help? I will give it a try though, right now I'll try anything. If somebody told me that I had to pour the water in while standing on one foot, using one hand to pour it in, and put my thumb up my butt, you better believe I'll try. LOL
 
hahha...just swish the new water in the bucket (just enough to cloat the inside of the bucket) then dump it out then repeat a couple of more times..its not necessary to waste a full bucket of water trying to do that. then it would be safe to put the new water in..also when i make new saltwater for water changes i clean my heater and mixing pump before it goes in using the same method
 
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I'll try it and post if it helped. The only prob is the only place I can do that is at walmart, and I'm not sure if they keep up with the maitinence. The other places fill it up for me. I've used walmart for about 2 to 3 months and no probs untill winter came, ever since I've had phos in the water and bad algae, and all the coraline died off. Thanks for the help. I looked at airwaterice.com and they had a reefkeeper 5 stage ro/di unit for 139.00, I'll give them a call and see if that unit will be good and try it when work picks up. Had no work days for a week now.
 
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I will give it a try though, right now I'll try anything. If somebody told me that I had to pour the water in while standing on one foot, using one hand to pour it in, and put my thumb up my butt, you better believe I'll try.
Click to expand...

Hahaha bobby. You're funny. That's how I feel.
 
well I guess if it is not confusing enough already Ill add to it a bit. I use 5 stage spectra pure system. They are in the business of water purification. Most of the filters we use are not lab grade, thats why we can afford um. You have to realize that the end result is much better than what is going in. If you do not resolve your problem Im confident spectra Pure can put a system together that will give you 0 phosphates, however, I do not believe you will be happy with the cost for such a system. As another thought, after each test you need to clean your test vials with distilled water real good use cotton swabs or other, do not use anything that has been through the washing machine to clean or wipe your test equipment. Residue can build up on your test vials and give you a false reading if not properly cleaned. Hope something here helps. keep us posted and good luck.
 
Well I have a update. I went to walmart bought a new 5 gal clear pvc jug for water, then took the jug to petco had them swish it and then fill, then when I got home cleaned the test tube with ro water and a q-tip,then rerinsed the tube and took a test, still 1.ppm. So now I'm not sure what to do except call petco and see when the last time they changed the filters there, and see if they have a tds meter to test there water. Well I guess I'll give them a call. Thanks again everybody for your input.
 
Couple things.

Municipalities add phosphates on purpose to help prevent calcium from building up on the inside of the pipes.

Have you tested the water before it is filtered? You might just have an old/bad test kit. Try a different one and which one are you using.

Also Phosphate kits are usually a different scale for fresh and saltwater. Are you testing before salt or after? If after it could be the quality of the salt mix you are using.

Just some suggestions.
Brandon
 
I'm using a doc wellfish test kit for salt or fresh water, its the only one they sell in a 60 mile radius. I'm checking before I add salt. I hav'nt tested water out of the tap yet......hold on I'm doin it now........Well I just test my tap and it only comes to 0.5 ppm. whats the deal hear? How could my tap be better than the lfs ro water? One lfs that dos'nt sell there ro said they just replaced there filters and it still has a reading of 1. ppm. So if my kit is right then a unit wont have a prob removing the phos. Right?
 
bobby, I just tested the brand new water I got from my LFS today and it was at .1 also. So I think I either have a bad phosphate test, or (like you) I just can't get good water.
 
Biff it sucks dont it, sorry to hear it though. Dose your lfs test for phos to see if your kit works? None of mine do :frustrat: and to top it off I bought the only kit at the lfs, and its the only lfs around here that sells them. Man this is aggrivating.
 
sounds like you guys might want to get a new test kit and also add a phosban reactor to your tank... 33$ might be well spent.

Brandon
 
Were can you get it for 33.? I've seen them for 69. so I was going to try and DIY it. Do you know of any DIY site with phos reactors?
 
Instead of the Two Little Fishies phosban reactor, I bought the Kent Marine phosphate reactor from Marine Depot

Kent Marine Phos Reactor - Marine Depot - Marine and Reef Aquarium Super Store

It got better customer reviews than the Two Little Fishies one and it doesn't require you to buy any extra plumbing pieces. Don't forget for both of them, you have to buy a powerhead separately.

I've been using nitrate sponge in it (to keep my nitrates at 0 since I stopped the AZNO3) but I'm going to have to switch to a phosphate sponge if I can't get my levels down any other way...

And, my phosphate test is Salifert and relatively new (less than two months old). I'm lucky that my levels are just low enough that the algae seems to grow back slower than my sea hare can eat it! BTW bobby, that's the only animal I've found so far that looooooves to eat the hair algae, in case you want to try one.
 

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