Extreme high TDS reading - stored water in bucket?

[DevIouS]

My RO/DI usually reads 1 - 2.
A few hours later (in a new clean bucket from HD), the TDS will slowly go up.
Between 1 - 3 days later, the reading will be in the hundreds.

This has happen couple of times & I have thrown out the water.

I always run a power head for movement.

Are the new paint buckets from HD OK?
Could there be something from the bucket that's ruining the water?

I can store RO water in a Poland Springs container (1 gallon), & days later the TDS count is a normal.:scratchch

 

[cali_reef]

Are you covering the buckets? Is the powerhead used and what did you used it in?

The buckets maybe leaching stuff into the water, not sure why it would be unless the water is being heated. You may want to buy a food grade storage container if you want to be on the safe side, or you can be cheap and buy a 5 gallon water from HD, drink the water and use that for your RO/DI storage.

 

[DevIouS]

Thanks.

The buckets are being covered & the power-head is a new small Rio that I use for mixing salt. I have used an aquarium heater to match the water temp to my tank.
Not every time though.

I'll definitely look into that 5 gallon water @ HD.

 

[FastUno]

Ohhh man. Another thing that we have to worry about. I had a suspicious feeling about this. When I store my water in one of those tubs for a while, it has an interesting smell to it.

 

[DevIouS]

:bigeyes2: uh-oh!

For some reason I test when I'm done filling up, then test again before I'm ready to mix & put in the tank.

 

[zahner]

would residual salt on the powerhead cause such an increase in TDS?

 

[bad coffee]

I don't think there could be enough salt 'stored' on a powerhead to make 5 gallons go up to the 100's on a tds. I've used those same buckets from the first day I set up my reef.

How old is the bucket?

B

 

[jenniebutterfly]

oh and with the water cooler bottles, the bad part is the powerhead will not fit through the opening. your best bet is a large food grade bucket or container so that you can still circulate the water

 

[House of Laughter]

DR, when I mix my water with the same pump I use to mix my salt, I get a 34 tds reading in a 55g pail - so I dn't think it is unlikeyly its from the salt - that's why I bought an inline tds - since I was freaking out about my tds being 34 from a brand new set of filters, I put this inline and the output reading is 1 and the input reading is 176

FWIW

House

 

[DevIouS]

Thanks for the help!!

The bucket is new from HD from the paint section, but I'm thinking it's leaching someting into the water.
400+ is crazy for the water to be sitting for 3 days with a power-head, when the it is coming out @ 1.
This is the second bucket it's happening with.

I'm gonna look for a food grade container, as I see no change when I keep the water in a store bought water bottle.

 

[Reefer420]

oh man- I have to check mine now! I have two buckets- one is a white one I got from a HD in NJ- there is no smell to it and it seems clean. The other I got from the HD in midtown- its is bright orange and smells nasty! I don't use that bucket for my water simply b/c of the chemical smell to it- I only use it to drain my tank.

Going to have to get a reading on the water I keep stored in the white bucket. I usually mix up a batch of RO/DI water on a sunday and use it throughout the week in my ATO container. I keep water stored in that bucket for a week or so at a time (covered). Hope I haven't been adding water with readings that high to my tank!

 

[DevIouS]

Keep me posted on the results.....

 

[joseney21]

rinse the powerhead next time you make water before putting it into the bucket, see where that gets you.if you're dealing with a 5g bucket (less than 1/10 th of jims 55g pail) and you see a reading of 400+ (a little more than ten times the increase in salt jim sees) i think everything is in line, mathematically speaking.

 

[michael stern]

Yeah, you're talking parts per MILLION. I wouldn't be surprised if residual salt dissolving would boost your tds reading.

 

[jhale]

what about using a salt bucket, are those food grade? they look like the same ones I see labeled for food grade.

 

[House of Laughter]

Start by using a zip lock container to see if anything happens, if it still happens, then it's not the bucket

I have used the orange HD buckets for years - no issues

House

 

[Reefer420]

just tested my water- its been sitting in my white bucket for a week and is reading at 2ppm. phew!