New HM digital TDS/TEMP meter results

CWO4GUNNER

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
Apr 18, 2009
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Bullhead AZ
cwo4gunnerguscgretired.blogspot.com
Received and used my new HM digital TDS/TEMP meter today and so far the results were eye opening to say the least. I tested as follows:
Aquafina purified bottled water which registered at HM TDS test 1 PPM.
Bulk purified water $0.20 per gallon, HM TDS test 40 PPM.
Untreated city well water HM TDS test 850 PPM (API liquid GH test 550 PPM).
All aquariums HM TDS test 880-900 PPM (API liquid GH test only 72 PPM), probably explains why even though TDS is high, Cal/Mag portion of TDS is only 72 PPM (deadly when high) why my fish aren’t stressed and eating well, right?
Finally and the vindication I was hoping for, my potassium treated water softener (aquarium source water) HM TDS test 102 PPM (API liquid GH test only 20 PPM), This proves that the water softener (40K resin negative charged beads) are not just exchanging ions at a disproportional rate but literally filtering the water clean. This also explains why just two days prior to my water softener recharge cycle water pressure drops as the filter canister get packed to capacity with hard water solids, and after a recharge cycle water pressure is back to normal. So overall I am very pleased with what I have found out and confident that potassium softened water is an alternative to RO mixing for hard water, and I have the healthy angel fish to prove it lol.
 
The TDS meter attempts to measure total solids by measuring a water conductivity with a small amount of electricity. The more solids (ions)the greater the conductivity, the more solids. Normally suspended solids are no really good or bad solids as long as the PPM is not high. But when TDS PPM is high depending on what the solids are can impact or even kill fish at high PPM levels. Cal/Mag suspended solids for example are considered unhealful above 600 PPM for both fish and humans because at those high levels Cal/Magi block a body's ability to absorb water into tissues and digestive system literally causing you to dehydrate and also displace dissolved oxygen in water. High levels of potassium by comparison is mostly benign IMHO.
 
Related to this topic are my O2 test kit results, since GH and temperature affect dissolved O2 levels. First our basis is that the average aquarium only has 70% of the ideal amount of dissolved O2 in the "O2/Temp table" expressed in PPM here http://www.algone.com/oxygen.php.
Also an oxygen content of 5-7 ppm is sufficient, stress will show if content drops below 4 ppm, fatalities at 2 ppm.
The following are O2 test kit results:
*Raw city as Softener tap water tested at 6 PPM O2.
*Aquarium after 30% water change (softener) with Prime, Temp 82F, tested at 5.8 PPM O2.
*Aquarium 30 minutes after water change using 400 GPH power-head with underwater air diffuser (no surface agitation), Temp 80F, tested at 6.6 PPM O2.
Lessons learned:
* In my case in spite tap water having high levels of TDS and GH, dissolved O2 is within acceptable range for aquatic life.
* An air bubble diffuser does in fact increases dissolved O2 as proven in scientific studies, supported by the EPA, and required by waste water treatment facilities to increase O2 for aerobic organisms to multiply and process waste. Dissolved O2 in water is not exclusively the process of water surface agitation as has been misrepresented but rather the surface area of water in contact with air which includes bubbles which have many times the surface area and upon breaking or popping, break the surface tension of the water infusing many more times the dissolved O2 then the surface area of water alone can provide.
 
On sale and works much better then I thought especially nice is the temperature read feature which works really fast. about the size of a large pen come with its own black synthetic leather case. The only down side is that it is not water proof so if you accidentally drop it in past its probes (a high probability) it will be toast. I'm thinking of making a lanyard to go round my wrist so that cant happen. http://www.petsolutions.com/Default.aspx?ItemID=12517790
 
UPDATE:

Because of yesterday's water change and my concern over high TDS as discussed previously I had decided to temporarily install 400 GPH power-heads with air defuses underwater forcing in a substantial amount of air directed against the glass so as not to create turbulence leaving the opposite side of the aquarium dead clam. As previously posted after about an hours dissolved O2 had increased from 5.8 PPM to 6.6 PPM, this morning after 15 hours dissolved O2 reached saturation reading 8.8 PPM for a temp of 80F, the maximum amount of dissolved O2 water can hold at that temperature according to the O2/Temp tables. Now I know proof positive that a power head with forced air diffusion can really make a bigger difference underwater then on top with simple surface action. I believe the impeller of the power-head compressing air and breaking the water surface tension make a substantial difference in dissolving O2 into water, almost like a centrifuge pond pump which compresses dissolved O2 into water. So from now on Im switching from using air stones and wands to small (100 GPH) underwater power-heads with air diffusers. However on water change days when O2 is low due to use of water conditioners and low O2 tap water, I will use the large GPH power-head with air diffuser for the first 24 hours immediately following a water change.
Today I will remove the 400GPH power heads and switch back on the air wands again and after 1 to 15 hours I will measure again the dissolved O2 levels to see if it has reversed and dropped back down again, further validating my findings.
 
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Red Sea dissolved O2 test kit. Works really well, the only difference is instead of testing with 10 ml water samples I only use 4 ml allowing me to cut the chemical test solution from 5 drops to 2 drops and then multiplying the last PPM drop count by 2.4 or add by 120% which gives the exact same results only instead of having a kit that can perform 60 test, it can then perform over 120 test. I do this with all my test kits and have always had accurate results. While a master test kit cost most people about $17, by testing at 2.5 ml vice 5 ml test sample, it only cost me half as much about $8.50. Anyway I digress so here is the O2 test kit I'm using.

http://www.petsolutions.com/Default.aspx?ItemID=61720201
 
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