Cali Kid Corals

East Bay Annual Water Quality Report

Well, we have excellent source water where we are. Given RODI is necessary, regardless of source/location, our filters are lasting longer than others' I suspect. Curious what a chemist or scientist might tell us about the report. What catches my eye:

pH
pH is interesting. Wondering if reefers in WC, Lafayette, Orinda area have an easier time keeping pH higher. Does source water pH help in that way?

pH East Bay Water Report 2019.png


Mg
I've been observing high magnesium in my tank (~1600 ppm last few tests; Red Sea Mg). I think it's affecting my snails but not corals. I'm using a low-end "single bottle supplement approach" and I'm probably inadvertently overdosing Mg. I thought I might see something in this water report but there's nothing suggesting the source water is elevating my Mg. And it's removed by RODI. I'm adding it somewhere.

TDS
TDS is very low in this region. The WHO ranks "excellent" TDS to be "less than 300 mg/litre", or 300 ppm. This report, and suspecting the same for other Bay Area reefers, is well below that (https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/tds.pdf). So -- that's helping our filters last longer than others'.

Al
Aluminum concentrations also caught my eye, its source is often discussed in forums. But like, Mg, should be removed at RODI.


My magnesium since January is consistently in the 1600 ppm area.

Mg 20200825 to 20200509 squist.png
 
My TDS is similar in Pleasanton. EBMUD water is generally better than water in the So Bay. Most of our water comes from our reservoirs and is only mixed with well water (very hard) when our reservoirs are low. I had Hetch Hetchy water when I lived in Burlingame. We never drank well water because of the quality of Hetch Hetchy....really good stuff. Can't say the same about EBMUD water.
 
Well, we have excellent source water where we are. Given RODI is necessary, regardless of source/location, our filters are lasting longer than others' I suspect. Curious what a chemist or scientist might tell us about the report. What catches my eye:

pH
pH is interesting. Wondering if reefers in WC, Lafayette, Orinda area have an easier time keeping pH higher. Does source water pH help in that way?

View attachment 16150

The pH of incoming water shouldn't significantly impact the final pH by the time you put it through RODI and mix salt.
 
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