Filtered Water Smells Funny

[rooroo]

I'm not really new to the hobby but am new to my Ro/DI unit so I guess this goes here. I got my ro/di filter from Premium Aquatics, the cheaper ones they have on there, 50GPD. Its filtered maybe 150 gallons total. I keep the filtered water in a 20 gal brute trashcan. Well the fresh filtered water is nice and clear, smells fine. But if it sits for a few days it starts to smell like ammonia, ie cat pee. I'm guessing this isn't good for the tank, so I usually dump out the bad smelling water and filter fresh. So what is going on?

 

I don't airate or circulate the filtered water. Should I?

[flowerseller]

I don't airate or circulate the filtered water. Should I?

 

absolutely

[rocko918]

I'm not really new to the hobby but am new to my Ro/DI unit so I guess this goes here. I got my ro/di filter from Premium Aquatics, the cheaper ones they have on there, 50GPD. Its filtered maybe 150 gallons total. I keep the filtered water in a 20 gal brute trashcan. Well the fresh filtered water is nice and clear, smells fine. But if it sits for a few days it starts to smell like ammonia, ie cat pee. I'm guessing this isn't good for the tank, so I usually dump out the bad smelling water and filter fresh. So what is going on?

 

I don't airate or circulate the filtered water. Should I?

 

 

I would circulate it, you can airate it if you want but i would drop a pump in there for sure, even a heater if you want so you don't dump cold sw into your tank.

[Rascal]

If you are talking about your mixed salt water then yes, you should definitely keep a pump running to circulate and aerate it before adding it to your tank. If you are just talking about your fresh water resevoir though, I am not sure this will solve your problem. I don't have any circulation pumps in mine, and it has never smelled like cat pee.

 

Have you tested it for ammonia to make sure that is indeed what you are smelling? If so, my guess would be you are somehow introducing a nutrient source into the water. If your RODI is new and set up properly, I doubt this is the source. Maybe airborne? Do you have a top on the container? Was the trash container used for anything before this?

[unninair]

Do you own a Cat?

 

He/She may not be appreciating your new hobby.

Edited October 31, 2006 by unninair

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Do you own a Cat?

 

He/She may not be appreciating your new hobby.

 

 

That's weird, since ammonia should actually dissipate, not concentrate

in water that's sitting.

 

Maybe it would have been best to use a new trash can, not one filled with trash?

 

:wink:

 

tim

[rooroo]

Brand new trash can. Brand new rodi. It is somewhat possible that the cat was poed about the new water container, but I really think the smell is coming from the water itself. There is a lid to the can, and it is fresh water only, not mixed with salt. I do circulate and warm the water for water changes.

[Rascal]

Hmmm. A mystery then.

 

Maybe you should scrub it out with bleach and rinse it well before filling it up next time, or better yet just start over with a new container. If that doesn't work the only other thing I can think of is to run a bunch of tests on your rodi water. I can't think of any reason that a sealed container of pure water should start smelling unless something is being added to it somehow. So, either the water is not really pure, or the cat is pi**ing in your trash.

[rooroo]

Lol, she'd have a heck of a time getting into the can, but you never know with cats...

 

I'll scrub down the can and try testing the water for ammonia and the like. Thanks everyone!

[flowerseller]

Use vinegar to clean it. The cheap stuff works wonders.

[emissary]

Did you test the water for ammonia? TDS readings?

[rooroo]

Tested the filtered water this morning for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. 0 on all. I don't have a TDS meter. Guess I will try getting one.

[dhoch]

I've got one if you want to borrow it....

 

Dave

[rioreef]

I have heard of this and read the container should be filled with ro water and a cup or two of bleach and let sit for 4-5 days. After that rinse and fill with ro and add dechlorinator and let set again for 4-5 days. Rinse and check for bleach smell. If present, dechlorinator again.

 

 

Others say it is important to keep the lid on tight.

[rooroo]

Alright rioreef, I'll fill up my buckets for the next week and bleach over the weekend. Dave, if after this it still smells funny I'll let you know and borrow the TDS. Thanks everyone!

[mogurnda]

The RO/DI water in my topoff reservoir has always smelled a bit like cat pee. Zero TDS, no cat, and the reservoir was a brand-spanking new tank from US plastics. Never hurt anything.

 

I was tank sitting for another WAMAS member last month. His RO/DI tub smelled like cat pee too.

 

I figure it's just a little NH3 left over from the massive doses of chloramine in the water here. Your nose is very, very sensitive to small amounts of ammonia. If it's not ionized to ammonium, ammonia won't be detectable by a TDS meter.

 

Have all of you sniffed your RO/DI lately?

[rooroo]

Phew, good to know its not just me. I'll clean it out anyway. I don't know what kind of chloramine/ammonia levels Frederick County Public Water maintains, but as long as other people have noticed it and not had problems with it then I won't worry about it.

[dhoch]

I'm on the same water as you I'm sure and I don't have any problems (I try to keep TDS low though)...

 

Also I can't comment on smell as my sense of smell is not very good at all..

 

Dave

[Grav]

I've found water buckets that were ever used to mix salt can get a funky rotten egg sulpher smell. This normally goes away with circulation and airation.

 

Remember RO/DI water has all of the things that keep "stuff" from growing in it. It's just a peetrie (sp?) dish waiting to happen.

[smarsh97]

I had the same thing happen with my fresh RO/DI water and I was heating and circulating it. So I don't store any RO/DI water anymore.

 

Sandy

[jason the filter freak]

A thought, if you really want to track down the source or at least eliminate your tap water / ro/di water as the source. Go get a few gallons of spring water for the store for $.40 a gallon or what ever it costs, put that in your holding container and see if you get the same smell. If not it's your tap water / ro/di water, if you do I'd suspect that cat and or container

[extreme_tooth_decay]

A thought, if you really want to track down the source or at least eliminate your tap water / ro/di water as the source. Go get a few gallons of spring water for the store for $.40 a gallon or what ever it costs, put that in your holding container and see if you get the same smell. If not it's your tap water / ro/di water, if you do I'd suspect that cat and or container

 

 

Or you could just stop peeing in it.

[Buckeye Field Supply]

Its not uncommon for DI water to have a "fishy" smell - is that what it smells like?

 

Russ @ BFS

[rooroo]

Nope, it smells just like cat pee. Not fishy at all.

 

In any case I've found that aerating it and heating it seems to remove the smell. I scrubbed down the container a few weeks ago, but I do mix water for water changes in it. I try to rinse out the container after every water change. Just something in the basement maybe (like the cat). In any case if some other people notice the same thing I'll just ignor it unless it gets bad.