Slime in RO unit

[amy4342]

Hi all
I've got a Kent 3 stage R.O. unit. The water collects in a large food-grade plastic vat. It's got a maxijet pump in it which attaches to a food-grade plastic hose, which is siliconed out of the tub and onto a hose-pipe connection which keeps the unit sealed. The water in the tub has a TDS of 001, but the pump and especially the hose are covered in a slimy transaparent substance. Does anyone have any ideas what it could be? Thanks!

 

[Ed Seeley]

Sounds like a bacterial film. Bacteria will grow anywhere and they won't cause any problems.

 

[beeky]

I get this if I leave my water change tubing in a bucket with water remaining after a water change. After a week the tubing immersed feels slimy. The water is rainwater so very "pure" (apart from any pullutants!).

 

[amy4342]

Oh well. Dosen't sound like it causes any problems then? Ed, would it be possible to get bacteria growing in RO water? I would have thought it too pure to provide the bacteria with nutrients etc. Could it possibly be the plastic pipe going from the pump, since this has changed colour (become less transaprent) and has more slime on it that anything else?

 

[Ed Seeley]

Oh well. Dosen't sound like it causes any problems then? Ed, would it be possible to get bacteria growing in RO water? I would have thought it too pure to provide the bacteria with nutrients etc. Could it possibly be the plastic pipe going from the pump, since this has changed colour (become less transaprent) and has more slime on it that anything else?

Bacteria will grow anywhere. No in fact that's wrong; they'll grow everywhere! You can't stop them. I think this whole thing about RO water being 'too pure' for things to live in it is rubbish anyway! Koi mud ponds in Japan have a TDS of only 30ppm and I've done water changes with pure RO without problems before too. It is more problematic for the plants IMO as they need some of the micro nutrients in GH.

 

[amy4342]

Ok, thanks for clearing that up Ed.