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Rain water?
- Thread starter harryclay
- Start date
Hi Harry. Do you live in the boonies and are confident air pollution is not a problem? Being from Houston I sure wouldn't consider it.
And as a practical matter, it seems like it would be a pain to collect rainwater in quantity, maybe you have a plan for that already. In most places you would need a backup source for times with little rain, also.
On the positive side that would be the most natural approach, after all that's how the real reefs get "topped off" so to speak.
And as a practical matter, it seems like it would be a pain to collect rainwater in quantity, maybe you have a plan for that already. In most places you would need a backup source for times with little rain, also.
On the positive side that would be the most natural approach, after all that's how the real reefs get "topped off" so to speak.
hi.
Another rainwater/water from dehumidifier/ice from freezer idea...
IMHO, if you don't drink the rainwater yourself, save it for the garden instead of your reef. Regarding the rain in the reef as natural topoff, think of the ratio of the ocean volume and the amount of rain.
Another rainwater/water from dehumidifier/ice from freezer idea...
IMHO, if you don't drink the rainwater yourself, save it for the garden instead of your reef. Regarding the rain in the reef as natural topoff, think of the ratio of the ocean volume and the amount of rain.
I think the dangers of pollution in rainwater are vastly overblown- and if I had a convenient collection system I would definitely use it. IMO, the greatest danger of contamination is in the collection system.
In the world of orchid horticulture, which has some significant parallels to reefing, rainwater use is common.
In the world of orchid horticulture, which has some significant parallels to reefing, rainwater use is common.
I second Dan.
Personally, I think you'd be fine if your collection equipment is clean. I mean it rains over the ocean, right? I know the ocean has tremendous buffering and dillution properties, but it still rains an awful lot.
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grand daddy purple strain
Personally, I think you'd be fine if your collection equipment is clean. I mean it rains over the ocean, right? I know the ocean has tremendous buffering and dillution properties, but it still rains an awful lot.
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grand daddy purple strain
I wouldnt risk it. I'd much rather go to the market once a week and buy a case or two of water or even invest in a good RO unit... Plus I think you said your tank was a 29? What could you go through a gallon every couple of days?? I wouldnt ... But thats just me...
I'll say it is a risk depending on where you live. I live in the northeast, ever hear of acid rain? I live in the boonies, once I went ice fishing downwind of a paper plant. It rained and I noticed lots of soot on the ice and on my equipment. Granted it may be perfectly harmless to me and my reef but I would rather stick to a relatively consistant water source like well, spring or RO/DI.
hi.
According to NOAA, the amount of ocean water is more than 1340 million km^3. The amount of water in the atomosphere (cloud and humidity) is less than 0.01 million km^3. So if for a miraclous reason, all the cloud turned into rain and fall directly onto the ocean (not on land), and all the humidity in the air precipitate out and rain onto the ocean, the ocean will be diluted 1:134000. Now that is equivalent to topping off a 100 gal tank with 0.1 oz of water.
Personally, I feel uncomfortable when I suggest people to do thing that I won't do myself.
"I am not going to spend a single penny, but I strongly suggest you buy 2 million share of JUNK at $1 a share."
According to NOAA, the amount of ocean water is more than 1340 million km^3. The amount of water in the atomosphere (cloud and humidity) is less than 0.01 million km^3. So if for a miraclous reason, all the cloud turned into rain and fall directly onto the ocean (not on land), and all the humidity in the air precipitate out and rain onto the ocean, the ocean will be diluted 1:134000. Now that is equivalent to topping off a 100 gal tank with 0.1 oz of water.
Personally, I feel uncomfortable when I suggest people to do thing that I won't do myself.
"I am not going to spend a single penny, but I strongly suggest you buy 2 million share of JUNK at $1 a share."
Harry,
Good question and worth looking into, IMO.
So far, I have not heard one valid reason for you not to have the rainwater tested in your area. If it comes back clean, go for it. Your idea is not the norm but has merit. Not only is it more environmentally friendly but saves money. Certainly more responsible than using RO and wasting at least double the "good" water produced. Unfortunately, I am not as environmentally friendly as you - I use RO.
Good luck.
Good question and worth looking into, IMO.
So far, I have not heard one valid reason for you not to have the rainwater tested in your area. If it comes back clean, go for it. Your idea is not the norm but has merit. Not only is it more environmentally friendly but saves money. Certainly more responsible than using RO and wasting at least double the "good" water produced. Unfortunately, I am not as environmentally friendly as you - I use RO.
Good luck.
steven, not to argue, but the hyrologic cycle involves evaporation and precipitation. It doesn't rain just once, so your figures are misleading.
Personally, I believe that well or public drinking water is a greater risk than rainwater.
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grand daddy purple plants
Personally, I believe that well or public drinking water is a greater risk than rainwater.
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grand daddy purple plants
hi.
Topping off is also continous, just like rain. I don't have a specific number, but the mean time of hydrologic cycle is much longer than one topping off a small, open top aquarium.
My comments are not arguments either. I just want to point out how little the atomsphere hold, and why the pollution due to rain on the ocean is a minor concern compare to using rain water as top off. River runoffs enriched by terrestrial activities (industrial waste, agricultural waste) are more of a concern than rain water effect on the ocean.
Depends on how close do you live near a industrial plant and other factors, it may be fine to use rainwater if you filter it thru activated carbon. The fact of the matter is that the quality of rainwater is very difficult to control, and pollutants travels thousands of miles. My personal option, FWIW, is that rainwater should be saved for garden, not reef. If one feels bad about waste water from RO, just drain the brine out to the garden or washing machine, etc..
Topping off is also continous, just like rain. I don't have a specific number, but the mean time of hydrologic cycle is much longer than one topping off a small, open top aquarium.
My comments are not arguments either. I just want to point out how little the atomsphere hold, and why the pollution due to rain on the ocean is a minor concern compare to using rain water as top off. River runoffs enriched by terrestrial activities (industrial waste, agricultural waste) are more of a concern than rain water effect on the ocean.
Depends on how close do you live near a industrial plant and other factors, it may be fine to use rainwater if you filter it thru activated carbon. The fact of the matter is that the quality of rainwater is very difficult to control, and pollutants travels thousands of miles. My personal option, FWIW, is that rainwater should be saved for garden, not reef. If one feels bad about waste water from RO, just drain the brine out to the garden or washing machine, etc..
My mother has been using rain water on all her salt tanks, for years and years. Her tanks look really good. She does kind of live in the boonies though, and very close to the coast.
What she does is she has the gutters to her house connected so they come out on the deck. She has several large plastic trash cans. When it storms, and it storms alot there (SE virginia) she waits until it has been raining good and hard for a while, to wash any dirt off the roof, and then directs the gutters into the cans. She collects gallons and gallons of rain water this way, sometimes when there is a drought I think she may run low. They have been keeping reefs this way for a long time, and her tanks look really good, keeps all types of corals, fish and inverts. Has a LTA for about four years now, it has grown to be a giant anemone. Her clownfish spawn regularly, so do her neon gobies.
The LFS is always like-"Nooo, you can't use rainwater!!! You tanks will explode with algae bloom!!" Shows what they know.
What she does is she has the gutters to her house connected so they come out on the deck. She has several large plastic trash cans. When it storms, and it storms alot there (SE virginia) she waits until it has been raining good and hard for a while, to wash any dirt off the roof, and then directs the gutters into the cans. She collects gallons and gallons of rain water this way, sometimes when there is a drought I think she may run low. They have been keeping reefs this way for a long time, and her tanks look really good, keeps all types of corals, fish and inverts. Has a LTA for about four years now, it has grown to be a giant anemone. Her clownfish spawn regularly, so do her neon gobies.
The LFS is always like-"Nooo, you can't use rainwater!!! You tanks will explode with algae bloom!!" Shows what they know.
seven ephors wrote:
Sounds like I do need to swing by sometimes soon :wink:
mulberry wrote:My personal option, FWIW, is that rainwater should be saved for garden, not reef.
hi.The LFS is always like-"Nooo, you can't use rainwater!!! You tanks will explode with algae bloom!!" Shows what they know.
Sounds like I do need to swing by sometimes soon :wink:
mulberry":2izrs9m7 said:What she does is she has the gutters to her house connected so they come out on the deck. She has several large plastic trash cans. When it storms, and it storms alot there (SE virginia) she waits until it has been raining good and hard for a while, to wash any dirt off the roof, and then directs the gutters into the cans.
Your mother has the perfect situation - it rains often, and it rains a lot. You noted that she waits until it it has been raining for a while - not only does this clean dirt deposits from her rain gutters, but it also cleans much of the pollution out of the air. The fact that it rains often means the air is "washed" more frequently, again keeping airborne pollutants low.
I would never use collected rainwater in any area where it doesn't rain often, nor would I use the first "X" minutes of rain (where X varies due to strength of the rainstorm).
FWIW,
Kevin
Yeah, It does rain really really hard where she lives sometimes, I realize this probably is why it works for her, I am not saying it's a good option for everyone, but just like some people are lucky enough to have good tap that they can use. Her tanks look very nice. She started doing this when she had discus, apparently they like rainwater or something. After a while they started using it on the reef tanks, and they are doing great!
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