How to:

[MVP]

Hi Guys,

Considering all that is going on in australia with water restrictions etc etc i thought its probably a good time to have a look at what we can do to minimise our water usage when it comes to maintaining our tanks. As we come up with ideas i think i'll add them to my post so when it in the archives people don't have to read the whole thread to find out what they want to know.

So spill the beans ladies and gentlemen... How do we save on our water usage, remember, less water changes or water top ups arent really options as they are needed to maintain our fishes health. Is there any way we can reuse dirty water? ie from cleaning filter pads or filters. How can we clean our filter media without running water or is there something we can rig up to give pressurized water from a collected water from water changes. Anything you guys and gals can think of that will lower our water usage.

[Richard]

I save water by filtering my pee then drinking it.

[robdog013]

is it still yellow though? does it taste alright?

[stylez]

I save water by filtering my pee then drinking it.

hey richiie what kind of filtration do you use as i am interested in filtering my own pee also.

[robdog013]

[MVP]

Wow... They obviously need to up the IQ requirements for the technical section.

If you have nothing useful to add don't reply rather then trying to up your posts.

[Richard]

Wow... They obviously need to up the IQ requirements for the technical section.

If you have nothing useful to add don't reply rather then trying to up your posts.

That IQ requirement shot at us wasn't vey useful either. Come to think of it. Your reply stating that un-useful replies are not needed is quite un-useful itself. Touche'

[Colfish]

wash all the filter materials in the change water---- very beneficial to the filter

use the change water on the garden and lawns---- the nitrates make a nice green lawn, and the plants flower well

probably doesn't use less water, but a least i don't have to use tap water for the gardens and lawn

[BaZ]

Richard I think this pee-drinking has affected your brain because you're making yourself look like a tool in what could be a very interesting thread.

Let's start a new thread in the Tangent please if you guys want to discuss the consumption of various bodily fluids, and leave this thread clear to discuss something that should be a very important issue for us all.

Edit: thanks Col, that's more like it

[Richard]

Btw if i wanted to up my post's they'd be up to 1000000 by now since i've been on here for 4 years now. BaZ can you please make me a Veteran?

[CICHLID KANE]

I never clean filter media with running water - only tank water in a bucket. Out of my 300 litre tank I change 60 litres a week and the tank water I siphon out goes to watering my to ornamental trees out the front of my houses, so not too bad (ie waste).

I think a very important point, well done MVP

[BaZ]

Btw if i wanted to up my post's they'd be up to 1000000 by now since i've been on here for 4 years now. BaZ can you please make me a Veteran?

4 years isn't very long compared to our veterans, and since you're still making wee and poo jokes after 4 years I don't think many people will look up to you as a veteran

Feel free to become an ACE Supporter first though

[robdog013]

I do the same, wash filters in tank water and then use it to water my veggie garden. I don't beleive that for small time breeders it would be economically vaible to purchase a RO water filtration system, or any other high tech filtration system that is capable of removing all the nitrates and other unwanted minerals in used tank water.

I did however find this link to the sydney water web page that may have some useful tips.

http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/RecyclingandReuse/

and please, before you go commenting on peoples intelligence, step back and try to remember that these people may have purchased fish from you in the past and whether or not you would like them to continue purchasing fish from you in the future

[Josh]

I am the same as most (well not Richard) tank water goes onto the garden and lawn.

My filter material get changed once a year and gts replaced, so no need to wash it.

BaZ

I thought people got made veterans because of maturity, oh well Richard too bad hey

Josh

[robdog013]

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/makeupwat...iytapfilter.htm

http://info.anu.edu.au/mac/Media/_pdf/Clay...r_final_web.pdf

MVP, I think u could set-up something like this with regards to the volumes of water your talking about

http://www.aqsolutions.org/resources/DIY.pdf

cheers

Rob

[vxd]

What I do is use the water I take out of the fish tank to flush the toilet and use clean water to do a water change.

Meaning in the end you are not wasting water because it evens out.

vxd

[kingtiger]

Who said you can't drink your own pee or poo.

http://www.usfilter.com/en/Product_Lines/M...es/default.aspx

Too bad so many people are naive and opposed to these great services. Sydney could have saved a lot of tax payer monies if these are installed.

Cheers

Hilton

[Richard]

I am the same as most (well not Richard) tank water goes onto the garden and lawn.

My filter material get changed once a year and gts replaced, so no need to wash it.

BaZ

I thought people got made veterans because of maturity, oh well Richard too bad hey

Josh

Too bad indeed Old Timer.

[BaZ]

What I do is use the water I take out of the fish tank to flush the toilet and use clean water to do a water change.

Meaning in the end you are not wasting water because it evens out.

vxd

How do you do this vxd?

Does your fishtank water get pumped to a water tank which is hooked up to the toilet?

Or are you talking about a more manual method (tipping a bucket of water in)

[hobcas]

This is a valuable thread and hopefully will help us to reduce our ongoing water consumption, especially when we consider that it wont be long until we are charged more aggressively on our household water usage. I believe my local council Gosford had been talking about this recently, they plan to provide a daily allowance of ????? and then any excess usage would be charged at a premium rate of ?????

I already have a 5000 liter cement tank buried in the front yard and attached to a Davey pump for watering lawn, washing cars etc (I even water next doors garden for them after it has been raining) and I'm in the process of installing another 2000 litre slimline water tank (anyone know of a cheap supplier?) next to the garage (fish room) to capture any rain water.

I will then plumb this through the wall into a 220 liter water barrel for water conditioning and susequent water changes. All water from the water change will be siphoned into another 220 litre barrel, this will then be treated with a bit of liquid chlorine before being pumped out into the swimming pool for top ups.

I have found on my larger volume tanks ( 8 x 2.5 x 2.5 and a couple of 5x2x2's) that I can reduce the number and or the volume of water changes without adversly affecting water quality, all the smaller tanks still seem to need more frequent water changes.

Cheers

Ross

[Gav]

just remember if you keep plants that like acidic soil then dont water them with anything coming from a buffered african tank. it tends to wipe em out real fast.

the way i see it, it comes down to fish health, or worrying about a relatively small amount of water usage. personally i am not overly concerned about my water usage for fish. people who have pools use far more than i ever will on my fish. so i just don't let it concern me too much

[Paulochromis]

Not speaking as a learned authority, there seem to be a few things to consider.

Firstly, why change the water in the tanks at all?

For myself, there are two reasons:

1. I'm not yet skilled enough to remove solid waste lying on the top of the substrate without collecting water as well.

2. More importatntly, it's the only way I have of reducing the nitrate levels within the tank.

In an effort to address the first, I have taken the following steps:

a. delegated gravel vacuum operations to the wife - she is SO much better at it than me.

b. adopted the CThompson approach to using very high turnover rates to encourage solid waste to remain in suspension, where it can be collected by filters with inlets (and outlets) near to the substrate surface.

c. monitoring feeding to avoid overfeeding, and collection of uneaten food

To address the second:

a. I use Seachem Matrix (since it claims to have some de-nitrate ability)

b. I'm planning to build dedicated nitrate filters (Seachem de*Nitrate in anaerobic environment)

c. I considered a plenum, but you need a deepish bed and some way to stop the cichlids digging too far

d. I'm also thinking about a plant/algae-based refugium for the tank that has a sump

e. I've also read of the existence of "resin-based" nitrate filters, but haven't seen any for sale

Secondly, what to do with the water you've removed from the tank.

I think the other responses (well some of them) to this thread provide good answers

Thirdly, where to source the replacement/top-up water.

Despite robdog's excellent posts, I don't see many people considering using household greywater, appropriately filtered/sterilised, as opposed to tapwater as the source for replenishing their tanks. I wonder why that is?

I would have thought that many of us have the odd spare canister filter, if not an oil drum/water barrel ($15 from the guy in Toongabbie), with which to create suitable top-up water.

Effective de-nitrate filters could quite feasibly mean that water changes become little more than top-ups to compensate for evaporation and gravel vacuuming. This would considerably reduce the need for expensive chemicals & buffers too.

Anyway, the very fact that people are contributing (if you can call it that) to this thread is encouraging.

People ARE taking water usage seriously, and that's a good sign, even it's a little late.

Cheers,

[hobcas]

.................personally i am not overly concerned about my water usage for fish. people who have pools use far more than i ever will on my fish. so i just don't let it concern me too much

Granted pools are an extravagent use of water however with pool blankets (which should be compulsory) evaporation is minimal (far less than my water changes). Also I think you could probably classify your new 6ftx4x2.5ft tank a pool and would suggest 400 odd litres in water changes for this tank a week is not inconsiderable.

I think the responsibility should fall to everyone.......complacency is why we have a problem in the first palce. It's a bit like saying I don't think my V12 jaguar, miss firing on two cylinders, leaking oil and running on leaded petrol is a problem because big trucks output more C02 or chopping down those trees in my backyard isn't a problem because in Brazil they are clearing 100s of acres a day.

It's time for everyone to take responsibility because as they say every little bit helps.

[brisil]

I also wash my filters with tank water in bucket then the rest goes on outdoor plants-yard. The washing machine has a grey water pipe attached witch waters the yard out the back. Always try to do our best in conserving water.

[oakes]

Something that has not been mentioned is the size and/or number of tanks. In particular those who do not have rainwater tanks installed should perhaps consider this. E.g. Is it really necessary to have that massive tank to house a bunch of tankbusters or might you find keeping/breeding species that require less space just as enjoyable? Saves energy too.