Using rain water instead of tap water

[Zikofski]

okay new house comes with a water but in the garden, I would like to use this for water changes, does anyone else out there use this method at all or can provide advice as i have a few questions.

Is it safe to begin with? i plan to add a physical filter to prevent debris/animals from getting into the tank.

is there anything i need to keep an eye out for? diseases? aditional algae?

will i need to still use de-clorinator stuff?

how long can water be sat in the tank before it become unusable if this is possible?

any advice appreciated

 

[AbbeysDad]

I'm assuming you meant some type of water collection system....presumably from the roof? If so, setting aside acid rain, it depends on the type of roof and where you live. I tried collecting water from my conventional shingled roof, but I live on a busy road and the water off the roof had a very yellow tinge to it. I determined it was too polluted to use in tanks. I think a metal roof in a rural area might likely be fine.

 

[Colin_T]

As mentioned by AbbeysDad, as long as you have clean rainwater that is collected, it is fine. If you live in a city or country where sprays are used, then you can get adjustable fittings for the down pipes on your roof. They allow the first lot of rain to wash off onto the lawn or wherever and after 10-15 minutes of rain, they redirect the flow and send it to the rainwater tank.

Rainwater has no minerals in and will need some sort of mineral salt to increase the general hardness if you want to keep most fish. A cichlid Rift Lake Conditioner is suitable for this purpose. Pure water (like rainwater) has no minerals in it and there is nothing to stabilise the pH. This means the pH can drop rapidly and to very low levels. Adding a small amount of mineral salts like a Rift Lake Conditioner, will provide some necessary minerals to stop the pH dropping suddenly.

You do not need to add dechlorinator to clean rainwater because it does not have chlorine or chloramine in it. Chlorine/ chloramine is added to mains/ tap water by the government to kill bacteria that might make us sick. Rainwater should theoretically be clean and free of bacteria as long as the collection/ holding tank is clean and free of contaminants.

Rainwater held in approved tanks will last for months or even years as long as things don't drop into it and contaminate it. The most common items that get into rainwater tanks are dust, leaves, insects, small lizards, birds and small mammals. Having a screen on top of the tank will prevent these things from getting in and polluting the water.

Algae does not usually grow in rainwater tanks but if normal green algae does grow in the tank, then it means there are some nutrients in the water. However, normal green algae is harmless to people and fish and in fact is a plant so is beneficial as long as it is clean. Algae can actually help improve the water by filtering out nutrients. I am not suggesting you try to grow algae in the rainwater tank, but if normal algae (not blue green algae) grows in the rainwater tank, it will not harm the fish.

To use rainwater, simply put some in a fish only bucket and aerate it for 30 minutes and then use it in the tank. If you have livebearers and fish that need harder water then add Rift Lake Conditioner at 1/3 to 1/2 dose and aerate for 24 hours before adding it to the tank.

 

[NickAu]

I'm assuming you meant some type of water collection system....presumably from the roof?

Me too.

It depends on where you live in regards to pollution.

I see you live in sunny old Great Britain so having enough water shouldn't be a problem.

In Australia lots of people collect rain water to drink because there is no town water.

Something like this is becoming quite common in Australian homes even if they have town water.

 

[Colin_T]

I see you live in sunny old Great Britain so having enough water shouldn't be a problem.

lol

 

[seangee]

The other factor is how big is the butt and how long would it support your tanks if it didn't rain. Yes I know about our reputation for getting a lot of rain on this little island island but its not actually that much in inches (or mm). If there was no rain for 12 weeks and you ran out this could cause a problem as your ran water parameters may be very different to your tap water.

Not saying rain water is a bad idea - but that is something you need to think about.

 

[Colin_T]

pfft, 12 weeks without rain, try 12 months
don't mind me, I go a little nuts when I haven't seen water for a year

 

[NickAu]

You need bigger storage tanks.

 

[Essjay]

I would be put off using rain water collected from our roof - the local wood pigeons, crows, rooks and herring gulls use it as a toilet
I know we should use antibac soap after touching the bird feeders and water baths, so I would not like to use water in my fish tanks which is contaminated with bird droppings.

 

[DrRob]

You've also got to watch spray contamination, depending on where you are. We have a rainwater tank but are fully aware that the local farmers spray near our roof at certain times of the year. The daphnia tests works for us for this. Add daphnia to the water, wait, if they survive then it's good, if they die then don't use it. Also gives a live food hit during the water change.

 

[Chief Brody]

Rain water is great for discus and low nutrient lovers. No declorinator is necessary. It is important to watch for bird waste contamination if you're using runoff from the roof/gutters

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk

 

[Ch4rlie]

How does one test for bird waste, pesticide sprays and other types of such contamination in rain water?

Are there test kits out there for testing rain water?

Just curious.....

 

[Colin_T]

To test water for bird waste they put it under a microscope and see if there is any bacteria in it.

Some labs can also do comprehensive water testing. They take several samples of water and have an extensive array of test kits and equipment to identify anything and everything in the water. But it does cost a bit to get done.

If you live in a rural area you keep an eye on your neighbours and hope they don't spray ever because chemical drift is common. And you can look at the roof and see if there is bird poop on it and if there is you need to clean it before collecting water.

You can get water diverters that fit in the downpipes of the gutter system and you let it rain for 10-15 minutes and then start collecting water. Most of them are automatic too so the first 10 minutes or so of rain goes onto the lawn and then after a certain amount of water has flowed down the system, the water is diverted into the collection tank.
The water diverters are recommended for areas with lots of dust, birds, animals or possible chemical contamination because it allows the gunk on the roof and in the gutters to be washed away before collecting clean water.

 

[seangee]

I see you live in sunny old Great Britain so having enough water shouldn't be a problem.

Really?
London's average annual rainfall is 601mm
For Sydney: Within the city and surrounds, rainfall varies, from around 700 mm (27.56 in) at Badgerys Creek (in the west) to 1,400 mm (55.12 in) at Turramurra (the northeast).

 

[NickAu]

LOL

And where I live 1410.1mm, and sometimes we get most of that in a few days causing flooding, why just last year I had 4 feet of water in my house.