Outdoor Tank
#1
Posted 23 February 2010 - 06:28 PM
it gets morning sun, and ive quite enjoyed sitting there watching it in the morning, as the sun hits the plants start bubbling away etc. there is also alot of fry from the platys.
im thinking of setting up a more permanent, and larger tank. i have a 6 x 2 x 1.5 tank thats collecting dust. i was thinking of cementing some stirrups into the ground, and attaching a wooden frame that would serve as a stand. the tank has two large holes with those threaded plastic thingys (bulkheads?). im thinking of covering them with sponge and having a constant drip going into the tank, then out through the sponged holes.
i dunno what i should use as a water source... there is a gas storage hot water unit that constantly drips water from the relief valve... do you think this drip would contain dangerous amounts of copper?
i was thinking of diverting some of the gutter flow into the tank, would being flushed with rainwater be bad for the tank? im thinking the platys wouldnt like soft water?? i could use a buffering substrate... any ideas here?
i could always plumb one of the taps to provide a constant drip of scheme water into the tank... but then chlorines a problem i guess?
any suggestions for plants that will thrive under neglectful conditions? im adding ferts to the water column right now but id like to have plants that can grow without it.
so yeah these are the pressing questions at the moment... im not sure what i should do...
#2
Posted 25 February 2010 - 02:19 AM
I would advise you DO NOT use this as a water supply as there will be toxic amounts of copper in it.
HTH
Col
#3
Posted 25 February 2010 - 07:35 AM
any ideas on maybe dispersing the chlorine? the drip could say travel along an open channel for a metre, exposing it to air? or could drop one metre through the air into the tank? this sort of thing?
i have decided to leave the tank exposed so it will get a little bit of rainfall.
#4
Posted 25 February 2010 - 09:39 AM
I've read of plenty of people who swear by plain tapwater in their tanks.
Apparently UV is good for removing chlorine from water, so you may find it sorts itself out.
Perhaps have the mains tap drip into a jug that is exposed to the sun, which then overflows/drips into the tank?
#5
Posted 25 February 2010 - 12:54 PM
Are you sure?
#6
Posted 25 February 2010 - 01:34 PM
Rainwater is a great source of water for tanks, but depending on what fish you keep you may have to harden the water and raise pH.
#7
Posted 25 February 2010 - 01:44 PM
#8
Posted 25 February 2010 - 01:48 PM
Neither did I till I had a conversation last week with a guy who works for the water board.
#9
Posted 25 February 2010 - 02:45 PM
Syd can probably give us a detailed description of how it happens.
#10
Posted 25 February 2010 - 03:22 PM
#11
Posted 27 February 2010 - 05:29 PM
also... where is the high level of copper from the hot water system coming from? sure it enters it though a copper pipe, but all tap water does... is it due to the water sitting in the pipes until its needed to top off the tank?
#12
Posted 04 March 2010 - 01:23 PM
#13
Posted 04 March 2010 - 04:14 PM
#14
Posted 04 March 2010 - 09:37 PM
#15
Posted 08 March 2010 - 03:14 PM
#16
Posted 18 July 2010 - 10:31 PM
#17
Posted 18 July 2010 - 10:43 PM
Chlorine is a small matter in our tap water - the metals are the bigger problem...... copper, zinc, aluminium etc.....
Tanks with high pH (high KH), high Phosphates or high dissolved Organic Carbons (DOC) will help reduce the soluble metals in the tank... and water conditioner will also help.....
and yes, light (particularly UV) will cause free chlorine to gas out of solution.
#18
Posted 18 July 2010 - 10:46 PM
#19
Posted 24 July 2010 - 10:28 AM
Show us some picsss
#20
Posted 22 August 2010 - 08:40 PM
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