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Water quality - Katy

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  • #1

    Water quality - Katy

    I live in Katy and my water hardness is >300.  pH is around 8.2-8.4
    I was wondering the following things.
    What do people do besides simply keeping African Cichlids who likes these kinds of waters..

    I have American Cichlids....

    Do you use an RO filter ??   water softner ??  collect Rainwater ??  Brew your own distilled water ??

    The only fish in my tank that does not seem to care about the water is the Pink convicts...  the Oscars and the Green Terrors I am not so sure about.  
    I was hoping to lower the pH and get the hardness down to something more manageable.
    How much does a good RO filter cost and do you install it in the garage and then say fill up a "VERY CLEAN" 55gallon drum that scoop out the water from ?

    I am thinking this is the next thing I would like to do because I am really thinking one of these days I want to buy a small say 29g tank and put some Bolivian Ram's in it for some exciting breading :)  (maybe another kind of Ram would do but I always loved the colors of the Bolivians :)

    When I used to live in Europe and I was a kid my Dad worked for a chemical company and we simply just went to fill up a 55g drum of RO water whenever we needed it.  Now I dont have that option :(

    What fish do Jesper have
    180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
    110     Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
    58 S. Decorus
    "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Water quality - Katy

    I've been eyeing some RO filters on ebay for a decent price. sence we don't have saltwater or coral we don't need the greatest.
    $40 + 25 shipping
    http://cgi.ebay.com/MWS-PORTABLE-REVERSE-OSMOSIS-WATER-FILTER-100-GPD-NEW_W0QQitemZ270120094005QQihZ017QQcategoryZ20684QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


    6 stage, +DI.
    $63 + $37
    http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Reef-6st-100GPD-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-Water-Filters_W0QQitemZ120119988817QQihZ002QQcategoryZ20684QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
    "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" -- Benjamin Frankli
    n

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    • #3
      Re: Water quality - Katy

      I have been using rainwater - just stuck a 55g drum under the down spout.   All the oak trees contribute leaves and the pH is very low.

      Some of the LFS sell RO water but if you use more than 10g a week you need to buy your own system.

      If you can live with the hardness but want to lower the pH you can stick some pete moss in your HOB filter.
      http://joshday.com/blackwatertank.htm
      'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
      He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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      • #4
        Re: Water quality - Katy

        I am thinking its time for me to pick up a 55g drum so I too can collect some rain water.... else I am thinking at some point to pick up an RO machine and just start making water.
        I take it when you say just stick it under the down spout you mean you are collecting the water off the roof ?  You are not worried that this could cause problems ?  Ie things on the roof have toxic properties to it that the fish would not like or are you thinking by the time I start collecting all the toxic items have slid off the roof any ways ?

        What fish do Jesper have
        180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
        110         Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
        58 S. Decorus
        "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Water quality - Katy

          While I was in Dickinson (between Bayport and Texas City) I never had any problems with toxins miced with the rainwater but I have seen a device that sends the first couple of gallons to a bucket and when the bucket is full it diverts the remaining rain to the cistern.
          'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
          He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Water quality - Katy

            I am going to have to look into collecting rainwater...  Where would you pick up a 55g drum ?  I would like to have a drum where I could remove the whole lid for easy handling...

            I am thinking long term I am going to end up picking up an RO machine of some sort, mount it in the garage and have one or two 55g drums it can fill up and from there I can take water to the tank.

            What fish do Jesper have
            180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
            110             Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
            58 S. Decorus
            "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Water quality - Katy

              dont know if hoston rainwater is gonna be any better than off the tap man.  think about that.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Water quality - Katy

                I have been told in the past.. make sure that the first 15 of the rain is not collected but after that enough dust and other bad particles have been removed from the air.

                What fish do Jesper have
                180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
                110                 Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
                58 S. Decorus
                "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Water quality - Katy

                  dont know about that.  rain drops fall due to the fact that the moisture has something to attach too.  dirt, dust, and pollution.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Water quality - Katy

                    there are many ways you can divert the first rain and debree from the cistern.  here is a simple manual reset one
                    roof washer
                    'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
                    He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Water quality - Katy

                      PhishPhreek, if for nothing else, I love these posts because your ingenuity is quite good and I had a good laugh when I saw the link :)

                      I am thinking I am going to wait until I have the spare money, setup an RO system either under the sink or in the garage and a 55g drum.

                      I decided today I was going to learn more about the buffering problems I have and read up on all the chemistry of water related to aquariums.

                      What I am learning is here in Houston area and Katy where I live, the buffering is so high in this area that you can pour a bottle of pH down in to your tank and tomorrow it will be back to 8.2+ again...  I have just simply not understood why until after I read all the chemistry and understood... RO or Rainwater is a must if I wish to make changes to lower the pH by any means.

                      What fish do Jesper have
                      180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
                      110                       Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
                      58 S. Decorus
                      "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

                      Comment

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