# Rain Water - Who uses it in their tanks



## sr20det (6 Jul 2012)

Do you filter it before use?

I was plannng on filtering via carbon and a 1 or 5 micron filter as well. I have 3 cannister filters.

Any tips too?

Ordered two water butts this weekend, which I should be collecting on Sat or Sun.  The weather here predicted suits the setup really, bloody raining all the time, may as well re-cycle :?:


----------



## Aqua sobriquet (6 Jul 2012)

I don't, but it's daft not to really. You can bet though, if I set it all up it won't rain again for months!


----------



## sr20det (6 Jul 2012)

Aqua sobriquet said:
			
		

> I don't, but it's daft not to really. You can bet though, if I set it all up it won't rain again for months!


Lol, just checking the forecast, its predicted to be the wet record breaker for July and early August. So can't be bad. Well it is, bloody hate rain


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

Picked up my rain butt on the weekend, 210l one now to hack up drain pipe to get it to fit. Then good to go.  

I think I may need a pump to force water through the filters anyone have any suggestions?


----------



## Aqua sobriquet (9 Jul 2012)

Hozelock sell a submersible water butt pump. I've got one somewhere that I used to empty the pond.


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

Aqua sobriquet said:
			
		

> Hozelock sell a submersible water butt pump. I've got one somewhere that I used to empty the pond.



Would prefer an inline one, as my plan is to have the filters hooked up to the tap on the water butt into 10" Water Filters as below (similar)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-WATER-FILT ... 1c1581c69d

This might be more appropriate :?: 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5000-LITRE-IN ... 27bf4919da


----------



## ian_m (9 Jul 2012)

Read here about first flush systems to stop your water being contaminated with dirt when it first rains.
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=20571&start=10#p209454

I know people who use these.
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/fi ... verter.php


----------



## Morgan Freeman (9 Jul 2012)

I was going to but worried about pollution. I'd use the prefilter above and possibly run a UV filter for a bit before adding to the tank. I have a water butt and it's absolutely full of bloodworms (or similar) so unsure how clean it is.

Because my tank is only 30L I'm just running tap water through a britta filter first. It's too hard otherwise and it helps filter out some of the nasties.


----------



## hinch (9 Jul 2012)

daphnia most likely good for the fishies diet


----------



## Morgan Freeman (9 Jul 2012)

Definitely not daphina, 1cm or so and wormlike.


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

Morgan Freeman said:
			
		

> Definitely not daphina, 1cm or so and wormlike.



Does sound like bloodworm, but if I filter through carbon and a 1 micron filter, the likes of Daphnia would even filter out I would have thought and the carbon taking care of any contaminants?


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

ian_m said:
			
		

> Read here about first flush systems to stop your water being contaminated with dirt when it first rains.
> viewtopic.php?f=51&t=20571&start=10#p209454
> 
> I know people who use these.
> http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/fi ... verter.php



Thanks a top link mate, tempted with the first flush kit but all that greif and cost, tempted to go with a RO now


----------



## ian_m (9 Jul 2012)

sr20det said:
			
		

> ian_m said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Can't remember why my mate had his, I think it was for his green house. Basically keeps 99% of all the mess and dissolved rubbish out of the storage butt, that seems to block any filter instantly when first used. He had a tiny submersible pump that just pumped to trickle feeds on the plants.


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

ian_m said:
			
		

> sr20det said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



My plan was to filter all through carbon, but the first flush system is appealing, but 50 squid, I can buy an RO for that sort of money, rain water was supposed to be a cheaper less wasteful option  , wonder if I could make something up DIY :?:


----------



## ian_m (9 Jul 2012)

sr20det said:
			
		

> My plan was to filter all through carbon, but the first flush system is appealing, but 50 squid, I can buy an RO for that sort of money, rain water was supposed to be a cheaper less wasteful option  , wonder if I could make something up DIY :?:


There are two designs I have seen on the Internet somewhere...

First is a DIY "rocking bit of gutter pipe", first water fills a container up that pulls down a length of gutter to divert water into water butt.
Second is a floating ball in section of pipe. Water fills pipe, ball floats and blocks top of pipe allowing water to bypass.

I am sure with Google, good bodging skills and access to a proper builders merchant you could invent something.


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

ian_m said:
			
		

> sr20det said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



indeed, a ping pong ball, and some pipe work could be utilised here


----------



## Morgan Freeman (9 Jul 2012)

Just tested my rain water, assume yours would be similar so hope this helps.

KH 70ppm

GH 125ppm

PH 7.0

Tap water (Britta filtered)

KH 215ppm

GH Off the chart!

PH 6.6!?

So it looks like using a Britta was a complete waste of time, aside from dropping the PH. Straight out of the tap it's 7.4.

So looks like it might be worth switching to rainwater too!


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

Well, I just went with TDS and it was 17ppm, through carbon and filteration I reckon I could get to 10, which is near enough RO water.

My tap is 350ish TDS, so as you can imagine massive difference.


----------



## awtong (9 Jul 2012)

You have to consider that the first flush system may cost the same as an RO unit but the rainwater system won't cost anything to run like an RO unit and no waste water!

Andy


----------



## sr20det (9 Jul 2012)

awtong said:
			
		

> You have to consider that the first flush system may cost the same as an RO unit but the rainwater system won't cost anything to run like an RO unit and no waste water!
> 
> Andy


Indeed and no maintenance as such, or recharging of elements.  And one butt storing 210l of water its happy days imo.  The amount of rain we get is ridiculous, so may as well make the most of it.


----------



## dw1305 (10 Jul 2012)

Hi all,
An easy option for filtering is to have 2 rain-butts, daisy chained together. The advantage of this is that all the crud etc
ends up in the first butt  which is connected to the down-pipe, and you draw the water from the second butt. By having 2 butts you can clean the butts alternately without losing all your water. 

I usually just give mine a clean in the autumn, and I draw water of them all through-out the winter. I don't treat the water in any way, and it trickle feeds _Daphnia_ with every water change.

Our rain-water still has some dKH, probably from dust etc in the atmosphere, and I'd expect that is the same for much of the S and E of the UK.

cheers Darrel


----------



## sr20det (10 Jul 2012)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> An easy option for filtering is to have 2 rain-butts, daisy chained together. The advantage of this is that all the crud etc
> ends up in the first butt  which is connected to the down-pipe, and you draw the water from the second butt. By having 2 butts you can clean the butts alternately without losing all your water.
> 
> ...



Brillaint idea Darrell, Thats might be an idea, as I have two, a 100ltr (cost 19.99 which is far cheaper then an overflow option) one and a 210 ltr one.  Maybe have the 100ltr hooked up first, and at the top have a overflow into second, it does mean that the 100ltr will need to fill first, but means the second will have the better water skimmed from the top from tank 1?

another benefit, is tank 1 can be used to water the garden


----------



## Manrock (2 Feb 2013)

I live in Devon and use rainwater straight out of the butt - no filtering (apart from all the moss on the roof) for my nano and Walstad bowls. They all seem fine.


----------



## Gfish (2 Feb 2013)

I've been experimenting with rainwater since I moved a few tanks into my new place. There's 2 butts already set up here with taps on so I just couldn't resist.

The tapwater's as hard as buggery round here so I'm really hoping to see a difference in my South American fish. 
I went online, here, there and everywhere and could not find one report of someone saying using rainwater has negatively affected their fish.
There's plenty folk saying you shouldn't do this because of contaminants, but there's enough of an argument against that worry, so I'm delving right into this now.
So far I have given 2 tanks 3 30% waterchanges with pure rainwater. At some stage I'll add a percentage of tapwater to it but so far fish all look fine.
I wonder how my Geos are going to take to it???

So I've no carbon filter or any fancy first flush gadgetry.

And if I decide to go softer, then this link has really surprised me:-
Peat Filtering your Aquarium Water


----------



## Ed Seeley (3 Feb 2013)

I used to use it and just filtered it through a length of pipe with carbon and floss in it just to be safe.  I'm going to be experimenting with using rain water in my koi pond soon too to reduce the GH in there.  I only stopped using it as the water butt was at the end of the garden and in winter it was too cold (for me and the water) and a hassle.  I went with an RO unit instead.


----------



## Gfish (3 Feb 2013)

Ponds are the best proof of how good rainwater is. Every pond in the UK has a regular top up with rainwater. Fish are fine.


----------



## Jason Greenslade (3 Feb 2013)

Just wondering if it makes any difference what kind of surface the rain water has passed over ?  Our water butt is from the garage roof which is bitumen sealed with stone chippings.


----------



## Gfish (3 Feb 2013)

I've read that it should be a worry but I don't know for sure. 
I guinea pigged a few tetras and shrimps with a waterchange


----------



## Ed Seeley (3 Feb 2013)

Jason Greenslade said:


> Just wondering if it makes any difference what kind of surface the rain water has passed over ? Our water butt is from the garage roof which is bitumen sealed with stone chippings.


 
Mine was used from a shed roof and no problem.  It wasn't a new roof though but a couple of years old.  This is one reason why I used carbon as I drew the water out to help reduce any slim possibility of any contaminents.


----------



## Jason Greenslade (3 Feb 2013)

Ed Seeley said:


> Mine was used from a shed roof and no problem. It wasn't a new roof though but a couple of years old. This is one reason why I used carbon as I drew the water out to help reduce any slim possibility of any contaminents.


 
OK thanks Ed I will give that some thought


----------



## dw1305 (4 Feb 2013)

Hi all,


dw1305 said:


> I don't treat the water in any way, and it trickle feeds Daphnia with every water change.


I have the _Daphnia_ as "Guinea Pigs" as well as fish food, they are used a lot in the water industry as a bio-assay, because they are sensitive to water pollution. I just draw the water off into a container assuming there are swimming _Daphnia _in the water, the water is OK to use.

_Daphnia_ bioassay: <http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/daphnia208_1669241.pdf>

cheers Darrel


----------

