How much gph should I aim for with the drip? Or is gallons per day a better way to ours it out? 25% a day be good for a constant drip?
How to get rid of chloramines for drip system?
- Thread starter philipraposo1982
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Hello; I get that using a holding tank/tub/ container to deal with the chlorine only treated water seems like a complicated plan but a question arises. Two parts, first the cost of the carbon over time and second somewhat related is how long the carbon will be effective? What sort of plan for when the carbon gets nearly loaded and there is a surge in chlorine such as after a pipe repair?
I have chlorine only water and use storage containers to age my water. If I ever were to set up a continuous drip I might try to have a storage tank of some sort using bubblers with the idea it takes the water long enough to pass thru so the chlorine off gasses.
I have chlorine only water and use storage containers to age my water. If I ever were to set up a continuous drip I might try to have a storage tank of some sort using bubblers with the idea it takes the water long enough to pass thru so the chlorine off gasses.
This would be a good plan, dripping to an aerated storage tank, which then drips to your aquarium.
I would base the drip flow rate on how much a normal water change schedule would use.
I normally would do 30%-40% water changes on my tanks every other day, so , a drip of 20 gallons over 24 hour period would be my goal for for a 100 gallon tank.
So that kind of drip might use the holding capacity of a carbon column up fairly quickly or not, depending on chlorine residual.
I would consider putting a giant Wondershell in the aging vessel. I have used this method when I was out of DeChlor to remove chlorine.
It will treat and buffer the water continuously until it dissolves, and may promote outgassing, because they can fizz a bit.
I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I have found that if I want snails to live in our water, I use DeChlor (sodium thiosulfate) and a Wondershell. Tanks without Wondershell have almost zero snails, and I purposely distribute various snails among all of my tanks.
Bettas will normally live in our tap water with no water treatment, but if they shock the water system, you will smell the chlorine at the tap, and then it is treat or kill. They don't like the Wondershell. No softwater fish would IMO.
It will treat and buffer the water continuously until it dissolves, and may promote outgassing, because they can fizz a bit.
I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I have found that if I want snails to live in our water, I use DeChlor (sodium thiosulfate) and a Wondershell. Tanks without Wondershell have almost zero snails, and I purposely distribute various snails among all of my tanks.
Bettas will normally live in our tap water with no water treatment, but if they shock the water system, you will smell the chlorine at the tap, and then it is treat or kill. They don't like the Wondershell. No softwater fish would IMO.
High levels of ammonia (and nitrite) can reliably be removed by biological filtration as this is a slow continual drip system. Over a 24 hour period, the relatively low water volume amount introduced and slow introduction rate of ammonia eliminates the theoretical issue you may have. This is speaking from my own practial experience (over 600 tanks) and yes I most certainly do rely on this but each fish keeper can have their own opinions of course. The other aspect poorly understood is that carbon when it saturates and fails does not suddenly fail. It takes quite a few weeks/months to gradually fail so there is ample time and warning to pick this up. A simple pool chlorine test kit such as DPD # 1 (diethyl-p-phenylene diamine) once a month for example. You don't need the test kit, just the tablet/reagent as you don't need to measure how much chlorine, just detect any level of chlorine. Carbon works by adsobtion, not absorption. There would be a huge amount of information online if you want detail.
Previously to counter high levels of nitrite in water supply, I would have to monitor and chemically bomb the incoming water with chlorine to remove the nitrite. The chlorine is then easily stripped away. Slow constant drip introduction of water removes the nitrite via biological filtration as well.
If you use the Wondershell, and the water quality spikes, it will automatically level the spike.
You won't have to wonder. LOL
You won't have to wonder. LOL
I can't believe no one is correcting the statement "carbon removes chlorine", it certainly doesn't.
Phil, I'm going to end up having a drip system too, and I have the variable water quality issue. Plus I'll be dripping to saltwater and fresh.
I will have a sump for each, and I'm probably going to continue to use the Wondershells, in the freshwater sumps. I don't think the SW will be such a problem. For one thing the system will be much larger than the FW systems. Over 180 gallons once finished. The FW will be half that.
I think the deal with carbon is it traps the chlorine and ammonia and other gasses, but if you don't remove the carbon it re-emits gas. I keep carbon around for emergencies. Like one time I got interrupted and medicated the wrong tank. YIKES!
Instant Big water change, and a bag of carbon while the water was low, to leach off the poisons.
I will have a sump for each, and I'm probably going to continue to use the Wondershells, in the freshwater sumps. I don't think the SW will be such a problem. For one thing the system will be much larger than the FW systems. Over 180 gallons once finished. The FW will be half that.
I think the deal with carbon is it traps the chlorine and ammonia and other gasses, but if you don't remove the carbon it re-emits gas. I keep carbon around for emergencies. Like one time I got interrupted and medicated the wrong tank. YIKES!
Instant Big water change, and a bag of carbon while the water was low, to leach off the poisons.
With more experience, a lot of your fears will go away and you will find the path that works best for you.
There isn't much point in trying to say one way is better than another. There are some errors and misconceptions with your thoughts but it doesn't make much difference.
However, rather than having a large pre aging water tank, why don't you have a tiny tank (or bucket) of indicator fish. These "canary" fish would get 100% of their water changed several times a day and soon die whenever the new water was dangerous. Use a cold water species if your winters are long and severe. No filtration required on this tank.
There isn't much point in trying to say one way is better than another. There are some errors and misconceptions with your thoughts but it doesn't make much difference.
However, rather than having a large pre aging water tank, why don't you have a tiny tank (or bucket) of indicator fish. These "canary" fish would get 100% of their water changed several times a day and soon die whenever the new water was dangerous. Use a cold water species if your winters are long and severe. No filtration required on this tank.
