is there a threat of dripping municipal water into tank directly without any treatment?? I lost an expensive fish so not sure if that caused it by dripping city tap water into tank but from the water tank side since it’s cold here so I drip hot water into tank.
Municipal water drip
- Thread starter soupa2
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If your water treatment plant uses Chloramine, that could be the cause, or even chlorine from a high residual.
Dripping threw a carbon filled tube, or also having a metered dechlorinator drip may solve the problem.
This is why I never considered the drip method as reliable for me, I found it easier to to a large water change every other day, and treat the new water with a measured amount of sodium thiosulfate.
I also had very cold tap water in Milwaukee (as low as mid 30sF in winter) so I used a combination of hot and cold.
If the combination is used, it is advisable to drain the water heater occasionally (from the tap at the bottom of the heater) until the water is no longer slimy.
Minerals and other compounds can precipitate to the bottom of water heaters from the constant heating a cooling, and then become part of the water used in changes.
I would drain my water heater of about a gallon or two every couple months. and the water from the bottom is at times almost viscous if not done enough.
It is even part of the normal maintenance procedures in the manufacturers instructions (the material no one ever reads) because the mineral soup build up, can lessen the efficiency of the heater, if left to long just for general use.
Another problem with very cold water (it is often super saturated with gases) and can cause gas bubble embolism in fish if not allowed to gas off. An air stone placed directly under the drip, or the drip threw the carbon tube, can help with this.
Dripping threw a carbon filled tube, or also having a metered dechlorinator drip may solve the problem.
This is why I never considered the drip method as reliable for me, I found it easier to to a large water change every other day, and treat the new water with a measured amount of sodium thiosulfate.
I also had very cold tap water in Milwaukee (as low as mid 30sF in winter) so I used a combination of hot and cold.
If the combination is used, it is advisable to drain the water heater occasionally (from the tap at the bottom of the heater) until the water is no longer slimy.
Minerals and other compounds can precipitate to the bottom of water heaters from the constant heating a cooling, and then become part of the water used in changes.
I would drain my water heater of about a gallon or two every couple months. and the water from the bottom is at times almost viscous if not done enough.
It is even part of the normal maintenance procedures in the manufacturers instructions (the material no one ever reads) because the mineral soup build up, can lessen the efficiency of the heater, if left to long just for general use.
Another problem with very cold water (it is often super saturated with gases) and can cause gas bubble embolism in fish if not allowed to gas off. An air stone placed directly under the drip, or the drip threw the carbon tube, can help with this.
I do a bi annual deep flush to my hot water heater. I even changed the spicket from the manufacturer to a ball valve to clean faster. Okay back to the drip part. Currently I drip hot since my heater tank is about 50ft away and with about 30-40 gals a day of drip it gets cooler when reached to my tank. I just drip either hot or cold depending season. What are the major disease or signs of chlorine or chloramine when not treated??
Yes, if the water has chloramines it can kill fish. Even if you don't have chloramines, the water treatment plant can add them at any time. Depending on how much you drip, it's also possible to injure fish and BB with a low but constant input of chlorine. Those would seem to be good reasons to use a carbon block filter.
Also, I still don't get dripping hot water. The tank water water would barely change it's temperature with a drip and a heater should handle that amount easily, Besides, even the coldest water would heat up in a pipe unless the pipe is going through a room that's set at 35-45 degrees.
Also, I still don't get dripping hot water. The tank water water would barely change it's temperature with a drip and a heater should handle that amount easily, Besides, even the coldest water would heat up in a pipe unless the pipe is going through a room that's set at 35-45 degrees.
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If I was going to do a constant drip and was on city water I'd just buy something like a 1000L IBC, treat the water in it and then pump from that into the tank.
But, for my tank that's about 5 weeks of my normal water changes. That might not work if that's not going to be enough water for at least a week.
But, for my tank that's about 5 weeks of my normal water changes. That might not work if that's not going to be enough water for at least a week.
I have tried dripping cold only and the heater in the sump constantly turns on so I just drip hot water instead. By the time the hot gets to my tank it has traveled about 50’ of none insulated ceiling that’s about 10-20 degrees difference from room. I don’t have to waste electricity because it’s more exp than natural gas. Tank is kept at 77-79 if dripping hot which is perfect.
I believe the word "drip" system is an oxymoron, the way many aquarists use it.
On one of my 300 gallon systems, i changed 30-40% every other day to keep nitrate as low wanted. To do that I would need to drip around 25 gallons per day, this would not be just a drip, but a stream, and even sent to the sump could significantly cool the entire system during winter.
I would also need a metered sodium sulfate drip to neutralize the chloramine.
Dripping any less water than the 25 gallons per day, without the sodiu-thio, would hardly worth doing in my opinion.
On one of my 300 gallon systems, i changed 30-40% every other day to keep nitrate as low wanted. To do that I would need to drip around 25 gallons per day, this would not be just a drip, but a stream, and even sent to the sump could significantly cool the entire system during winter.
I would also need a metered sodium sulfate drip to neutralize the chloramine.
Dripping any less water than the 25 gallons per day, without the sodiu-thio, would hardly worth doing in my opinion.
Your water company definitely uses chlorine or chloramine to treat the tap. I'd be that was the culprit. Lots of guys using a drip, at the very least, utilize a carbon block and chloramine-removing resin inline with the drip.