Disposal of water after water changes

[reefkeeper01]

Do no dump it near or on plants.

Do no dump it near or on plants.

I dump mine down the driveway or into the gutter, it kills the weeds. Previously, I dumped it on my lawn for a period of time and it died. The gardener informed me that salt water kills grass, plants, etc. it changes the ph value of the soil. A little may not hurt but frequent dumping in the same spot is not a good thing.

Kudos to those who are recycling it.

 

[FishNutty]

i dump it down the drive way...mom's [almost] first words about the reef tank were

don't dump it in the plants, near the plants or...hey, why don't you just use the driveway? kill the weeds

 

[Drewbaby]

Living in Florida I just sling my buckets of old tank water into the yard. Nothing grows that well in florida sand anywa, but after 3 years of doing that I see no effect on my grass. In fact I think my weeds grow faster in the place I dump my water. It's only 20 gallons or so a week. I don't feel comfortable flushing it because our house was built in '52 so the pipes are all the original metal ones and we all know what salt does to metal.

 

[826 moto]

i drain mine in the drive way and still got weeds

 

[patmack]

I turn a valve and let it go pump into the main house drain...Plumbed that in years ago.

For awhile...I was selling my used SW to a local guy that was a fish only @ $1 a gallon. It worked out well for both of us.

I need to find someone that will buy my saltwater!!

 

[bluerexy]

ditto on finding someone who wants to buy my water! I just dump mine down the toilet.

 

[Canadian Reefer]

Right down the drain except in the winter then its on the driveway and sidewalk, its a good de-icer

 

[Flems]

Usually down the drain here. The tanks right beside my laundry sink.

 

[travis32]

Mine goes down the toilette. I do have solid iron pipes in my crawl space for the sewer. One of the main drain pipes (not sewer, just waste water from the shower and sinks) was so clogged with food from the disposal that the plumber had to roto reuter from both ends of the iron pipe. He said sludge had built up (before I ever had an aquarium).

So, maybe the salt water will help keep sludge from building up as it eats away at the iron pipes?

The other thing is our incoming water is so full of rust it wouldn't matter. It eroded my brand new hot water heater in under 1 year. That's the freshwater! I put in a softner since then, so waste water will always have salt in it now. They said the softened water has a teaspoon per gallon. So, not the half cup per gallon that SW has, but, still, there's not getting around salt in my pipes!

 

[chumm]

i'm curious about the recyling thing...anybody out there find any research?

 

[dancerscap]

I take mine out the back door and pour it into the Gulf of Mexico. I don't think 30 gallons or so will affect it's nitrate level.

 

[gweston]

Down the sink/toilet/tub drain for me.

The recycling idea is certainly interesting. I'm sure there is some crud in the water though. I suspect an alternative would be to have a massive basement sump/refugium. That way the water just stays in the system. No water changes. Just dose trace minerals occasionally.

 

[jefathome]

The recycle thing probably isn't the best idea as there are other things in the water (like heavy metals) that will not be taken up by the algae that is grown. If it were that simple, then a massive fuge full of macroalgae would be all that is needed and you would NEVER have to do a water change. You can really prolong doing changes by using this method, but eventually something will increase to detrimental levels and kill stuff.

 

[needmore-reef]

The Georgia Aquarium web site states that they recycle their water.

 

[billsreef]

I take mine out the back door and pour it into the Gulf of Mexico. I don't think 30 gallons or so will affect it's nitrate level.

Unless you are only keeping locally caught fish in that tank, that is a bad idea. Dumping fish tank water into your local waters could introduce some non native organism, such as a disease, and cause problems.

 

[mrrogers]

Dump mine in my sewer via my wahoo pump tie in..

 

[Fishamatank]

Down the driveway. Keeps the grass from coming up in the cracks.

 

[davocean]

Unless you are only keeping locally caught fish in that tank, that is a bad idea. Dumping fish tank water into your local waters could introduce some non native organism, such as a disease, and cause problems.

I second that, things like that can be a serious problem, and this does not help in keeping away restrictions on importing livestock.
Things like Calerpa can be seriously invasive.
I pour mine down the toilet, and w/ low flow toilet systems that don't always push everything far enough I think it actually helps flush to sewer drains.

 

[noobtothereef]

mine goes down the drain in the summer and on the driveway in the winter to de-ice it.

 

[TampaReefer79]

Is it true that if water change water was poured on weeds down here in Florida on the 'rock lawns' that it will kill the weeds? I haven't tried it but heard that rumor.