Do you add bleach to disposed of tank water?

[hot4teacher]

In my nightly reading, I saw an article or post, or site that said you SHOULD add some bleach to aquarium water your are sending down the drain.

Do any of you practice this? My fresh water aquarium I would dump outside. Is there anything that would live in fresh water from a SW tank?

Dana

 

[Pandora]

Curious where you saw the article/post, I'd like to read it too?

I don't think most SW organisms would survive the transition for long if they didn't have a tough integument, since the change in osmolarity would cause their soft bodies (or single cells), evolved to live in saline, to expand or burst (lyse). There are some more complex animals like fish or crustaceans which move between the two media, but usually only for nonextended periods of time, usually to breed. I'm guessing that one of the reasons for bleaching could be to minimize transmission of potential pathogens that could survive short periods of time out of water, such as vibrio or M marinum? Just a guess, though I don't think the risk is worth it.

 

[Ti]

no, but I would like to hear more of this.
tagging along

 

[hot4teacher]

I am pretty sure I saw it on WetWebMedia.com. I do agree that in fresh water cases, it might be wise to swish a little bleach around before sending FW down the drain. But you're likely right. For most aquarists, there isn't much in a SW aquarium that wou,ld survive for a long duration in FW.

Will keep looking for it, but may take days if I used my history on Explorer.

Dana

 

[Vincerama2]

If you flush the water in the toilet, I don't think most SW organisms would have much chance. Sewer treatment is not kind to ANYTHING. Adding bleach to it first? The stuff in sewers (chemicals, etc) has got to be much worse. A lot of people have bleach tablet in their toilet as well.

I see the problem though...if ONE PIECE of caulerpa made it to the open ocean (through some miracle) then it could cause major problems, but if that were the case, the the bleach you tried to kill it with won't do much to it.

You COULD, put the container of "used" salt water outside and let it evaporate into nothing but salt crystals and dead stuff, I guess, then rinse the bucket into the toilet once it's dried out and dead?

I've never thought twice about flushing used salt water.

V

 

[Bluetangclan]

LOL I just dump mine on the kudzu, I dont see SW stuff lasting long there heheh.
I am sure the more importsnt point of the idea is to keep bad bacteria and disease from reaching local water, single cell organisms can be very tough critters sometimes. However as some said above, if it manages to survive the water treatment plant, a little bleach wouldnt do anything but tick it off heheh

 

[lunning]

Maybe the bleach is to help break down the salt to prevent problems with septic tank and plumbing. Just an idea though.

 

[Pandora]

Bleach actually is a salt--it is sodium hypochlorite. A salt is basically just a cation & an anion bound together in a neutral compound; SW is primarily sodium chloride in water (and lower quantities of a few other ions).

The only "breaking down" bleach does is on the cellular level--with the chlorine that is produced when it is in solution; these oxidize proteins and cell membranes/cell walls of bacteria that would otherwise protect it and allow it to produce enzymes. It would not alter the inorganic ions of SW on a molecular level.

 

[Vincerama2]

... and remember, don't pour bleached water into a toilet that you just cleaned with an ammonia based cleaner! (Think WWI gas weapons)

V

 

[lunning]

learn something new everyday

 

[tkeracer619]

I throw it out on the driveway. it snows often so i dont mind the salt out there. Im from NC and i would def. toss it on kudzu.

 

[inlandreef]

SW also makes a great weed killer