Reuse saltwater

[buck50bmg]

I know this had been brought up. But I will do it again.

If we take our used SW and run it through good carbon block filters and a larger DI filter, can I take out most of the bad? So all I will have to do is add Ca and Alk and the like?

Basically remove toxins with carbon
And NO3 and the like with the DI

Is this possible?

 

[JustinReef]

I know its possible because the Georgia Aquarium had to do this during a water shortage where they were not able to change water I think. I don't remember all the details now but they had to filter old water and re-use it. Maybe they always do this?

I seem to remember another example of this being done but again, I forget where I heard it.

I think the problem is that it takes a lot of equipment and expensive filters. I doubt it would be very realistic for home aquariums.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If we take our used SW and run it through good carbon block filters and a larger DI filter, can I take out most of the bad? So all I will have to do is add Ca and Alk and the like?

Pass it through a DI and you get fresh water. Seems very costly to make pure fresh water. Maybe cost effective on moon base alpha reef tanks.

Anything less will leave lots of stuff that you do not want.

It has been discussed many times. There is no good method to recycle old tank water. You can sterilize it, and perhaps remove certain things effectively, like phosphate, but one of the beauties of normal water changes is it helps correct everything, whether you measure it or not.

 

[Poorcollegereef]

Well, a while ago, I used to have an extra seperate fuge (in a 20L) which I only had macro and such, and I would rotate some water back and forth with a waterchange. It worked 'ok-ish' I did a 50% new water and 50% recycled water as my normal water change routine. I quit most because I got tired of testing NO3 and PO4 as well as managing the pH and Alk in the fuge. Really, mixing new water was alot easier.

I have also heard of a guy who would rotate water between a "clam" tank and a fowlr tank in order to provide the clam heavy tank with some NO3... I do not know if he recycled it. I will ask next time I am at the LFS since the owner has managed his system while he was away ofr an extended time.

I would love to recycle tankwater but fresh new mixed water is really the closest thing to a universal cure-all

 

[bergzy]

i dont really reuse saltwater but i try and get the most use out of it.

when i do a 30 gallon water change on my 180g sps tank, the water is still very pristine enough for my 110g mixed reef.

the water from my 110g then goes down the drain.

thus, i 'reuse' sw as much as possible before having it go down the drain.

 

[nemowithnoeyes]

most outdoor hardy like and can withstand a water of salt water mixed in with its regular diet, hey you might get a differeant color of flowers next time it blooms because of the ph but dont overdose them some are tempermental (IE. fruit trees shrubbs are and definetely palm trees. i mean more like vines ivy, something you would find in the middle of nowhere kickin but.)
only reason i know about differeant color bloom is because half of my moms flowers are pink and other are white. hah! think she even notices

 

[nemowithnoeyes]

meant plants :/ sorry meant to post above

 

[fishfl]

ya, works good on out door plants that like high ph in the soil.
Going to test skimmate on out door plants to see if theres any improvments in plants.

 

[bergzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12808936#post12808936 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishfl
ya, works good on out door plants that like high ph in the soil.
Going to test skimmate on out door plants to see if theres any improvments in plants.

hmmm...

seems a little 'contrary' to the reports of what a lot of people who thought draining their old tank saltwater for their outdoor plants and grass would be a benefit...only to find after some time...it ended up killing their lawn and plants...or at least greatly weakening them...

but...if it works for your plants, that is great...

nemowithnoeyes, i dont know where in california you live but HERE in southern california:

http://www.sccat.net/#proper-disposal-1e86ee

aquarium water should be drained into the sewer systems...

of course, 'watering' your lawn with old saltwater aquarium 'may' be 'ok' but 'why' would you want to do it?

 

[bmxman37]

Not to bring this thread back but...... I have been saving my water from my reef tank when I do water changes in a big Rubbermaid. I was thinking that if I keep it running with a little live rock and cheato to eat up nutrients.. Want the water become good again? ( was never that bad) or am I wasting my time.... It was originally for a qt tank but never got used as one.

 

[mcgyvr]

Not to bring this thread back but...... I have been saving my water from my reef tank when I do water changes in a big Rubbermaid. I was thinking that if I keep it running with a little live rock and cheato to eat up nutrients.. Want the water become good again? ( was never that bad) or am I wasting my time.... It was originally for a qt tank but never got used as one.

You are wasting your time..

 

[EnderG60]

You dont change water just to remove nutrients, you do it to build up depleted trace elements.

You can easily test and dose for these, but there are A LOT of them and it will be ridiculously expensive.

Making new salt water is simply a better idea time and money wise.

 

[Jonviviano]

i dont really reuse saltwater but i try and get the most use out of it.

when i do a 30 gallon water change on my 180g sps tank, the water is still very pristine enough for my 110g mixed reef.

the water from my 110g then goes down the drain.

thus, i 'reuse' sw as much as possible before having it go down the drain.

"I am a meat popsicle"

...Sorry...could not resist!

 

[Alex3344]

I always though that the process of reusing the saltwater is too complicated, so I've never tried it. having read the possts given here, I still think the same