# Recycled Water



## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

Don't get scared yet! Here's the question and the reason for that question. I want to recycle the condensation from my window ac unit in my tanks. I'm first thinking of heating it in a large 5 gallon pot to kill off any bad stuff and then storing it in my RO water buckets for small water changes. My well water is 3ppm ammonia straight out of the tap and it's a real pain for my wife to get to the pet store to get RO water since I work out of town allot. I've read concerns about the slime build up in window ac units as well as lead or copper leaching into the water from the coils, but I'm not sure that the condensation stays in the unit long enough to worry about leaching. I'm wondering if the slime buildup in the window unit is anymore than that of my biological filters in my tanks. The water tests great according to my 5 in 1 test strips, soooooooo....

Opinions?


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

Interesting to say the least! What kind of fish do you plan to do this experiment with?


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## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

I guess I could start with my 55g since it's only got bream and catfish. I can replace them pretty easily. I think I've got a couple prego mollies so my 33g is out. Although one of my bream is getting ready to lay her eggs. She's been working on her bed for a few days now. I may end up testing a couple of cheap feeder fish in a small one gallon I've got on the shelf.


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

It might work out alright, keep us posted.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Interesting indeed...but I wouldn't use it myself. Would think there would be too many contaminates. But, if you're boiling it and using a water conditioner like Prime, then .... maybe. Just not my cup of tea. But do let us know how it goes if you decide to.


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## jclee (Aug 17, 2010)

Boiling won't remove the contaminates, though. It would actually make them more concentrated, since some of the H20 would evaporate off, and any chemicals/heavy metals would stay behind. I'd be afraid to try it. It might be safer, though, if your tank is heavily planted. Plants can often make use of heavy metals, (thus taking them out of the water system). They wouldn't help, though, if some air conditioning coolant had seeped into the mix. I expect your fish will tell you pretty quickly if there are contaminants in the water, especially if you try this out in a smaller tank.


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## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

Actually, water doesn't have o be boiled to kill pathogens. Heating it to 185 degrees for only a couple of minutes works as well as boiling without losing more than a trace to evaporation. I've found that copper can be very high in tap water at times if it has sat in the copper lines for too long. My ac window unit is brand new and puts out about 3 gallons a day of condensation and the water is not sitting in the copper as your tap water would be. Hopefully my research will pay off. I'm going to be out of town for the next week, so hopefully, by next weekend I can pick up a couple of feeder fish and give this test a go in my 1 gallon aquarium. I'll let you guys know when the experiment starts.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

I would be afraid of the copper or aluminum for the ac coils.

I think any water acceptable for humans fine for your fish. I would use a commonly used facet, cold water, and let it run for a minute before collecting it. That will vastly reduce the copper and other plumbing stuff in it.

I also do no water changes and my tanks are heavily planted. With you fish you may have to add a partition to keep the fish and plants seperate but the plants will make (and no water changes) will make the ammonia in you water irrelevant.

my .02


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## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

I do very few water changes myself. All of my tanks are heavily planted and I'm not sure why, but the two with natural sand/gravel substrate, straight from bayou behind my house, keep less than .5 ammonia at all times while the 33 gallon that has pet store colored gravel and no sand has to be changed about every two weeks. Maybe just coincidence. As I said before, my well water comes straight out of the ground with 3ppm ammonia which the fish cannot tolerate.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

I have found a peat moss/play sand/pc select( gravel) is better for the plants then most aquarium gravel. Perhaps roots develop better.

The live plants should keep the 3ppm ammoia down to uncer .25ppm is a matter of hours. a 10% water change would only result on .3ppm ammonia in the tank for instance. Plus I do no water changes so just adding top off would have even less effect on tank conditions.

my .02


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## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

Learn something everyday. I knew the plants lowered the ammonia quite well, but you think it will lower it fast enough that it won't harm the fish? If that's the case, then it shouldn't be a problem using my well water.


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## jclee (Aug 17, 2010)

I still don't think I'd be comfortable with AC condensation in my tanks. I wouldn't want to drink it, that's for sure, and I think that's my criteria for what water I'd put into my fish tanks.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jbroome said:


> Learn something everyday. I knew the plants lowered the ammonia quite well, but you think it will lower it fast enough that it won't harm the fish? If that's the case, then it shouldn't be a problem using my well water.


As long as you have enough fast growing plants (anacharis) and let the plants condition the tank then yes.

In my tank for instance I let the plants condition the tank a week before I add fish. And I don't do water changes just topoffs. Which further reduces the effects of the initial conditions of the replacement water.

I do get very low bumps (like ammonia to .25 or so) but the next day it back down to unmeasureable.

You could try using anacharis in a jar with the 3ppm water and see how long it takes to drop ammonia down.

my .02


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## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

Will do. I'll be back home on sunday and start getting things ready for some tests. I was rather disappointed in my LFS where I buy my RO water when it tested 2ppm for ammonia. I won't worry much about it after I get my canister filters up and running. I should have the first of three up by next weekend.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I got a question? With ammonia levels like that out the tap what do you use for drinking and cooking? Sounds like you have some leaching somewhere in the well or between the well and the tap. I sure would find out.


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## jbroome (Aug 18, 2010)

I researched that myself. Some public water systems have as much as 30ppm and it is considered safe. Seems according to the cdc and environmental health organizations, ammonia is not a big issue with humans. I was shocked to see 30ppm in public water, so I guess mine is pretty good. The smell test is considered the safety for water out of the tap according to one file I read. You can smell ammonia at 35ppm, so as long as you can't smell it, or smell a very faint odor of it in your drinking water, it's safe.


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