Using Rain Water To Fill Your Tank

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Bobtastic

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Hi all,

I was wondering if there are any positive/negitives of using rain water when doing water changes?

The reason I ask is that the water from my tap has a pretty low pH(6) level. I can only assume that natural rain water will be more neutral and you wouldnt have to condition it.
 
Hi all,

I was wondering if there are any positive/negitives of using rain water when doing water changes?

The reason I ask is that the water from my tap has a pretty low pH(6) level. I can only assume that natural rain water will be more neutral and you wouldnt have to condition it.
If the rain water is caught directly into a non toxic holding container it should be fine to use. I would run tests on it first to determine if the ph is what you think it should be. I am wanting softer water as my well water is off the test strip so I collect water from the large container I have set out for the dogs to drink from. Oak leaves fall into that water, it gets mosquitoe larva too. It gets nice and brown with tannins. Whenever I need to top my tank off I retrieve water from there, after running a full range of chemistry tests. I am trying to bring my ph down so I can get some Cardinals and and Angels. The ponly thing is you might be missing vital minerals that is found in most water. However, people use RO water, isn't that fairly nothing in it water? I have no idea what is left after RO process. Karen Campbell
 
Also, I think it depends on your location. If you live in a city then the chances are that any rain water will be contaminated by pollution as it falls. But then, even out in rural areas you may think the rainwater that falls is pure but remember that clouds travel - and can pass through polluted areas long before they reach your area.

Remember back in the 1980s - the Chernobyl disaster? Well, radiation was carried right across Europe by winds and clouds and rainwater that fell from radiation-exposed clouds ended up contaminating large areas of land. Even to this day there are certain areas in the UK and Wales that have to be tested and cattle are not allowed to graze there, due to that contamination.

So, the point I'm trying to make is that rainwater is not as pure as maybe it ought to be...BUT fish in the wild have no choice when it rains and are exposed to whatever rains down upon them.

Athena
 
Also, I think it depends on your location. If you live in a city then the chances are that any rain water will be contaminated by pollution as it falls. But then, even out in rural areas you may think the rainwater that falls is pure but remember that clouds travel - and can pass through polluted areas long before they reach your area.

Remember back in the 1980s - the Chernobyl disaster? Well, radiation was carried right across Europe by winds and clouds and rainwater that fell from radiation-exposed clouds ended up contaminating large areas of land. Even to this day there are certain areas in the UK and Wales that have to be tested and cattle are not allowed to graze there, due to that contamination.

So, the point I'm trying to make is that rainwater is not as pure as maybe it ought to be...BUT fish in the wild have no choice when it rains and are exposed to whatever rains down upon them.

Athena

Humm... that is a good point...
 
Good advice form above!

Yes, rain water will lack on trace minerals, usually have a low KH.

With that said, you do not want to use just straight rain water, instead you want to do half rain water, and half tap water.

You may ask, "well the fish in the wild just have rain water?"

Yes, this is true, but they also live in lakes and rivers, where the rain water comes in direct contact with the soil, plants, and there are springs that bring up a abundance of trace minerals for the fish.

Same with RO water. RO water will have a pH of 7.0, zero minerals, and will also have a very low O2 level, lower than safe for fish.

Rain water will have plenty of O2, so you dont have to worry about that.

But just make sure you mix it with tap, not add it straight to your tank.

-FHM
 
Yes, agree with everybody above. Bob, you'll have to test your rainwater to see whether it would accomplish any of the same things we're talking about doing with the crushed coral over in your other thread. As mentioned, there are at least 3 things: you have to test it and not assume as far as chemistry parameters are concerned, you have to be sure its clean and finally, you only want to partially mix it in some ratio with tap water, depending on the parameters of the two.

One interesting trick to know about with rainwater is to watch for when heavy rain is due. What you do is get your containers ready. Then when the cloudburst comes you wait for it to give the roof or whatever a good washing and then -after that- you stick your container under the spout or whatever and thus try to get this later, cleaner water in your collection, rather than the earlier dirtier water that first washed off the roof.

~~waterdrop~~
 

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