What can be done w/ pwc water?

[kdklovesfish]

Does anyone know what you can do with the water from a water change? I mean like can you water outdoor plants with it? Or any other uses? I'd like to think I'm fairly earth friendly and I feel bad about dumping so much water down the drain.

 

[jpchin]

you can absolutely use the water for plants indoor and out. also you can use the water to flush your toilet. i'm sure you'll get more suggestions.

 

[DragonFish71]

We use it for watering the plants and yard. Mt hubby set up a water pump that I attach to my python and it goes out through the garden hose. Waters where he puts the other end. I also fill up a watering can with tank water for the house plants, they love it.

 

[Rivercats]

It's great for watering plants as it has fertilizers in it. I never fertilize my indoor house plants since I use my old tank water.

 

[ktomminello]

Aquaculture and aquaponics 101

What you guys are talking about is aquaculture. I have a passive aquaponic farm. This is an actual practice that has just started to become more wide spread as more and more people ask the same question you just did. It can be as simple watering your lawn straight out without altering it, or you can use a syphon to collect fish poop and waste and mix with regular (or preferably ph 5.5 lowered) water to spray house plants or gardens. To working complete aquacultured farms in which a cycle of plants being watered by the nitrified waste water of the fish farm/ pond/ river system filters the water and sumps it back into the stock (fish) tanks starting the process over again. Granted this is a COMPLETELY understated overview of this practice, if you are truly interested, do some research and feel free to private message me any questions you think I can answer. YouTube has a few good quality videos of farm set ups and passive smaller systems. There's a growing amount of literature available on this topic as well- Hope you find a way to put that water to work, it's an interesting way to waste a few minutes on youtube....

 

[kdklovesfish]

Thanks guys. I kind of feel dumb asking that question, but I live with someone who is as picky about her plants as I am my fish. It wasn't a big deal when I had a 15g, but I just got my 55g finished and today was my first large water change. I felt so bad about dumbing 20g down the drain. Never again!!

 

[Rivercats]

No question is dumb and by asking you learned something new!

 

[Sambo7475]

Thanks for the reminder, Rivercats! It's something I tell students all the time. Back to OP topic. I use my pwc waste to water my roses. Did a little test, miracle gro vs tank water. The tank water rose bush got twice the size this summer, and had larger roses. Also it bloomed until 2 weeks ago (in Michigan), even after 2 heavy frosts! I'm going to use it on all my outdoor plants next summer.

 

[kdklovesfish]

Thanks for the reminder, Rivercats!

Yep thanks for the pep talk, Rivercats!! And thanks everyone on this thread for being nice and not condescending. I really appreciate that!!

I use my pwc waste to water my roses. Did a little test, miracle gro vs tank water. The tank water rose bush got twice the size this summer, and had larger roses. Also it bloomed until 2 weeks ago (in Michigan), even after 2 heavy frosts! I'm going to use it on all my outdoor plants next summer.

Our family plant freak will love that!! I hope it works well with my pwc water even though I don't have real plants. I do have poop machine Platys though!

 

[Sambo7475]

I only have plastic plants in my tanks, too. It's the nitrogenous wastes that the roses love so much.

 

[Tetra1990]

Yep, the plants/veggies love my pwc water. Also use it to keep the birdbaths full.

 

[Bettafanatic]

I use it to flush toilets. I'm also gonna start using it to water plants. I change 5g out of my 38g and 2g out of my 20g every week so I feel bad about wasting it.

 

[kdklovesfish]

Sweet! I didn't even think of the birdbaths!!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Well I was going to answer this but I see everything has already been said.
The only thing I can add is it is also a wonder booster/activator for a compost pile!

This has been my practice for many years. And I don't have to buy "fish fertilizer". In fact it sounds gross but if I loose a fish I either bury it under the roses or "blend it" into the gravel vaccumned debri and use for plants.

 

[Hobgob]

What you guys are talking about is aquaculture. I have a passive aquaponic farm. This is an actual practice that has just started to become more wide spread as more and more people ask the same question you just did. It can be as simple watering your lawn straight out without altering it, or you can use a syphon to collect fish poop and waste and mix with regular (or preferably ph 5.5 lowered) water to spray house plants or gardens. To working complete aquacultured farms in which a cycle of plants being watered by the nitrified waste water of the fish farm/ pond/ river system filters the water and sumps it back into the stock (fish) tanks starting the process over again. Granted this is a COMPLETELY understated overview of this practice, if you are truly interested, do some research and feel free to private message me any questions you think I can answer. YouTube has a few good quality videos of farm set ups and passive smaller systems. There's a growing amount of literature available on this topic as well- Hope you find a way to put that water to work, it's an interesting way to waste a few minutes on youtube....

Actually it isn't as simple as watering your lawn. Aquaponics has to be a sustainable system, it consist of two main parts, you have you aquaculture where you are raising your fish and the hydroponic which is where the plants grow. Now it all has to be hook up together so that you never waste any water. Thats the whole idea of it. It needs to be a closed system where the water you take out of your tank goes back into the tank. So if you were to tile your yard and collect all the water and have it go back into the fish tank then yes it would be considered aquaponics.

But you can give your house plants the water your just have to be careful not to do it to much... Sometimes the plants do like getting so much nitrogen in their water...

 

[ktomminello]

Actually it isn't as simple as watering your lawn. Aquaponics has to be a sustainable system, it consist of two main parts, you have you aquaculture where you are raising your fish and the hydroponic which is where the plants grow. Now it all has to be hook up together so that you never waste any water. Thats the whole idea of it. It needs to be a closed system where the water you take out of your tank goes back into the tank. So if you were to tile your yard and collect all the water and have it go back into the fish tank then yes it would be considered aquaponics.

But you can give your house plants the water your just have to be careful not to do it to much... Sometimes the plants do like getting so much nitrogen in their water...

That's why I said I was over simplifying the process of aquaponics, I have an active aqua loop indoor grow set up for lettuce, tomatoes and peppers and I have a passive soil medium indoor floral garden with a drip system and my hubby has a terminal illness and we have a hybrid aqua and hydroponic system for his medicine. There is so much more involved that I couldn't possibly touch on every aspect of my life of aquaculture, from ph modification, the natural way, to what to use for trace minerals, to the proper planting medium and sump and CO2 reinforcement that it would take me about a week to touch base on everything. I am more than willing to give step by step instructions, but this forum isn't the right place to do it

 

[Hobgob]

Well you didn't say it had to be closed and such and I was just pointing out how watering the lawn wasn't really aquaponic... But it is a great idea

 

[bigbanker]

All really great options! Glad to see people "recycling"!!

 

[My toddlers tank]

I feel better after reading this I have been putting the water on my front lawn after every water change as the front door is closer and easier than hauling the bucket to the basement where the big sink is. Lol I just hope when ppl drive by they don't think I am putting mop bucket water on my lawn.

 

[Pipedreamer86]

i siphon my water out the window into my yard, or of its smaller and in a bucket i use it to water my willow tree.