Thoughts on using AC drip water in aquarium

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lectraplayer

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Feb 17, 2014
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Has anybody thought about using AC drip water in fish tanks for top ups and small decon water changes? My primary thoughts here are over lead, but if it's there, my test kit isn't finding it. Obviously since this is distilled water, it will hays to be reconstituted before using much.

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Yes, mine can extract enough water from the air to empty and refill all my tanks and still leave my yard a mud hole. Part of living in the Dirty South. What else besides dihidrogen monoxide would I be likely to find in the runoff from an air conditioner?

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Yes, mine can extract enough water from the air to empty and refill all my tanks and still leave my yard a mud hole. Part of living in the Dirty South. What else besides dihidrogen monoxide would I be likely to find in the runoff from an air conditioner?

Sent from my ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Fierce using Tapatalk

Well, I'd guess some blue vitriol, tenorite, cuprite and other dissolved compounds. Likely also to have some hematite salts and maybe some ferrous oxide, as well as other corrosion by-products. Depending on the construction of the housing, dissolved alumina as well as any other alloy corrosion by-products (all trace amounts likely) of the housing. Condensors are also open to the elements on central AC units so any compounds present in your rainwater will settle inside the unit and could possibly be seen as trace contaminants.

The compressor coils would likely be soldered but typically that would an argent based solder I believe, so possible trace amounts of that as well.

You will have some heavy metals in there mostly, and even in trace amounts, certain heavy metals are quite toxic to aquatic life. The pH may also be a concern, as could the TDS loading in condensate.

To me, it would not be worth the risk but I keep some invertebrates in my tanks, so nay copper is bad news.
 
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