Mix of tap and rain water inside of remineralizing r/o?

[Shrimpgeek]

I want to start getting some caradina shrimp. I haven't had them before, and was wondering if I could mix rain water and tap water to get the right tds, etc. I did what research I could, but didn't find anything useful. Thanks!

 

[Fishfur]

I want to start getting some caradina shrimp. I haven't had them before, and was wondering if I could mix rain water and tap water to get the right tds, etc. I did what research I could, but didn't find anything useful. Thanks!

Rainwater starts out like distilled water, having nothing in it other than hydrogen & oxygen which would make it theoretically usable as you want to use it.

Unfortunately, thanks to the ubiquity of a vast array of so-called forever chemicals (PFAS) worldwide, the levels of PFAS are high enough in rainwater worldwide to make it unsafe to drink - which would make it unsafe for fish too.
Not that wild fish get a choice about that of course.

Some air pollutants can make rainwater rather acidic as well and that doesn’t take into account things like toxic metals that it picks up from air pollution or as it runs off a roof or other structures (think asbestos, cadmium, lead, copper or zinc).

It also contains assorted nasty particles including a lot lately from the smoke of wildfires, along with fertilizers, pest-herb-fungicides from agricultural activity, hydrocarbons and natural organic matter (NOM) which can create toxic carcinogens when treated with chlorine.

It would have to be extensively filtered and treated to make it safe to use for anything other than watering the garden.

 

[Shrimpgeek]

Rainwater starts out like distilled water, having nothing in it other than hydrogen & oxygen which would make it theoretically usable as you want to use it.

Unfortunately, thanks to the ubiquity of a vast array of so-called forever chemicals (PFAS) worldwide, the levels of PFAS are high enough in rainwater worldwide to make it completely unsafe to drink - which would make it unsafe for fish too.

Some air pollutants can make it very acidic as well and that doesn’t take into account toxic metals it picks up from air pollution or as it runs off a roof or other structures, such as asbestos, cadmium, lead, copper or zinc.

It also contains assorted nasty particles including a lot lately from the smoke of wildfires, along with fertilizers, pest-insect-herb-fungicides from agricultural activity, hydrocarbons and natural organic matter (NOM) which can create toxic carcinogens when treated with chlorine.

It would have to be extensively filtered and treated to make it safe to use for anything other than watering the garden.

Thanks. I already use some in my fish and shrimp tanks. Assuming it is safe to use, how would you mix it?

 

[Kwikfab]

Thanks. I already use some in my fish and shrimp tanks. Assuming it is safe to use, how would you mix it?

Not to sound cheeky, but probably the same exact way you're using it now since you already use it.

It would be up to you to test the parameters of both waters, then combine different ratios and test your mixed concoctions, and figure out how much to add to mineralize your new concoction.

Without seeing any of those results, it's anyone's guess. But easy to figure out really once you begin testing in order to achieve the correct parameters your new livestock would require.

 

[Fishfur]

Thanks. I already use some in my fish and shrimp tanks. Assuming it is safe to use, how would you mix it?

That’s quite a big assumption to make but try starting with a mix that’s 50/50 and see how it tests. Based on test results, adjust the ratio accordingly.

 

[Shrimpgeek]

Sorry it's upside down. My gh kit expired, apparently.
I assume I put too much tap in that mix. Was about half half.

1/3 tap 2/3 rain achieved a PH of 6.8, and a KH of 5. I'm getting really excited
What do you guys think?
?

 

[ruud]

I assume tap water worldwide contains PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceutical traces, et cetera...
No idea what the concentrations are compared to rainwater.

It is funny to think we exchange "dirty water" of our tanks with "clean water" from our faucet.
My aquaria doesn't produce persistent PFAS and microplastics. It produces organics that are broken down to beneficial minerals and humic substances.

I agree with Fishfur, but would extend the reasoning; any water should ideally be filtered. The best filter are plants. Plants take in PFAS, microplastics, nitrates, heavy metals, organic pollutants and produce dissolved oxygen in return. No manmade filter can compare.

If you don't fancy plants, or are unable to place them in your aquarium, apply a plantfilter, like a hang-on box or hang-on filter that contains fast growers or emersed plants.

Plants also take in calcium and magnesium, hence for caridina's you need to add calcium sulphate and magnesium sulphate to keep up GH.

 

[TClare]

So lucky where we live, our water comes directly from a river just above us that flows through protected cloud forest and has nothing added. It can occasionally come out of the tap a bit dirty, when we have had heavy rain and leaves and mud etc. get washed into the tanks. But I have used it like that in my tanks with no adverse effects except temporary cloudiness - it might even contain beneficial plant nutrients! For drinking we do boil and filter it just to be sure, but clean our teeth with water straight out of the tap (unless its really dirty). As for the rainwater here, I have no idea if it contains anything potentially harmful...

 

[ruud]

So lucky where we live, our water comes directly from a river just above us that flows through protected cloud forest and has nothing added.

Yes, rub it in!

 

[Fishfur]

So lucky where we live, our water comes directly from a river just above us that flows through protected cloud forest and has nothing added. It can occasionally come out of the tap a bit dirty, when we have had heavy rain and leaves and mud etc. get washed into the tanks. But I have used it like that in my tanks with no adverse effects except temporary cloudiness - it might even contain beneficial plant nutrients! For drinking we do boil and filter it just to be sure, but clean our teeth with water straight out of the tap (unless it’s really dirty). As for the rainwater here, I have no idea if it contains anything potentially harmful...

I used to rather envy my sister, who lives in Jasper, in a national park in the Rockies, for the wonderful water she had. Coffee & tea were like nothing I’d ever tasted made with it - I can only dream about what aquariums would have been like.

Jasper’s water used to come from a pristine lake so high above the town that a simple gravity feed brought it down and it needed next to no treatment.

For reasons that escape my recall the tap water stopped being sourced from the lake and of course now the wildfire has destroyed so much of the place (including my sister & oldest niece’s homes) who knows what it’ll be like once rebuilding takes place.

 

[Coradee]

Please let’s remember this is Shrimpgeeks thread about their water not your own , please confine your responses to their questions and not have side conversations with each other….their latest post..

Sorry it's upside down. My gh kit expired, apparently.
I assume I put too much tap in that mix. Was about half half.

1/3 tap 2/3 rain achieved a PH of 6.8, and a KH of 5. I'm getting really excited
What do you guys think?
View attachment 907465

 

[Fishfur]

My apologies, Shrimpgeek.

 

[ruud]

Allright then. For Caridina's, +/-5 dGH and 0 dKH is aimed, or at least this is what I remember from the time I bred caridina's.

I'm not saying, it is not possible to breed them if water parameters are different, but these were lessons learned from breeders who focused on maximizing offspring survival rate.

Hence a typical procedure is to use pure water and add the salts I mentioned in a previous post, which is also available in a, I guess 4:1 ratio, by commercial brand like SaltyShrimp.