it's raining

[smicko]

Hi all, I've read some posts on here about the danger of using rainwater from tanks.

Last night I got all my buckets put outside ( there is advantages to not being allowed to do anything) to collect falling water.

Is this safe to use for shrimp.

The buckets have only ever been used to transport ro water.

If the rain water is tds 100 does that mean I still only make it up to 150-180?

Any help appreciated.

Cheers mick

[jayc]

Hi all' date=' I've read some posts on here about the danger of using rainwater from tanks.

Last night I got all my buckets put outside ( there is advantages to not being allowed to do anything) to collect falling water.

Is this safe to use for shrimp.

The buckets have only ever been used to transport ro water.

If the rain water is tds 100 does that mean I still only make it up to 150-180?

Any help appreciated.

Cheers mick[/quote']

Are you sure your rainwater is 100 TDS???

I collect rainwater for my fish tank. My whole collection system and tank is plastic, so no metal leeching.

But, clean rainwater should only have 3-10 TDS.

If yours is 100, don't use it.

Otherwise you'd need to treat it just like RO water.

[BRISSY]

I agree with the above. Mine is 13 ATM and even that is pretty high. Probably due to the lack of rain for the last few months. :bighug:

[smicko]

Maybe I should recalibrate the Tds pen and try again.

I thought it was quite high.

Cheers mick

[newbreed]

Hey Mick,

I only use rainwater for my tanks and it has never shown higher than 12 on the TDS. Worth investigating further.

[BlueBolts]

Just curious, what elements would be in rain water to make it 1+ (TDS) ?

[smicko]

It's a miracle, i recalibrated my tds pen and the rain water is 2, yeah.

Bb I'm sure there would some minerals in rainwater but I would have able as to what it is or how to test what it is.

Cheers mick

[jayc]

It's a miracle' date=' i recalibrated my tds pen and the rain water is 2, yeah.

Bb I'm sure there would some minerals in rainwater but I would have able as to what it is or how to test what it is.

Cheers mick[/quote']

LOL Mick.

That's a huge miscalibrated pen.

Just remineralise it like you would RO water now.

[newbreed]

Just curious' date=' what elements would be in rain water to make it 1+ (TDS) ?[/quote']

Got me thinking now BB. Had just assumed it was a result of leaves and dust particulate in the gutters, but now??

It might pay to run some other tests. Hmm

[jayc]

Just curious' date=' what elements would be in rain water to make it 1+ (TDS) ?[/quote']

"Stuff" floating in the air when the rain drops fall, it collects in the water.

Dust, pollen, petrochemicals, etc. That's why you don't collect the initial 15-30 minutes of rain. After that, the air is cleaned by the water drops, TDS should read 2-3.

TDS is affected where the rain drops touch as well, like the roof, gutter, storage tank, bucket, since these aren't 100% sterile clean.

[smicko]

LOL Mick.

That's a huge miscalibrated pen.

Just remineralise it like you would RO water now.

Yeah its kinda embarrassing lol,

Time to get a real pen instead of a $10 special I think

[BRISSY]

Mine was a $10 special including postage lol and seems to work fine. :whip:

[smicko]

Mine was a $10 special including postage lol and seems to work fine. :whip:

I think my issue was i haven't recalibrated for six months and I take the batteries out after every use as I has a really cool feature of turning itself on whilst in the box lol

Cheers mick

[BlueBolts]

"Stuff" floating in the air when the rain drops fall' date=' it collects in the water.

Dust, pollen, petrochemicals, etc. That's why you don't collect the initial 15-30 minutes of rain. After that, the air is cleaned by the water drops, TDS should read 2-3.

TDS is affected where the rain drops touch as well, like the roof, gutter, storage tank, bucket, since these aren't 100% sterile clean.[/quote']

Thanks jayc....I've also been told that...

If there is a lot of lightning then you will get nitrates too..,.Nitrogen gas and ozone - fuze them together with a crap load of energy.....

[smicko]

Awesome information.can never be to careful.

Cheers mick