Recovering Dehumidifier Water

[darkdep]

Ok, I know this is generally a no-no.  I've usually been the one saying not to do it.

But...

I am pulling about 2-3 gallons a day of water out of my dehumidifier in the fish room now.  Since that water is being generated by the fish, I'd love to just put it back to top up the tanks.

Assuming a dehumidifier isn't exactly a clean environment...

Suggestions for what to do to make the water clean enough to use as top up water?  Wondering if I couldn't run the water over carbon to clean it?  I have so much carbon lying around from filters (I don't normally use it) I figure I'd be set for at least a year or more.

Any other ideas?

[artw]

why don't you just put tops on each tank

[babblefish1960]

He has to actually go and pick them up for them to work.

Actually, not only will you find the water growing a number of unpleasant things, you will find it devoid of useful things, think of it as stripped dirty water.

We use air-conditioner water for the balcony plants, and they can't go a week without fertilizer, the water is empty, no minerals or anything.

Just say no, don't do it, put it in your bathtub for the kids, but don't torture your fish with it, it's evil to be empty.

[darkdep]

I have the tops sitting at Pet Circus, gotta pick them up this week.  However, the humidity in my basement is significant now, so significant that the dehumidifier is the only thing keeping it under control.

Babble:  yes, I realize it's stripped dirty water...it should be, in essence, distilled water with dirt from the coils in it.  But, distilled water is the ideal top-up water; because all that evaporates is water, that's all I want to put back.

[UCGrafix]

Actually, not only will you find the water growing a number of unpleasant things, you will find it devoid of useful things, think of it as stripped dirty water.

Ditto : (

[Sarah Bella]

make your dehumidifier clean.  spray the coil and the bucket regularly with a 2% bleach/water solution.    it should keep the nasties down.

since the water is all coming from your tanks the minerals will remain in your tank as they dont evaporate.  essentially you are just putting back in exactly what is coming out. 

since the water is soooo very soft and you do africans, you may want to try a tank of some soft water species, perhaps try your hand at breeding neons as they like a seriously soft water for spawning.

it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a box/corner filter in your dehumidifier resevoir if you have the room.

[artw]

Darkdep just likes overcomplicating everything and/or doing everything the hard way.  He should see how much evaporation you get with 36 tanks in an apartment with electric heat.
Glass tops work, but where the filter spits the water back out especially with Aquaclears is where you get most evap.   Hey Darkeep if you do waterchanges twice a week like I did you won't even know your water is evaporating.

[Muad'Dib]

I realize this will be an added cost, but could DarkDep not run the Dehumidifier water through a UV Sterilizer and or RO unit?

[artw]

well if he's gonna do that he may as well use tap water.

[darkdep]

RO would be overkill; as the water should be pure except for any nasties growing on the coils.  UV might work. 

Artw is right; I do like overcomplicating things. 

[Muad'Dib]

LOL... true, and with the extra cost, it kinda defeats the whole purpose....

[darkdep]

It's just that I feel bad dumping all this water away.  Battles my environmentalism.

[artw]

I feel bad dumping twice as much water down the drain using my python,  meh,  the last time I looked at the Ottawa River there was plenty of water in it.

[darkdep]

That's not the point.  Everything you dump down your drain costs society energy.  And I also feel bad about the water waste of the python; that's why I'm designing a water change system for my fishwall that will utilize a pump.

[Muad'Dib]

In that case, I guess running the water through carbon then a UV sterilizer, makes a bit more sense.
You would be able to reuse the dehumidifier water, it also reduces your water bill a few pennies. (the cost of running the UV sterilizer, will most likey eat that up and then some)

[darkdep]

Would carbon not kill any bacteria?

[Muad'Dib]

nnno, (I have to think about my answer) The Carbon would be good to remove chemical contaminates, but not biologic . If carbon killed bacteria anyone who had carbon in their filters would have no biologic filtration.

[darkdep]

That's not true...Bacteria in a fishtank aren't free-floating and don't run through the filter.  I'm thinking about, like, Brita water filters which just use carbon as the filter media.  They claim it kills bacteria.

[Muad'Dib]

Good point about free floating bacteria... However, if that were the case all we'd every need do is run the city water through carbon and never need to use Chlorine...  I have a brita filter and I'm not sure I'd trust it in the event of a boil water notice.

I'll be honest, I'm a bit confused about the whole, Carbon can filter out "this and that" thing any way.

Personally I use Carbon only to remove Med's or to remove odor...
Anyone else want to set us straight here?

[darkdep]

Well, the chlorine thing would seem to be so that we, the homeowner, are not inconvenienced with having to replace carbon.  Can you imagine the lawsuits if someone dies from not changing their carbon?

Camping stores sell many different "non-boiling" water purification products.  Some appear to me to just be carbon.