Recycling reef water

Grouper8891 · 03/12/2015, 01:32 PM

I'm thinking about starting up a reef tank and was wondering if anyone has come up with a way to recyle used aquarium water. I figured it could be placed in a container of some type and do one of three things:

1. Cycle it like u would with a new tank.
2. Put a lid on it and starve the bacteria.
3. Take another filter (or pop it off from your quarantine tank) and run it with no fish in it.

As long as all the water tests come back negative for harmful substances it should be safe right?

MaccaPopEye · 03/16/2015, 05:54 PM

From what I have read fresh water is required to replenish trace elements in the tank.

I don't believe you can cycle water as cycling is the process of building populations of good bacteria on rocks or surfaces. Water is necessary for that and I think it does benefit from it, but its not the object that is cycling.

Its not the bacteria you need to remove its the nutrients (Nitrate, Phosphate etc) and simply putting a lit on a container wont remove them.

If you simply remove some water and put it in a holding container and then remove all nutrients from it (such as with a filter - either mechanical or biological) why not just put those nutrient removing methods to use on your tank and remove them in the first place. However even with nutrient removal and dosing I think water changes still need to be done to replace things we cant test for.

As for the water. Put it in your garden, I cant see it doing any harm if you spread it out rather than dump it all in one spot.

alprazo · 03/16/2015, 08:43 PM

Skim it, run ozone, use a denitrator to bring nitrates to zero. Then shut off all pumps and remove all light. Let any particulates fall to bottom over next month or so. Skim off water, add trace elements and done. Probably cheaper to make new batch using IO or other salt and water.

Dmorty217 · 04/13/2015, 11:11 AM

You could recycle tank water for other tanks if you have them that are fish only or not heavily stocked with corals. It will be void of most trace elements and I would imagine that calcium would be on the low side but nothing that should hurt fish

bacon5 · 04/20/2015, 10:13 PM

Where does everyone put their water after waterchanges? In FW we simply water plants with the excess water, but you can't do this with saltwater, can you?

Nina51 · 04/30/2015, 07:25 PM

i run the siphon out the front door, it drips through the cracks in the deck and kills every weed growing under there so i'm pretty sure you wouldn't wanna water plants with it.

03/12/2015, 01:32 PM	#1
Grouper8891 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 7	Recycling reef water I'm thinking about starting up a reef tank and was wondering if anyone has come up with a way to recyle used aquarium water. I figured it could be placed in a container of some type and do one of three things: 1. Cycle it like u would with a new tank. 2. Put a lid on it and starve the bacteria. 3. Take another filter (or pop it off from your quarantine tank) and run it with no fish in it. As long as all the water tests come back negative for harmful substances it should be safe right?

03/16/2015, 08:43 PM	#3
alprazo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,695 Blog Entries: 4	Skim it, run ozone, use a denitrator to bring nitrates to zero. Then shut off all pumps and remove all light. Let any particulates fall to bottom over next month or so. Skim off water, add trace elements and done. Probably cheaper to make new batch using IO or other salt and water. __________________ NOT Moved on.

04/13/2015, 11:11 AM	#4
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	You could recycle tank water for other tanks if you have them that are fish only or not heavily stocked with corals. It will be void of most trace elements and I would imagine that calcium would be on the low side but nothing that should hurt fish __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

04/20/2015, 10:13 PM	#5
bacon5 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 198	Where does everyone put their water after waterchanges? In FW we simply water plants with the excess water, but you can't do this with saltwater, can you? __________________ -William Tank Info: 20G TruVu AIO Cube "Humble Beginning" Cycling

04/30/2015, 07:25 PM	#6
Nina51 biggliest cofveve champ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 5th floor, Illinois, gewgaw expert Posts: 3,506	i run the siphon out the front door, it drips through the cracks in the deck and kills every weed growing under there so i'm pretty sure you wouldn't wanna water plants with it. __________________ of all the things i've lost, i miss my gary the most. Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine into your brain, and that is where crappy ideas come from. Current Tank Info: i gave my reef away and i feel like a bird out of a cage!!

03/16/2015, 05:54 PM	#2
MaccaPopEye Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 199	From what I have read fresh water is required to replenish trace elements in the tank. I don't believe you can cycle water as cycling is the process of building populations of good bacteria on rocks or surfaces. Water is necessary for that and I think it does benefit from it, but its not the object that is cycling. Its not the bacteria you need to remove its the nutrients (Nitrate, Phosphate etc) and simply putting a lit on a container wont remove them. If you simply remove some water and put it in a holding container and then remove all nutrients from it (such as with a filter - either mechanical or biological) why not just put those nutrient removing methods to use on your tank and remove them in the first place. However even with nutrient removal and dosing I think water changes still need to be done to replace things we cant test for. As for the water. Put it in your garden, I cant see it doing any harm if you spread it out rather than dump it all in one spot.