# Can you recycle aquarium water?



## OreoP (Aug 12, 2016)

I have a fantastic opportunity to get a very large tank set-up: 72 x 30 x 25 - approx 230 gals for a ridiculously low price. However, before I venture into this, my first major concern is the large volume of water during water changes. I would prefer to go hi tech if I do get then tank.

So my question: Is there any way to recycle / "re purify" the water from the water changes? Looking at 120-150 gals per week.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi OreoP,

I don‘t recycle my water change water for tank re-use but all those nutrients and fish waste sure helps my garden grow.


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## IntotheWRX (May 13, 2016)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi OreoP,
> 
> I don‘t recycle my water change water for tank re-use but all those nutrients and fish waste sure helps my garden grow.


I second that. I use the water I take out of my tank to water plants. It's like MILK, it does the plant a body GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

Ditto to the above. I use tank water for all my houseplants and the garden. When it's raining a lot and there's no other use for it, a five-gallon bucket of tank water will flush a toilet two or three times!


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

I use my water in my greenhouse and it works wonders


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

I 5th that!

If you don't have 115 gallons of plant watering to do per week, however, this "garden variety" advice probably won't be much help to you. High tech tanks require more frequent water changes than other planted tank styles. If you want to cut your water usage, a low stock Walstad method is probably your best bet. With lots of plants and just a few fish, TDS becomes the only water parameter you need to watch - and for some fish even TDS isn't a concern. Totally understand if you have your heart set on high tech, but if you change your mind let me know.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Southern California is probably drought city and expensive as far as the water bill is concerned. You can use it to flush toilets at best, but lugging buckets will get old fast. I'd recommend skimping the high tech and stick to 10-20% water changes and a low tech tank if I were you. Unless you can afford throwing the water away or have plants. Everyone I know in SoCal has rocks and stuff for a yard.


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## OreoP (Aug 12, 2016)

Thank you for the feed back. Right now I pump out my 65gal set up either into the outdoor planter or into the koi pond. Main aim is to minimize water use. The low tech option looks more appealing than the Walstad as I would like decent plant density and schooling fish.


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## DigityDog70 (Jan 20, 2017)

I am also in an Orchid Club with my wife and niece, joking aside, and our Orchids grow better than anyone elses in the club and no one can figure out why. Of course I have not told them that I use the water from my fish tanks. I've had the same orchid plant that keeps re-blooming now for about two years. Just keeps growing and growing. 
Use the water for your plants for certain and I like the one re: flushing toilets. Very true. Safe yourself a couple bucks a month on the water bill ?


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

OreoP said:


> The low tech option looks more appealing than the Walstad as I would like decent plant density and schooling fish.


Walstad = a type of low tech tank.

And you can certainly have high plant density and even a high bioload. Diana Walstad herself was not averse to overstocking. I was just suggesting a low bioload so you wouldn't have to change the water as much (which will be the case no matter what approach you choose).

You should pick up a copy of The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium if you're interested in really pushing the limits of a low water change tank. 

Dirt is the way to go. roud:

Bump:


DigityDog70 said:


> I am also in an Orchid Club with my wife and niece, joking aside, and our Orchids grow better than anyone elses in the club and no one can figure out why. Of course I have not told them that I use the water from my fish tanks. I've had the same orchid plant that keeps re-blooming now for about two years. Just keeps growing and growing.
> Use the water for your plants for certain and I like the one re: flushing toilets. Very true. Safe yourself a couple bucks a month on the water bill ?


My orchids do very well as well, but I'm not sure if it's because I water them form my aquarium. Do you keep the orchids in the same room as your aquariums? I do, and I suspect that they enjoy the humidity that comes with having lots of large open vats of water lying around.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Low tech is always my suggestion. In the past, I stocked near 130-150% on aqadvisor and did weekly 30-40% water changes (50% of the display tank). I had amazing success. My aim was to reset nitrates down to 20 ppm or so every week.


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## DigityDog70 (Jan 20, 2017)

Bananableps said:


> Walstad = a type of low tech tank.
> 
> And you can certainly have high plant density and even a high bioload. Diana Walstad herself was not averse to overstocking. I was just suggesting a low bioload so you wouldn't have to change the water as much (which will be the case no matter what approach you choose).
> 
> ...


You obviously know orchids. Small world. Yes, I do have plants in my fish room, currently there are four tanks in this room.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

I think you can do less than 50% weekly water changes even with high tech. Good filtration, good tank maintenance, and lots of growing plants. EI is not the only road if you just seek balance. Besides, there is also a lot to be said for low and medium tech, especially for a large tank and having a life! 
Best wishes!


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## OreoP (Aug 12, 2016)

The only reason my wife would let me consider a second tank is she will have lots more "fish water" for her plants, garden, and yes orchids too!! 

Interesting video on recycling water, but I don't think I want to go that route!!.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se1HJYVTpU4


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## rzn7z7 (Aug 17, 2013)

AbbeysDad said:


> I think you can do less than 50% weekly water changes even with high tech. Good filtration, good tank maintenance, and lots of growing plants. EI is not the only road if you just seek balance. Besides, there is also a lot to be said for low and medium tech, especially for a large tank and having a life!
> Best wishes!


Very true...I have the same 230gallon aquarium as OreoP but only do 10% weekly WCs....this is because I use 100% RO water for the WC and just can't make 100 gallons of RO weekly. I'm basically the opposite of EI - keep the ferts lean and lots of testing. I've thought of recycling but not looked into it. And as others have already said, the house plants love the aquarium water

One thing I didn't fully appreciate when I got the 230 is just how deep 30 inches is...I have a canopy on the tank and can only service it from the front - more than once I've planted my face in the water when reaching for the substrate at the rear of the tank, even with tools...


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## RobnSonji (Oct 6, 2013)

I once saw a system where a guy had his large aquarium plumbed in a very cool way.

It was plumbed in such a way that every time he flushed his toilet the aquarium got a 1.5 gallon water change.

Toilet tank filled with water from aquarium.....causing water to drop in aquarium.....triggering an auto top off gizmo of some kind. I cant find it right now but it was pretty neat.

A great way to get double duty out of your water... AND do automatic water changes. With a family of 3 or 4 flushing the toilet youd have clean water in the aquarium! lol


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

It's a lot of water anyway you look at it, but you're not going to have 230 gallons of water in a 230 gallon tank.


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## adamroberson (Apr 23, 2020)

Wow, I would like to have also such a big aquarium. The answer is yes. but you have to clean it at least once in several months. Actually there are many organisms that recycle the water and clean the aquarium. These are some live rocks, snails, and even Bobbit worms. they eat some seaweed and different algae, so it doesn't grow fast in the aquarium and you can clean it more rarely. I found much useful information about aquariums at ARCREEF.


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