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  1. #21
    Larvae
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia
    Posts
    100
    Solar panels and rainwater is the way to go.
    We moved to the country 12 years ago and there was no other option for water. The solar panels went in a year or so ago, just because power is so expensive and we use a lot to keep everything running here(not only the fish tanks). Even going to the loo involves two pumps!
    But the end result is having a few tanks is no great problem....woot!

  2. #22
    Free Swimmer
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Melbourne, SE Suburbs
    Posts
    446
    HWS died on Monday and is being replaced by a efficient heat pump HWS. So now it might be cheaper to draw water for changes from the HWS rather than using a 300w heater for 24 hours to bring 250lt up to temp.

    Has anyone compared costs of using cold water vs a mix of hot& cold for changes?

    Cheers,
    Scott

  3. #23
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
    Posts
    5,873
    the problem is the copper storage tank of the hws, if you can get a stainless steel tank it aint bad, use your hot water to fil your aging drums and heat your fish room, when its cool enough (ie a heater in the bottom set at 28C do your change.

    it doesnt take alot of energy to KEEP water at 28-30C, it takes a CRA PLOAD to HEAT water from 2-12C to 28-30C, heating your change water is where your using energy.

  4. #24
    Just an Egg
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Perth East Cannington
    Posts
    93
    Hi Jothy

    I know a breeder in Canada(Vern Archer) that does exactly the same he uses his hotwater system for heated water and he has been doing that for the past 25 years without any issues, not sure he has a stainless steel tank or copper tank.

    He fills up his aging tanks with heated water form the HWS and ages it for 24 hrs, the tanks are wrapped with insulation and stored in the basement of his house where his fish room is located and that room is insulated as well.

    I have done it myself a couple or times but stopped thinking the copper might cause health issues in the long run.

    Has anyone tested using water from the HWS and experienced any health issues in Discus ?

    Cheers
    Mike

  5. #25
    Free Swimmer Nev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    420
    Living in vic it's just about always cold. I often put a bucket or two of hot water from the hws into the change water to bring it up to temp. BTW. if your hws isn't stainless then it's steel with a sacrificial anode in it. Newer homes have plastic pipes but older are copper including the cold water lines and that's the only copper the water touches. Any copper would have to be an infinitesimal amount have never heard of a copper lines corroding away.

  6. #26
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
    Posts
    5,873
    a ceramic lined tank would also be ok , almost unmeasurable ammounts of ionic copper can kill fish. L numbers and tetras are especially sensitive.

    I'm building a solar evacuated tube open loop system system now for my fish room using a stainless steel manifold, stainless lines and a poly storage tanks, the water will be a low pH and hot so corrosion will be higher. all i need now is some all glass heatpipes and i should have a free heated fish room.

  7. #27
    Free Swimmer
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Melbourne, SE Suburbs
    Posts
    446
    Quote Originally Posted by ILLUSN
    I'm building a solar evacuated tube open loop system system now for my fish room using a stainless steel manifold, stainless lines and a poly storage tanks, the water will be a low pH and hot so corrosion will be higher. all i need now is some all glass heatpipes and i should have a free heated fish room.
    Now why does that not surprise me Jothy?

    "Modern" HWS have two types of tanks - stainless steel or mild steel protected by an enamel coating and sacrificial anode. These mild steel tanks are often called vitreous enamel or glass. Apparently copper was last used in gravity feed systems of 30 or so years ago.

    Most homes have copper pipes, so the difference in copper levels between hot and cold water would be almost immeasurable. And indeed some of the older mains are copper so the only way to avoid it all together would be rainwater and polypipe...assuming the rainwater was pure!

    I've gone for the stainless steel tank, 327lt heated to 47oC in 1.5hrs apparently. Mix in the aging barrel with some cold water and hopefully save on the $$$$ currently used (I have 2x300w jagers to heat water from around 13oC ex-tap to 28oC)

    Cheers,
    Scott

  8. #28
    Hi, I'm New Here!
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    10
    I was wondering if anyone ever got this figured out?

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