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Post by dante1709 on Sept 20, 2013 13:16:46 GMT -5
I have a bucket sitting in the yard to collect rainwater...At first, it was clear, nice water but now a few bugs, weigela flowers...etc have dropped in and I have some mosquito larvae...The water looks greenish, so I'm assuming algae is growing as well.. Would this water be usable for watering?
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Post by H2O on Sept 20, 2013 13:50:37 GMT -5
I would avoid it, you have no idea what else might be in it. My biggest fear would be fungal problems.
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Post by shoggoths on Sept 20, 2013 14:50:53 GMT -5
I think it could be use for outside watering but would not use it for inside plants.
Even if it could be a nice food source, I would not like to have mosquitos settled in my setup.
Also, algua usually mean nutrient so perhaps higher TDS too which could be harmfull for some plants.
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Post by lloyd on Sept 20, 2013 20:42:10 GMT -5
Algae needs hardly any nutrients to grow. I check the rainwater and if the TDS is <5, I use it for CP's. If it's < 15, I use it on my outside CP's. Over 15 and under 50, I save for orchids/cacti, etc.
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Post by hal on Sept 20, 2013 23:24:24 GMT -5
I have a rain barrel full of water (and creatures) and I've stopped using the water from it for all but my outside sarr pots. From mosquitoes hatching in the water I take down to the basement to pings crashing spectacularly, it's just not been worth it.
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Post by dante1709 on Sept 22, 2013 13:39:04 GMT -5
I sterilized (or so I think) the water by microwaving it for 2-3 minutes...I might have not completely sterilized it, but the mosquito larvae were dead.. Then I placed about a litre of the water in a large water bottle and added some hydrogen peroxide (as I read it can help with algae)..
After vigorously shaking it often, and letting the (open) bottle sit outside in the bright sun, it's no longer green (but still cloudy)..it used to be grass green, so I think it may have worked..The only thing I am worried about is if the hydrogen peroxide can harm the plants..
Do you think about 1 cup (more or less) of hydrogen peroxide in a litre (and maybe a quarter of a litre?) would harm the plants? As I said, I shake it often but it still bubbles.. I read somewhere that hydrogen peroxide will convert back to oxygen and water in sunlight, and that it can be beneficial for plants roots..
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Post by H2O on Sept 22, 2013 14:31:19 GMT -5
HP is fine for most plants as long as it isn't the super concentrated stuff. I think you'll be safe, I would say you won the war against that bucket of water
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Post by canuk1w1 on Sept 22, 2013 15:55:09 GMT -5
On a similar note, what about pathogens from bird droppings in rainwater collected from roof runoff? I collected 30L of rainwater yesterday from the downspout in the early afternoon - it had been raining for over six hours steadily so i reckon it should have been clean. I was just thinking yesterday to try peroxide (bleach form) to cut down on algae in my trays (it does break down to pure oxygen BTW).
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Post by LucST on Sept 22, 2013 16:24:08 GMT -5
...peroxide (bleach form) ... (it does break down to pure oxygen BTW). Peroxide doesn't really exist except in a form you can use since it is an anion O 2-2, I'm guessing you mean hydrogen peroxide H 2O 2 (usually at ~7 wt%) which is far more stable. Also hydrogen peroxide doesn't decay into pure O 2 but rather a 1:2 solution of O 2 to H 2O respectively if we want to be anal about it.
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Post by H2O on Sept 22, 2013 17:43:38 GMT -5
Science!
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Post by LucST on Sept 22, 2013 18:28:09 GMT -5
I have letters behind my name and I might as well use it.
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Post by dante1709 on Sept 22, 2013 19:03:18 GMT -5
Why would the water be cloudy? It's colourless, but foggy.. Is it oxygen, or dead algae/bacteria?
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Post by H2O on Sept 22, 2013 20:30:07 GMT -5
Why would the water be cloudy? It's colourless, but foggy.. Is it oxygen, or dead algae/bacteria? It is full of science!
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Post by shoggoths on Sept 23, 2013 9:27:51 GMT -5
I would go with dead algae.
Algae have been oxidized by peroxyde (similar to algae being oxidised by chlorine in a pool).
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Post by lloyd on Sept 23, 2013 11:29:55 GMT -5
I strain my outdoor water with a colander. It gets rid of mosquito larvae, debris, etc.
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