NYCichlidForum.com

Does any one collect rainwater to recycle into their fish tanks...

I was thinking of diveritng my gutter from the roof into a 55 gallon plastic drum with some kind of coarse filter to keep any particulate out... then using a pump approximately 6-8 inches off the bottom so as not to disturb any sediment that would collect. where my gutter is outside i could theoretically pump it right into the tanks in my living and dining room....
rivers lakes and ocean all get runoff from the banks, this runoff would be from a clay roof...

value your opinions or thoughts.

unfortunately rainwater is not fit for fish use. We get too many pollutants from the midwest that foul our air.

Not to mention contamination from more direct sources such as bird droppings and toxic metals.

I know some hobbyists that collect rain water. They usually wait until it has rained for a while (to wash out the pollutants in the air) before they begin to collect it. The water is usually acidic. I couldn't be bothered.

Thanks guys

The other issue is that rain water is too soft and acidic. Even if it were pure enough, you'd need additives for cichlids.

You would only need additives for cichlids that like hard and alkaline water. Some South and Central American cichlids will only breed in soft, acidic water.

I thought about it for some of my softwater fish.But what stopped me is I figured the roof runoff would be polluted by the asphalt shingles.I know I could collect a few hundred gallons every time it rains.

After a good 15-20 minutes of rain, most of the pollution will be washed away.