# Rain water / Tap water



## squirelfish (Nov 3, 2003)

Does anyone collect rainwater to use during water changes or does everyone use treated tapwater ?


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

I treat tap water by water conditioners. Rain water would be good, but its too much time consuming for me, plus I wouldn't have anywhere for buckets of water just sitting around waiting for hazards to evaporate.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

I just treat tap water. Seems like allot of work to collect all that rain water for what added benefit?


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## squirelfish (Nov 3, 2003)

Thats what i want to know ! is it better to use rainwater ? or at least some ?


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Is rain water supposed to be more pure or something? I would go test some of it if it was raining but its not anymore.


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Rain water, assuming there aren't any major polutants in your rain (so don't do this if you live by Detroit basically) is basically like R/O water in that it is about as soft as water can get. Generally people use it mixed with their tap water to bring down the hardness of their water if they do indeed have water hardness issues. If you're going to use rainwater, mix it with tap water or else it will have no buffering capacity and your ph will swing all over the place.


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

Atlanta Braves Baby! said:


> Is rain water supposed to be more pure or something? I would go test some of it if it was raining but its not anymore.
> [snapback]902158[/snapback]​


tap water is by far more pure than rain water...


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Filo said:


> Atlanta Braves Baby! said:
> 
> 
> > Is rain water supposed to be more pure or something? I would go test some of it if it was raining but its not anymore.
> ...


Really? Twitch just said that rain water is like R/O water which would make it more pure. Can you show me were you got your info from?


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

Well, here are some links

for our euro crowd http://www.kitchendoctor.com/reprints/water.html

http://www.dallascityhall.com/dallas/eng/h...waste_text.html

"Careless waste disposal creates new, costly problems

The careless disposal of hazardous waste spreads the exposure hazard from your home to other parts of the environment-creating dangers for all of us.

Problems occur when hazardous wastes are disposed of with ordinary trash, dumped on the ground or find their way into storm drains. During a rainfall, the rainwater picks up chemicals, oils, fertilizers, and other hazardous waste from exposed trash, roads and land. This contaminates the rainwater."

another --this one is more scientific...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...7&dopt=Abstract


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Filo said:


> Well, here are some links
> 
> for our euro crowd http://www.kitchendoctor.com/reprints/water.html
> 
> ...


Are you for real?


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Forget it, I'll get right to the point.

Filo, read my post again. You're trying to contradict me on pesticides, I said specifically "assuming no major polutants" and further I never used the term "pure", I was speaking in terms of hardness, or total disolved solids. If you don't understand then I'll explain, it's something entirely different from pesticides, it refers to the amount of disolved solids such as calcium, magnesium and sodium. Rain water has none, making it much like R/O water. Don't come back saying "I was responding to ABB" because if you understood the issue you would have said "Twitch was taking about hardness, I'm talking about purity" and not posted a link about polution.

Second, those links you posted show there is a presence of major polutants in rainwater at least in the UK, something I addressed and something that was not the topic of this discussion.

Third, one of the links you posted refers to rainwater collecting polutants on the ground, in storm drains and on roads. I hope you see why this does not make RAINWATER less pure, since when it hits the ground it is no longer rainwater, it is groundwater.

Lastly, all those polutants that you think are not contained in your tap water and tap water is much more pure, are in tapwater as well. As the rainwater falls with it's polutants and ends up in major bodies of water, it is then process into tap water. Tap water comes from ground water, which comes largely from rainwater. It is not chemically filtered to remove pesticides, those pesticides are still there.


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## shoe997bed263 (Oct 15, 2004)

fido--"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln

anyway i have a friend who lives down the street from me and collects rain water in 5g buckets on deck. he has a cichlid and discus tank that he mixes the 50% rain water 50% tap water. he swears by it and says it enhances colors and growth. i have not done but he loves it.


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

elTwitcho said:


> Forget it, I'll get right to the point.
> 
> Filo, read my post again. You're trying to contradict me on pesticides, I said specifically "assuming no major polutants" and further I never used the term "pure", I was speaking in terms of hardness, or total disolved solids. If you don't understand then I'll explain, it's something entirely different from pesticides, it refers to the amount of disolved solids such as calcium, magnesium and sodium. Rain water has none, making it much like R/O water. Don't come back saying "I was responding to ABB" because if you understood the issue you would have said "Twitch was taking about hardness, I'm talking about purity" and not posted a link about polution.
> 
> ...


Listen, he asked if rain water was pure or not. I posted sources that say it isnt. I can get more that have studies that fall from the clouds straight to a bucket and it will still be dirty. I was just trying to help out with some proven facts


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Fido what about rain water that is collected in rural areas where the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere are at a minimum compared to a densely populated urban area? Find a study on that where they compare and contrast the two.


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## shoe997bed263 (Oct 15, 2004)

Filo The Horrible said:


> elTwitcho said:
> 
> 
> > Forget it, I'll get right to the point.
> ...


do you think before you speek ever?


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

LOL...Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah....Use The Freakin' Rain Water If You Can...It's Much Better Than Tap Water (No Matter Where You Live) ..End Of Discussion!


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## Fido (May 21, 2003)

Atlanta Braves Baby! said:


> Fido what about rain water that is collected in rural areas where the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere are at a minimum compared to a densely populated urban area? Find a study on that where they compare and contrast the two.
> [snapback]905891[/snapback]​


Well here are some doctors talking about drinking rainwater--they basically say its ok unless you live in a densely populated area. (due to car smog/pollutants)

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/wea00/wea00044.htm

My relatives that live in a small town in Mexico, along with all their neighbors have a large extra water supply barrel on their roof and catch rain water to drink when water shortages come. Many in the town do it, but it is a town of only maybe 500 people. In the cities, they will shower with the rain water caught, but wont drink it. I dunno if that helps...


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

> Listen, he asked if rain water was pure or not. I posted sources that say it isnt. I can get more that have studies that fall from the clouds straight to a bucket and it will still be dirty. I was just trying to help out with some proven facts


Looks like you proved your "proven facts" wrong here with the new link you provided











Filo The Horrible said:


> Atlanta Braves Baby! said:
> 
> 
> > Fido what about rain water that is collected in rural areas where the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere are at a minimum compared to a densely populated urban area? Find a study on that where they compare and contrast the two.
> ...


Just as I expected. Hope you learned something new here.


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