A question about tank water...

[Lila]

I know not too long ago someone had asked if tank water was good for plants. The answer was yes, due to the bacteria buildup ( I believe).

I was wonder, on that same idea, is tank water also good for a septic system?

[Hebdizzle]

Tank water isn't nessecairly good for plants because of the bacteria bildup, but from the nutrients from fish waste (basically fertilizer)

I think the same goes for septic systems, the bacteria from human excrement greatly outweighs the amount of bacteria in fish tank water.

Aaron

[OrionGirl]

Yep--fish tank water is great for plants because it provides them with readily accessible nitrogen. The septic systems wouldn't benefit from tank water--in fact, it just increases the load on the septic system.

[famman]

If you have a septic tank, the introduction of aquatic nitrifying bacteria may very well be benificial to the tank.
In the old days you used to dump a shovelful of horse manure into your toilet to help jumpstart the bacteria culture.
good luck
:)

[OrionGirl]

Introducing the bacteria wouldn't be through flushing water though--there are very few bacteria in the water column. I don't dispute that the bacteria would be helpful, but introduction would be done through flushing bacteria laden objects, like filter media or substrate, rather than the water.

[GrandeEsteban]

Maybe someone can explain what happened in my case then. My bedroom being on the first floor I have some bushes lining the front of my house of which I can't say I know the name. Well, for about 5-6 months last year I would take the 5 gallon buckets of siphoned water from my 20 and 10 gallon tank and pour them out into the bushes thinking it would be good for it ( complete with fertilizers from dosing ). However, over a period of 6 months I noticed the bush begin to die in the area where I was pouring the water. An area about 12 in. across has died and as of a year later has not come back to life, the surrounding parts have started to close in, but still a big dead brown patch. The reason for this escapes me...... maybe you can help?

steve

[wetmanNY]

Steve, since you fertilize, could ithe area die-off you describe be from fertilizer burn, as the tank water dried off the shrub's leaves and concentrated the salts that are dissolved in your aquarium water? If this were the cause of the dead patch, it might be a sign that you are over-fertilizing your planted aquarium.

just a thought.

[RTR]

back when I kept a tank at the assisted living facility where my wife's mother was a resident, I tried to be "green", so did bucket changes and dumped the water in as azelea bed to the left of the entry. After a year, those plants looked so much better than the ones to the right (and a bit farther away), that I had to start alternating beds. No good deed goes unpunished. I might have needed the exercise, but did not want the exercise.

[scott]

Along the same lines the two boxwoods (closest to the front door) have markedly outgrown the ones further away.

And the tomatoes by the backdoor are doing much better than the ones in the back of the yard. This is where I dump the tank water of course.