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View Full Version : Treated chemical sewage used in fish tank.



JeffP
12-17-2002, 8:15 PM
I had to drive to Rhode Island for a meeting yesterday. My employer built and now operates a chemical wastewater treatment plant. The plant treats water that is contaminated with heavy metals and organic compounds that are too numerous to list. The chemical sewage is absolutely nasty...and hazardous too!

The plant operators setup a 20G fish tank using treated chemical sewage. I think it is their way to quietly make a point when the question of "how clean is clean" is brought up by plant "visitors" with respect to the plant's treated discharge water.

Fish are healthy and tank looks great except for excess algea that looks to be primarily from overfeeding. I could actually see flake food in the gravel. I suggested they invest in a cory cat or something.

I am still amazed at what can be treated with the right filteration. BTW, one section of the treatment process uses two carbon filters each containing 1 Ton of carbon!

BTW, this approach is not recommended for the average home aquarium without professional supervision.:D

O-man21
12-17-2002, 8:17 PM
WOW! That seems almost inpossible. What kinds of fish are in that tank?

JeffP
12-17-2002, 8:26 PM
They have several glass fish (not painted) and two flying foxes.

It does seem incredible but the right mechanical and chemical filtration can perform miracles.

Darkangel
12-17-2002, 8:54 PM
They have a similar set up at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay Ontario. Only difference is theirs flows into a pond with lots of big native fish and plants. They also have a spigot to draw drinking water. Very cool.