Effort to protect fish against continual pollution by local city water supply.

[Hal (von) Luebbert]

I've lost six batches of catfish to local industrial pollution, the latest due trihalomethane poisons (used to kill bacteria in water supply obtained from rivers and streams otherwise) carelessly put into the water.  Port Lavaca also leads the nation in contamination by acetamides.  Continually, rainwater is so alkaline that standard pH test kits can't measure it.  I've built a corrugated plastic and PVC greenhouse over the fish tank, and a lean-to structure roof which covers the growbeds, but I need to find a way to filter the several industrial poisons from the water (the plants and the fish). 

We are, parenthetically, surrounded by all manner of industrial plants, from plastics to aluminum, to oil refineries, and more.  I'm hoping that someone on the several aquaponics forums I visit has an idea for a filtration system.  Otherwise, I'll have to give up on the idea of aquaponics gardening here in the corporations' paradise.

 

[Scott Roberts]

Hmm. you might want to check your readings. As far as I know, it is impossible for rainwater to be alkaline. 

[Kimani]

Well I'm using very harsh canal tape water, I live near the Sacramento delta and delta water hear is just as risky. So I switched to tap water. It cones with its own issue's, but they can be worked around, like for chlorine and the like I hold the water in food grade 55 gallon barrels for a few days in the sun to break down those chemicals and only pull water from no deeper the one foot from the bottom of the barrel the rest of that water goes on the lawn or on the car (car Wash). Been doing it for a about six months no issues with the fish.

[David]

Biochar (or activated carbon). Lots of YouTube videos on how to make your own biochar. Here is an excellent reference site. The most significant part of a raw water filtration method for rural areas - removes pesticides, industrial compounds, pollutants, pharmaceuticals, etc. I'm sure you can scale down to a reasonable size for BYAP system up to commercial system filtration. I hope this helps.

[Hal (von) Luebbert]

David said:

Biochar (or activated carbon). Lots of YouTube videos on how to make your own biochar. Here is an excellent reference site. The most significant part of a raw water filtration method for rural areas - removes pesticides, industrial compounds, pollutants, pharmaceuticals, etc. I'm sure you can scale down to a reasonable size for BYAP system up to commercial system filtration. I hope this helps.

[Hal (von) Luebbert]

Scott Roberts said:

Hmm. you might want to check your readings. As far as I know, it is impossible for rainwater to be alkaline. 

[George]

Homemade charcoal is a good idea for making a filter and here is a very easy way to make the char - referred to as flame cap method.  The flame consumes the oxygen, which prevents the carbon from gasifying.  The char is quenched before burning to ash.

https://youtu.be/HVs75-A7PEo

Hal, is that your drinking water that is so contaminated?

[Hal (von) Luebbert]

George said:

Yes, but we installed extensive water-filtering and purifying equipment immediately after discovery that it was polluted and radioactive.  I test the water wherever I live, and this residence and town were no exception.  Thanks for the suggestions, however.  The fish tank in my aquaponics garden isn't on the purifier equipment, and I either have to add  plumbing or find a way to otherwise purify the fish tank water.  I'm designing a charcoal filter, but am concerned about what the chemical property of charcoal affects the nitrogen cycle of the aquaponic garden.  I've taught myself a good deal of chemistry, you see, such that I have now to calculate how much the charcoal filtration will degrade nitrogen in the plants,  Thanks again - much appreciated.

Homemade charcoal is a good idea for making a filter and here is a very easy way to make the char - referred to as flame cap method.  The flame consumes the oxygen, which prevents the carbon from gasifying.  The char is quenched before burning to ash.

https://youtu.be/HVs75-A7PEo

Hal, is that your drinking water that is so contaminated?

[George]

Filtering your tank water through charcoal will result in nitrate being removed, along with the other things you want to remove but it's a small price to pay.  Going forward, you'll need to filter only your top up water prior to adding to the tank.