Okay, the ground breaking for my new house will begin next week. I'm planning a rather large aquarium installation (300 gal +). My house will require a spetic system and a small sand mound. I just read some information regarding water softeners and their potential effects on septic systems. The article mentioned the negative effect that saline water can have on the anerobic bacteria that breakdown waste in a septic system. It said that watersoftners that are regularly maintained would have little to no effect on the bacteria. What I need to know is if a 100 gallon water change 1x/month is going to wreck my poop cleaner? :lol: Anyone experienced this? I'm in south-central PA if it matters. . . Thanks!
Marine Aquarium Water & Septic systems
- Thread starter melas
- Start date
IMO it's nothing to worry about as 100 gallons per month is not really a signficant volume when you consider (assuming there's a few people in the house) your system will normally see several hundred gallons per day.
Also considering that your showers, sinks, washer, etc. would all normally be plumbed to the system, there's already going to be a lot more toxic stuff than saltwater draining into there like household cleaners, soaps, laundry detergent/bleach, etc.
Also considering that your showers, sinks, washer, etc. would all normally be plumbed to the system, there's already going to be a lot more toxic stuff than saltwater draining into there like household cleaners, soaps, laundry detergent/bleach, etc.
Very easy to counteract water softner salt is to add a small box of rid-x to your septic tank once every couple of months. Im sure it will do the same for any salt from your water changes.
Rid-x is basicaly a yeast based bacteria made just to super charge pooper cleaners
Look for it in the grocery store section that has the drano and liquid plumber stuff.
Rid-x is basicaly a yeast based bacteria made just to super charge pooper cleaners
Look for it in the grocery store section that has the drano and liquid plumber stuff.
Well its yeast based gunk then hows that? To me a bug is a bug.
Lol it works is all I know. Around here everyone is on septic tanks. Dont need rid-x all the time but after its pumped/emptied its a good idea to flush a box of it to jumpstart the tank again. Helps prevent backups from the paper not breaking down.
Oopss looking at the box I see "bacteria booster" so its food for the bugs more or less.
Lol it works is all I know. Around here everyone is on septic tanks. Dont need rid-x all the time but after its pumped/emptied its a good idea to flush a box of it to jumpstart the tank again. Helps prevent backups from the paper not breaking down.
Oopss looking at the box I see "bacteria booster" so its food for the bugs more or less.
I think the worry is valid but maybe a little overblown.
Anaerobic bacteria after all does live in FW, brackish and salt water. So it will probably just adjust.
I do worry about what happens to the ground around your field lines that output the water to your yard. Over say 100 years or so of irrigating deserts with FW does build up salts in the soil so much so that the ground becomes infertile due to salt build up.
Hopefully, that effect in your yard will not be noticable for the next few decades. But still the solution to polution is not dilution. It is 1) not pollute to begin with and 2) recycling polutants into non pullutants. So the best thing is to have a tank that maintains itself and to do no water changes. That way you vastly reduce the sea water being dumped into your back yard.
Just my .02
Anaerobic bacteria after all does live in FW, brackish and salt water. So it will probably just adjust.
I do worry about what happens to the ground around your field lines that output the water to your yard. Over say 100 years or so of irrigating deserts with FW does build up salts in the soil so much so that the ground becomes infertile due to salt build up.
Hopefully, that effect in your yard will not be noticable for the next few decades. But still the solution to polution is not dilution. It is 1) not pollute to begin with and 2) recycling polutants into non pullutants. So the best thing is to have a tank that maintains itself and to do no water changes. That way you vastly reduce the sea water being dumped into your back yard.
Just my .02
(ignoring beaslebob for the moment)
I've had saltwater tanks and a septic system for years without any problems, I do have it pumped regularly, add the RidEx stuff and also let 1/2 gallon of milk get sour each month and flush it (supposed to help the bacteria). It sounds like you are having to engineer the field so that also ensures a good drainage system, unlike some older ones I know of.
You will of course post pics for us of the new tank melas?
I've had saltwater tanks and a septic system for years without any problems, I do have it pumped regularly, add the RidEx stuff and also let 1/2 gallon of milk get sour each month and flush it (supposed to help the bacteria). It sounds like you are having to engineer the field so that also ensures a good drainage system, unlike some older ones I know of.
You will of course post pics for us of the new tank melas
?always ignoring beaslbob. . . will definitely post pics of the new tank! its going to be a room divider between the foyer and the great room. the sump will be directly below it in the basement. i'm having a concrete wall placed underneath it for support and so that i have a quiet fish room in the basement. Looking at a tank from Ocean Image Aquariums. Starphire glass. the house probably won't be complete until october or so. I'm hoping to have the tank by the time we move in. . . when i actually set it up is another question though! my current 90, 125 and 155 bow are going to the basement so that i will not have to move them once i'm ready to install the big one. dimensions i'm looking at for a new tank are 96L x 36W x 24T. That's right at about 360 gallons. the tank will be viewable from three sides with the 4th side butting a false pillar (with large access panel) that will house all of the plumbing. but yeah. . . i'll start my own thread once i have something to show. . . and i LOVE taking pictures (plus i have my own server to host them)!!!
I've actually been looking into the same thing with a new home that we're building, and I've come across some advice that it's better to use a softener that uses potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride.
The sodium chloride will reduce the beneficial bacteria in your septic tank. (so the advice tells me)
Mitch
The sodium chloride will reduce the beneficial bacteria in your septic tank. (so the advice tells me)
Mitch
beaslbob":3bnv1llt said:
Man you crack me up.
How bout you take that .02 and buy yourself a clue there buddy....
Oh, and I would love to see pics of one of your waterchangeless tanks that have been running for 4 years with absolutely no crashes.
That's right, no crashes.
I bet my tank looks better and I am about the worst reefkeeper on this entire board....
Agreed - let's keep it civil and try to stay on topic.
In regard to the original post, IMO 100 gallons of saltwater in the system should not pose a significant problem if you consider that this will generally only be between 1% to 2% of the total water volume the average household with a few people in it will be dumping into the system on a monthly basis.
The issues concerning water softeners may be valid - I don't know much about them and couldn't really form an opinion. They may not be a good direct comparison to the water change question, however, as the quantities of sodium chloride being added to the septic system by a softener may be much higher due to the significant difference in volumes of water effected.
In regard to the original post, IMO 100 gallons of saltwater in the system should not pose a significant problem if you consider that this will generally only be between 1% to 2% of the total water volume the average household with a few people in it will be dumping into the system on a monthly basis.
The issues concerning water softeners may be valid - I don't know much about them and couldn't really form an opinion. They may not be a good direct comparison to the water change question, however, as the quantities of sodium chloride being added to the septic system by a softener may be much higher due to the significant difference in volumes of water effected.
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