LEM504
03-04-2004, 01:12 PM
Cheap hoses,
I recently set up a water aging barrel, and added a couple of cheap garden hoses, for my water changing routine. The problems started.
I scrubbed the barrel with bleach and carefully removed the bleach.
The barrel would be filled via the garden hose, premixed with hot water, and then the faucet end of the hose, dropped into the barrel, to circulate until I used it.
Noticed a film on the surface of the water in the barrel and tanks. I skimmed the tanks and barrel, and wrote it off as a little fat, I missed in the beef heart. Also thought it might be something I missed in the used, food grade, barrel.
After grief and misery stuck, I narrowed it down to the hose.
The hose was marked “ not for human drinking water”
My guess on the floating film, is some type of release agent or wax that was used in the manufacture of the hose.
Cost me a batch of fry. They were growing like weeds, until they began to roam the tank.
In two days, they were all dead. Belly’s full, feeding was not the problem. ( about two weeks after the spawn) When they feed from the surface of the water, they ingested the release agent from the hose.
Thankfully, none of my larger fish were victims because they feed from the middle or bottom of the tank.
The cheap hoses were on their way out anyway. Had ordered Python Extension hoses, because the cheap hoses would kink and shut off the water flow, half way through my water changes. Coiling them up after a water change was like trying to straighten out a dish of spaghetti. The expensive “ guaranteed not to kink” hose was the worst!
The short cut, is always the longest way there, and cheapest, always bites you on the back side! :-[
Larry
I recently set up a water aging barrel, and added a couple of cheap garden hoses, for my water changing routine. The problems started.
I scrubbed the barrel with bleach and carefully removed the bleach.
The barrel would be filled via the garden hose, premixed with hot water, and then the faucet end of the hose, dropped into the barrel, to circulate until I used it.
Noticed a film on the surface of the water in the barrel and tanks. I skimmed the tanks and barrel, and wrote it off as a little fat, I missed in the beef heart. Also thought it might be something I missed in the used, food grade, barrel.
After grief and misery stuck, I narrowed it down to the hose.
The hose was marked “ not for human drinking water”
My guess on the floating film, is some type of release agent or wax that was used in the manufacture of the hose.
Cost me a batch of fry. They were growing like weeds, until they began to roam the tank.
In two days, they were all dead. Belly’s full, feeding was not the problem. ( about two weeks after the spawn) When they feed from the surface of the water, they ingested the release agent from the hose.
Thankfully, none of my larger fish were victims because they feed from the middle or bottom of the tank.
The cheap hoses were on their way out anyway. Had ordered Python Extension hoses, because the cheap hoses would kink and shut off the water flow, half way through my water changes. Coiling them up after a water change was like trying to straighten out a dish of spaghetti. The expensive “ guaranteed not to kink” hose was the worst!
The short cut, is always the longest way there, and cheapest, always bites you on the back side! :-[
Larry