johnoburns Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I was doing a water change on my saltwater tank today and started wondering what other people do with their old salt water. Does anyone else do something with it besides dumping it the gutter or down the drain? I saw some people up north tried to use it to deice driveways, but they just fell on their ***** while going to their cars. I have fresh water fish as well and use their old water to water plants. The plants really seem to love it. I believe salt is generally bad for plants, but I'm not sure about the concentration at which we use it in our tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill B Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I was doing a water change on my saltwater tank today and started wondering what other people do with their old salt water. Does anyone else do something with it besides dumping it the gutter or down the drain? I saw some people up north tried to use it to deice driveways, but they just fell on their ***** while going to their cars.I have fresh water fish as well and use their old water to water plants. The plants really seem to love it. I believe salt is generally bad for plants, but I'm not sure about the concentration at which we use it in our tanks. I am pretty sure the concentrations in SW tanks would be very bad for regular plants. Even much lower medicinal levels in freshwater tanks/ponds will tend to kill your grass for instance. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iplantz Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 You know I pondered this for a while. I was thinking of making a freshwater trap to put over my trash can to collect evaporation. Here's my plan: plan.bmp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshman1204 Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I am pretty sure the concentrations in SW tanks would be very bad for regular plants. Even much lower medicinal levels in freshwater tanks/ponds will tend to kill your grass for instance.Bill Ahh crap I have been dumping 5gals a week of salwater on the grass out my back door. I guess we will see if it grows in this spring or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnoburns Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Lpantz, I like the evaporation idea. Good thinking there, I might have to try that. Joshman, sorry dude, but at least you know now. Hopefully there is not to much salt in the soil or you might have to replace some of the soil/dirt in your backyard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjohn Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I've been trying to kill weeds with mine without any noticeable success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Down the gutter at my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 With respect to salt water put outside, like most situations, it depends on how much. In most sandy loam pasturland, salts are leached from the soil and require addittion of fertilizers and lime each year. For years, it was common practice to dispose of ice cream salt around our Bradford Pear trees. Prior to application of the salt, the trees displayed black spots on the leaves called "black spot blight". After applying the salt the leaves greened up and the tree showed healthy growth. I am sure if we put a ton of the same salt around this tree, we would have killed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Breeze Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I dump mine out in the grass. It seems to be doing fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Capt. Obvious Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I dump mine out in the grass. It seems to be doing fine. funny...I dump mine in your grass as well all joking aside...mine is pumped to my laundry drain...no ill effects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Breeze Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 The section I dump mine is the first grass that has started coming back after winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 The section I dump mine is the first grass that has started coming back after winter. Uh, check again. That's mutant grass that will eat your pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Breeze Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Uh, check again. That's mutant grass that will eat your pets. Sweet now all I need is a radioactive spider and my plan will be complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Once in awhile we pour in a 6g. bucket of saltwater to our pond. Salt has the ability to control algae, detoxify nitrites, eradicate parasites and also works as an antiseptic if your koi have any sores (lack of poor water quality). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAY-ROC Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Sweet now all I need is a radioactive spider and my plan will be complete. Lol get with kaceyj on the spider i think he's got you covered on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Capt. Obvious Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Lol get with kaceyj on the spider i think he's got you covered on that. that picture he posted defiantly looked radioactive... another use for saltwater ....poor man's pepper spray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 This is an interesting thread. I have often wondered what others do with the used water. I often send mine down the street. I have even poured it on the grass a few times without noticing any short term ill effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Mine goes down the tub drain. Boy does that make the wimmin "fiesty"! I thought they liked algae and pumice based body scrubs! My FW water goes into the yard, usually around whichever tree is closest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kkiel02 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I guess my soil sciences classes finally pay off! The salt is very bad for your soil this is what is happening to most irrigated cropland nowadays. Especially with the drought that most of this country has been hit with the last couple of years. If the salt is not leached out of the soil it will adversely(making it acidic) affect your soil although now they are trying to cross many plants that are found in saltwater enviroments, which store the salt in little pockets that they grow, with plants that we could actually use for crops ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Breeze Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 wonder if you could dry it out and sell it as natural sea salt for cooking with. Since that the big thing these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAY-ROC Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 wonder if you could dry it out and sell it as natural sea salt for cooking with. Since that the big thing these days. LOL I wonder if you could dry it out and reuse the salt. I dont know about you but I dont want to eat that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Breeze Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 LOL I wonder if you could dry it out and reuse the salt. I dont know about you but I dont want to eat that lol i didn't say i would eat it. I meant sell to some sucker. Also if you dried it and used it again it would still have all the nitrates and stuff you were trying to get rid of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Living in TX, and especially in this drought, the best possible answer is to pour it down the drain so it can be reclaimed and brought back to us. Pouring it in the yard, street drain, or evaporating it robs each and every one of us of a very precious resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 It would be interesting to see what, if any, effect dumping the old water down the drain would have on the water system. I imagine that in the grand scheme of things it would not have any effect, but if enough of us did it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Would it increase my waste water portion on my water bill? If so, it's going down the street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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