Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So I have a lot of nasty chloramines in my tap water where I live and I was wondering if I could make a DIY activated carbon filter with a pvc pipe full of activated carbon granules and hose attachments. I made one once before and it was constructed well but I had no way of knowing if it was doing the job or not. I will share my crude and simple design if anyone is interested.

im guessing you will only be able to run a certain ammount of water through it daily

and at a certain flow rate....

haha yeah but I am not sure what those rates would be not the most scientific build haha.

I'd aim for .5 - 1 gpm as those are the rates that seem to be common in regular carbon filters.

Chloramines are broken down by light, why not build an aeration tank that is open to the elements. If it's in the sun for a few hours every day the chloramines will be broken down and the aeration will gas-off any chlorine.

Chloramines can also be removed with Tap Water Conditioner, it's quick, effective, non-toxic, and you can see if it's working by testing your Ammonia levels before and after the addition of the tap water conditioner, the ammonia levels would increase.

Mr Damage.

Not entirely true Mr. Damage... and there's been much discussion previously on this subject...

Firstly.... chlorinated water can be broken down by exposure to sunlight and oxygenation... in about 24 hours...

Chloromines however can take a week or more to break down...

Secondly, many of the tap water "conditioners"... may bind ammonia... but temperature and pH conditions can release the bindings... resulting in free ammonia again...


As a third point... many people believe that activated carbon can bind ammonia... and/or chlorine....

It can't do the first... and basically isn't any better at the second...

Got a canister filter for my aquarium, and it came with activated carbon for the second layer. I put in clay balls from the ap instead, and ditched the carbon.
Carbon is good for removing tanins from aquariums and for removing medicines that are not longer needed but thats about it
my 2c
and probably only worth 1c

activated carbon will pull chlorine out of water but it does need cirtain amount contact time which im not too sure of

you can get chlorine test strips for pools fairly cheap if you need to test for it, though i just fill my AP up with the mains water as i think most of the chlorine gasses of as it sprays into the tank and the rest would be used oxidising the alge on the tank walls etc verry fast i dont like to do large volume top ups though

as for chloramines im not too sure if the carbon would work my understanding of the process is limited i know that carbon ADSORBS ( diferent to absorb ) gasses from the water

so ummm after all that goodluck i guess
CHeers
pete

Actually you're right Pete.... activated charcoal will remove chlorine intially... until saturated, or unless refreshed...

It's flourine that it doesn't filter very well...

I've done lots of reading on chloramines and came to the conclusion that rainwater was the best water to use in my area. Until I get a proper cistern for water holding, I have, in the mean time, just put out all the buckets I could find to collect rainwater. For almost a year now it mostly keeps up with my water demands. On occassion I will add a bit of tap water when my buckets are empty and the sump is low. Once you loose a batch of fish to chloramines (as I did), you will probably come to the same conclusions as me.

I use a DYI activated carbon filter Made from a 4" x 10' PVC Pipe, and it will take the chloramines and chlorine from showing a full yellow in the test tube with city water, to just showing a hint of yellow at the lowest color.

I trickle the water through it VERY, VERY SLOW, so that the water has plenty of dwell time in the pipe.... and takes a long, long time to become saturated and needing replacing.....

RS

would it be worth it to buy catalytic carbon?

with all these ideas for filtering water for the tanks, wouldnt it be easiest to collect rain water and and run it through a screen ( for debris) when starting tank and maintaining evaporation?