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How long to boil?

ChronoKiento

ChronoKiento

Hi, I just got two new aquatic utrics from the mail and I set up a small mini pond kind of thing and I just wanted to know how long I should boil my tap water for before I put it into the utric container. Also, does anyone have and super special cool techniques for putting the water in the container without swishing all the peat and sand around? (I put the peat below a layer of sand and gently packed it down to make this part easier.)

Thanks.

-(Kyle)-
 
You are still going to want to use RO, rainwater, or distilled water.
Boiling water will not remove the chemicals in it.
 
Yes, all boiling water does is kill any microbes in the water
 
it'll make all the chlorine (a chemical) evaporate.
and microbes include algae, maybe that's why he's doing it, to retard the growth of algae... they are aquatic after all.
bringing the water up to a boil should be enough. as long as any liquid reaches it's boiling point, it will not (the liquid) get any hotter.  
Chlorine will have evaporated by then (as will alcohol... not that you'd have alcohol in your water, but that's how they concentrate alcohol) and the microbes are small enough that all the heat possible will have been transferred to them by then... but ... well, tell me if i'm wrong... I have a feeling i'm wrong about the microbes and boiling it for a longer period of time would have an effect... anyone know for sure?
edit: I don't think distilled water will boil right? the water needs dissolved gases and impurities to boil. I know it won't boil in a microwave anyway. That's why it's so dangerous to heat distilled water in the microwave- you won't think it's too hot, even though it's superheated, and when you add something to it, it'll explode in your face.
 
Like everyone else has said, boiled tap water wont make any difference to the chemicals in the water(or maybe very little) like everyone else has said

Secondly, there is no 'special technique' to stop the peat swishing about, the best method in my experience is to mix peat with a bit of sand and get this wet, then layer it on the bottom of the tank
Then add a thin layer of sand on the top and pour the water very close to the soil and pour it onto your hand and keep your fingers slightly open, now the water will run into lots of small, weak streams rather then just one strong stream
 
Super heated water in microwaves has nothing to do with distilled or not. Distilled water will boil just fine normally. The issue with microwaves can occur with ANY water or any other pure liquid for that matter. The problem is that usually very smooth containers are used and microwaves are much better at heating water faster than a stove, which first has to heat the pot.

Here is some info for you:
"General Electric's Response:

Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct.

Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point.

They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all.

The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! before moving it or adding anything into it.

Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: "Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken." "

Kyle... not sure why you want to use tap water anyway. Probably pretty high in minerals which the Utric will not be happy with. Also should mention that I hope your peat is wet already or it will go shooting through the sand like a dry cork when you add water!

Tony
 
I forgot to add, whatever you do some peat will still float to the surface, but this is easy to remove with a large spoon
 
Oh jeez. I was wondering how the minerals would be "boiled away" since that I heard that it would somehow get rid of some of the minerals magically or something like that.. I was really mostly hoping to just get rid of the algae causing stuff. The reason I was going to use boiled tapwater is because 1, I have no reason why but I thought it would lessen the amount of minerals that would hurt the utric and 2, I don't have enough distilled water. I buy it by the gallon. I don't know if anywhere around here sells Reverse Osmosis Water Purifiers. Even if I found one, I probably couldn't afford it anyway. So..yeah I guess I was hoping for the best when I boiled that water for a half hour. x_x;
I do have 2 gallons of distilled water left. But the container I'm using is fairly large so..yeah... I guess I could ask my mom to get me some more distilled water tomorrow. Like..10 gallons. LOL! Good thing it's cheap! I'm just afraid to use my remaining water because it's been extra hot lately and I want to have some in reserve for my other plants. I'll see what I can do right now. It's not gonna hurt to keep the utric in that bottle for another night but I'd like to get it in it's new home ASAP.
 
Hi Kyle,
there is no way to get rid of the algae causing stuff either, I dont know how it gets there but it forms in all still and stale water(which is what your utrics home will become very soon after you set it all up)
 
  • #10
It turns out I had enough distilled water. (I'm really low though.) But yeah it is still water so I need a way to keep algae away. Is there a way to keep algae away? I have no clue. Also, the water is kind of brown and murky. (I didn't think to wash the peat first and it was a lot of peat too.) Will that go away over time?

-(Kyle)-
 
  • #11
yep. same with aquariums. you will always have algea but you need to have enough plants to outcompete it.
 
  • #12
oh... thanks tony
you can kill algal spores by boiling the water, but it won't prevent more getting in the water after it has cooled enough. That's why I said it might retard the algal growth.
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ChronoKiento @ Aug. 15 2005,6:34)]It turns out I had enough distilled water. (I'm really low though.) But yeah it is still water so I need a way to keep algae away. Is there a way to keep algae away? I have no clue. Also, the water is kind of brown and murky. (I didn't think to wash the peat first and it was a lot of peat too.) Will that go away over time?

-(Kyle)-
Click to expand...
Not really, unless you change a water or install a pump that keeps the water circuallating, but those Utrics dont like moving water
Youll just have to scrape it off, although these Utrics can live with moderate amounts of slage with them(its only really a problem if it starts to dominate the Utrics)

Its normal for the water to be brown and murky, it will settle down in time
Washing the peat will not prevent this at all, its just tiny particles of peat in the water thats causing the brown, but it will settle dont worry(it can take a few days though)
 
  • #14
...it looks like coffee.... ARe there any other plants (besides more utrics) that I can get to "overcompete" the algae? Cook's has a lot of cool aquatic plants for cheap. Any suggestions?
 
  • #15
get some snails, daphnia, ostracods, etc. to eat the algae. having plants to outcompete the algae would be just as bad for the utrics.
algae aren't plants btw... they're protists
 
  • #16
really? i had no idea.
 
  • #17
Yeah I know that algae isn't a plant. I'll have to go to the pet shop and get some snails...and see if they have daphnia. I don't even know if they've ever had daphnia.
 
  • #18
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ChronoKiento @ Aug. 15 2005,8:02)]Yeah I know that algae isn't a plant. I'll have to go to the pet shop and get some snails...and see if they have daphnia. I don't even know if they've ever had daphnia.
Click to expand...
Algae is a plant. Just a lower form.

Be careful with snails, as some will eat your plants.

There is no problem adding other aquatic plants. They will just use up any extra nutrience so algae will have a less likely chance to start growing.
 
  • #19
no, it's not a plant it's a protist. kindgom protista. protista and plantae are two different kingdoms.
 
  • #20
Im not sure about adding life creatures with the Utrics, cos as soon as all the algae is gone they will eat your Utrics

You could get other marsh plants, but Id send Cook an email to double check if they can be grown in peaty soil with Utrics

Alphawolf,
Actually, yes, it is a plant, its been proven the first and simplest plant on the earth is algae
 
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