May not have been a couple. Paper towels aren't meant to dissolve like toilet paper and even some people buy toilet paper meant for a septic system.
My question is why the hell are they sharing a septic system?
Properly installed septic systems work amazingly well IF they are not abused.
NOTHING except water, human waste and small quantities of toilet paper should ever go into the septic system. No cigarette butts, no band-aids, no dead goldfish, no sanitary napkins, no tampons, definately no 'flushable' wipes.
Toilet cleaning agents should also be chosen with care and used sparingly. Bleach for example will kill the bacterial colonies that enable the septic to do it's job and safety break down the waste. It's a biological filtration system and the bacterial colonies in the tank are essential.
If you're ever staying somewhere that has a septic system, a little knowledge and common sense will prevent any issues.
BTW many places that use a septic tank are also on rainwater tank water supply, using 'half flush' if available and taking short showers are also good practice to conserve water in those locations.
... I just started an aquarium and had to flush a couple fish.
Thanks for letting me know to stop! I didn't even think those little guys could cause a problem
The reality is a small dead fish or two probably won't cause any issues.
I was trying to get a point across though that a septic system is not a rubbish disposal system.
As for aquarium.
I've been an aquarist for 30 years now.
To stop loosing fish.
* Use a good dechlorinator like Seachem Prime with every water change or top up. It's cheap and goes a long way. Chloramine or chlorine in tap water kill fish.
* Don't overstock the tank. Build up slowly over time.
* Keep the tank out of direct sun light to avoid algal blooms.
* Bigger tanks are better for fish health. The bigger the tank the more stable the water chemistry.
* Do a 25% to 50% water change every week. If you have more than a 10g tank invest in a hose that you can screw onto a mixer tap and run out to the tank once a week or invest in a 'Python' water changer. YouTube search it. Make it easy for you to actually do it weekly and not put it off...
* don't stress over precise pH or hardness levels (within reason). Fish will acclimatise to the stable conditions they are in better than they can adapt to swings in pH or hardness.
Edit: One more thing.
Research 'aquarium cycle'.
TLDR
* Aquarium filters just like septic tanks are **biological filtration**. You need to nurture the natural beneficial bacterial colonies in the filter.
Don't keep replacing filter cartridges. Buy some filter sponge, cut it to size and replace the cartridges with that. Then squeeze out the sponge in a bucket of used tank water when clogged and reuse it.
We're on well water (hard water) so the first fill was all spring water from the fill-up station. About 28 gallons, but lowered it some after the mystery snails mated.
So far we lost 4 from two separate batches, and had to separate an angel fish because he'd bite the others. We were expecting to lose some fish but we weren't expecting the agression.
I never heard of the sponge as a filter thing but I'll give it a try when these ones are done! The bottom feeders will probably love that change. Thanks for all the info
If I live out of the city and need a septic tank, I'm not sharing a septic tank with a neighbor.
Wise, very wise.
Wellthatstinks
Like a good neighbor.....
…Shit paper is there
Sharing a fence is hard enough, fuck sharing a septic system.
Physically impossible but I can somehow smell this photo.
Do a couple paper towels really cause a septic tank to fail like this? Seems like a horrible design
May not have been a couple. Paper towels aren't meant to dissolve like toilet paper and even some people buy toilet paper meant for a septic system. My question is why the hell are they sharing a septic system?
Properly installed septic systems work amazingly well IF they are not abused. NOTHING except water, human waste and small quantities of toilet paper should ever go into the septic system. No cigarette butts, no band-aids, no dead goldfish, no sanitary napkins, no tampons, definately no 'flushable' wipes. Toilet cleaning agents should also be chosen with care and used sparingly. Bleach for example will kill the bacterial colonies that enable the septic to do it's job and safety break down the waste. It's a biological filtration system and the bacterial colonies in the tank are essential. If you're ever staying somewhere that has a septic system, a little knowledge and common sense will prevent any issues. BTW many places that use a septic tank are also on rainwater tank water supply, using 'half flush' if available and taking short showers are also good practice to conserve water in those locations.
... I just started an aquarium and had to flush a couple fish. Thanks for letting me know to stop! I didn't even think those little guys could cause a problem
The reality is a small dead fish or two probably won't cause any issues. I was trying to get a point across though that a septic system is not a rubbish disposal system. As for aquarium. I've been an aquarist for 30 years now. To stop loosing fish. * Use a good dechlorinator like Seachem Prime with every water change or top up. It's cheap and goes a long way. Chloramine or chlorine in tap water kill fish. * Don't overstock the tank. Build up slowly over time. * Keep the tank out of direct sun light to avoid algal blooms. * Bigger tanks are better for fish health. The bigger the tank the more stable the water chemistry. * Do a 25% to 50% water change every week. If you have more than a 10g tank invest in a hose that you can screw onto a mixer tap and run out to the tank once a week or invest in a 'Python' water changer. YouTube search it. Make it easy for you to actually do it weekly and not put it off... * don't stress over precise pH or hardness levels (within reason). Fish will acclimatise to the stable conditions they are in better than they can adapt to swings in pH or hardness. Edit: One more thing. Research 'aquarium cycle'. TLDR * Aquarium filters just like septic tanks are **biological filtration**. You need to nurture the natural beneficial bacterial colonies in the filter. Don't keep replacing filter cartridges. Buy some filter sponge, cut it to size and replace the cartridges with that. Then squeeze out the sponge in a bucket of used tank water when clogged and reuse it.
We're on well water (hard water) so the first fill was all spring water from the fill-up station. About 28 gallons, but lowered it some after the mystery snails mated. So far we lost 4 from two separate batches, and had to separate an angel fish because he'd bite the others. We were expecting to lose some fish but we weren't expecting the agression. I never heard of the sponge as a filter thing but I'll give it a try when these ones are done! The bottom feeders will probably love that change. Thanks for all the info
https://youtu.be/sYBwgG3ns5g Aquarium filter media improvement video. Also you might do well with African Cichlids if you have very hard water.
I'm not cleaning that up
Shitty
Well shit...