Stinky rainwater collection

[sunfire]

Hello all.

Just want to be sure I'm not making a big mistake here.

I collect rainwater to use for my orchids. I had been keeping this in 5 gallon pails which has worked very well but not convenient. I recently purchased a 30 gallon barrel and set it up with a pump hose dispenser and filled it up after the last storm. The barrel is inside and I use buckets outside to collect the water so it's kind of a big deal that I was able to fill it up.

I should have bleached the barrel and the pump first in retrospect as the inside grew a whitish biofilm, the water is a bit cloudy and stinky. Never happened in my pails and I had one unused for over 6 months. I used Physan at a little over the bird bath levels. The water still smells and is cloudy but the biofilm seems to be gone. I probably should have just used bleach rather than physan but oh well.

I'd like to still use this water. No big storms in the future but I have my eye out. Am I making a big mistake?

[Roberta]

I wouldn't drink it, but would expect that it would be fine for plants.

[estación seca]

There is probably some organic matter in the barrel. Leaves? Bird? Rat?

[sunfire]

LOL! Thanks. No worries on that. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to inadvertently introduce some horrible water fungus or slime mold to my pots. It they were in soil I wouldn't care, but most in SH and moss and I was less certain.

Originally Posted by Roberta

I wouldn't drink it, but would expect that it would be fine for plants.

---------- Post added at 10:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 PM ----------

Yeah. Ew. Don't want to think about it. Probably was something in my pump which I guess I used in a water feature at some point many years ago. Just didn't even think about it. Doh!

Originally Posted by estación seca

There is probably some organic matter in the barrel. Leaves? Bird? Rat?

[mykl]

When I had Salt water aquariums, we would always run an air stone (Bubbler) or a small pump to keep the 'stored' water moving/ oxygenated. You might be having some anaerobic problems.
(Just a thought - my thirty gallon dunk tank id fine, but it is tap water)

[Subrosa]

Little critters have found their way into my rainwater. I would guess they're a Ceriodaphnia sp. They like a little crud for food. They're tough little buggers, having survived 5 seasons of freezing in the winter and sometimes being dry in the summer by laying very durable eggs.

[isurus79]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with smelly water for plants. In fact, any anaerobic microorganisms will die once exposed to the air is it passes over the media and will turn into free fertilizer!

[sunfire]

Thanks!! That certainly makes me feel better when using it! 😂

Originally Posted by isurus79

There is absolutely nothing wrong with smelly water for plants. In fact, any anaerobic microorganisms will die once exposed to the air is it passes over the media and will turn into free fertilizer!

[estación seca]

Something called water mold (Oomycetes, phylum Oomycota) can devastate orchids. It's spread via contaminated water. It likes stagnant water. I haven't had a problem with it yet, but a few OB members have dealt with it. I clean my water storage tanks with soap every time I empty them. Oomycota include kelp, mildew, Phytophthora and diatoms.

[sunfire]

Yikes! Hopefully This is not in my water or the Physan will take care of it. I will be bleaching this barrel as soon as I can.

Originally Posted by estación seca

Something called water mold (Oomycetes, phylum Oomycota) can devastate orchids. It's spread via contaminated water. It likes stagnant water. I haven't had a problem with it yet, but a few OB members have dealt with it. I clean my water storage tanks with soap every time I empty them. Oomycota include kelp, mildew, Phytophthora and diatoms.