Calculating waste water with a drip system.

[Sean]

Just wondering if someone could tell me approx. how much water is wasted when using drip systems? Could you please explain your answer too.

Thanks,

Sean.

[Ardan]

Hi,
I used to use a drip system for my fish.
The same amount that went in also came out and went down the drain.
I regulated the amount of drips going in, but could change it to whatever I wanted. SO I'm not sure if that answers your question or if I misunderstood it.

Now I prefer wc's of 50% at a time with aged water. The fish seem happier and I control the parameters better (usually, unless I forget something, or don't have time each day)

With the drip system it was hard to change the conductivity (hardness, ph, etc)

hth

[Sean]

Thanks for responding but, what I meant to ask was how much new water goes down the drain.

Example....

If I add 50gal a day new water through a drip system, am I actually taking 50gal of old water out? From what I have read it doesn't sound like it's one for one.

[gary1218]

Sean,

Yes, it's one gallon out for every one gallon in.

GARY

[roger]

What I think the question asks is this ..

I have a 50 gal tank and I drain 1 gal of water then add another gal of water. I go through that process every hour on the hour.

The 1 to 1 ratio is strictly correct but that 1 gal of new water that I add is diluted so the next hour when I drain that 1 gal of water 1/50th of it is new water.

So any math wizards out there have a formula that would tell you how much of the water you drain out is old vs new.

[Sean]

Roger, Thank you. I guess I didn't make myself clear. I have read that the ration is about 67% of new water to wasted new water? So I guess 50gal of new water only replaces about 34gal of yesterday's water a day. Or about 80gal to completely change a 50gal tank.

That's what I've heard but is it correct?

Thanks for the post,

Sean.