Need thoughts on DIY Auto Water change system
I recently setup a new tank and things are going quite well. However, I am now planning a 10 day trip in November and don't have anyone I can trust with water changes. Lots of options for feeding the fish and tank, but water changes are a bit more complicated. Because of this I have been contemplating a simple (but hopefully effective) AWC system for the time I will be gone.
Here is my current plan. I was thinking I can set up a continuous drip (using 1/4" tubing and a ball valve) from the tank to a drain to slowly remove water from the tank 24 hours a day. To replace the removed water, I can use my ATO with a LARGE storage tank (looking at a 330G) with prepared and treated water in it. I have several months before this trip to get the system set up and test everything out to ensure that the 330G tank will last my entire trip. Changing 330G would equate to changing 200% of the water in those 10 days (or 20% a day). I know that this is not a perfect solution, but I just need it to work for the 10 days I am gone and then I can resume my regular maintenance.
Any thoughts on this plan and/or any other things I should consider would be appreciated.
Re: Need thoughts on DIY Auto Water change system
Lyle, by the time you go on vacation your discus will be big and old enough to just let them be without any feeding and waterchanging for just 10 days .
Your tank is huge and understocked , your discus are already half grown and on top of that it's only a 10 day neglect .
On your original question , I can't offer to you any valuble informaions because I don't have any experience with constant drip systems .
Re: Need thoughts on DIY Auto Water change system
Hi Lyle
I agree with Filip, for 10 days you may be better off doing nothing.
That said both my tanks are always on a drip/drain system so I maybe able to give you thoughts for the future or longer trips.
A few questions.
What type of filter do you have.
What are the logistics of the tank to the drain
How does your ATO monitor water level and from where in the system.
How will the 1/4 drain line be powered? Siphon? Gravity?
My initial thoughts are that a 1/4 line can become blocked too easily and that setting a drip rate with a ball valve is difficult to adjust to a desired level.
Re: Need thoughts on DIY Auto Water change system
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Filip
Lyle, by the time you go on vacation your discus will be big and old enough to just let them be without any feeding and waterchanging for just 10 days .
Your tank is huge and understocked , your discus are already half grown and on top of that it's only a 10 day neglect .
On your original question , I can't offer to you any valuble informaions because I don't have any experience with constant drip systems .
I appreciate the thoughts. It would be great to be able to do nothing and not worry too much about the system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
slicksta
Hi Lyle
I agree with Filip, for 10 days you may be better off doing nothing.
That said both my tanks are always on a drip/drain system so I maybe able to give you thoughts for the future or longer trips.
A few questions.
What type of filter do you have. I have a 40G sump with 7" filter sock and a media cup with filter floss. I also have 2 x 8"x4" Marinepure blocks.
What are the logistics of the tank to the drain There is no drain near the tank, I would just be running the line outside the house. The tank sits directly in front of a window, so I can just feed the line through the cracked open window.
How does your ATO monitor water level and from where in the system. The ATO is a JBJ ATO and uses float switches located in the pump chamber of the sump.
How will the 1/4 drain line be powered? Siphon? Gravity? Siphon/gravity
My initial thoughts are that a 1/4 line can become blocked too easily and that setting a drip rate with a ball valve is difficult to adjust to a desired level.
My thought was that if the 1/4" drain were to get plugged up, the worst that would happen is that the water change simply wouldn't happen. Alternatively, I have a single 50mL/min dosing pump that I could put on a timer to pump the water out at a measured rate. My only concern is that the pump is designed for intermittent use but would have to run 24hrs a day and only be able to change 19G/day.
I could also use a small pump on a timer to remove water. This would allow for the use of a larger tube and larger water chages/day. If there are better options I would be glad to hear them.
Re: Need thoughts on DIY Auto Water change system
One thought is to drain from the sump with a 3/4 minimum and go through the wall for a more permanent drain installation.
I had it set up that way in a previous home installation and it worked out quite well as not far from the house penetration I had a landscapded area with shrubss and flowers. Man did those plants flourish beautifully.Then you can set up your drip from the storage tank as planned or set it up permanently and do automatic water changes effortlessly. This would also solve the concern of leaving the window cracked for security and little critter entry.
Obviously this thought is dependent on the logistics of your home.
Re: Need thoughts on DIY Auto Water change system
I got the whole system up and running last weekend and it is going well so far. My pH has stabilized @ about 6.75, though my hardness is pretty high. I have the system set to change ~180g/day. Due to dilution I estimate about 50% daily with this volume. I still siphon the sand at least once a week and the cory cats help keep uneaten food to a minimum. Only 2 days after getting this system installed, I had 2 fish pair up and spawn.
