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One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Has anyone built a completely automated fish room? I know it can be done, but it would take a lot of engineering and some real creativity. I see that there are electronic ball valves on amazon that open and close through a toggle switch. If someone where to wire these to a board that once triggered would run a chain of events that detects full and empty water levels in the tanks through electronic float valves, I'm sure you could completely automate an entire water change in the room with just pressing a button. Of course you would still need to syphon any waste at the bottom of tanks, but this would be minimal work compared to all the draining and filing everyone is doing manually in big setup. Wonder if anyone has built something that is a one button system. That would be an amazing setup and would make for a ridiculous youtube tour.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
I'm plumbing up a new setup this weekend. It will include a WC system but with manual valves. I honestly worry about the complicated stuff failing.
Throwing valves manually is not that tough and I would trade the bullet proof system over ease anytime.
But I agree, it would be cool to see.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Would love to see that Neptune! I enjoy watching room builds and I look forward to having enough space to make my own basement build one day. I passed by home depot the other day and I noticed that their sprinkler valves are 3/4" and they are pretty much the same concept. An open/close valve that works electronically which also has a manual bypass, and they are just $15.
The real amazing work with an automated build would be building some kind of board that would detect tank and aging barrel water levels and turn certain pumps on and off as well as opening and shutting off certain valves. From an electrical/software engineering standpoint, it would certainly be an interesting project.
I know exactly what you mean when you say that it would definitely be complicated with risk of failure, but none the less, I am still shocked no one has attempted such a build with all the water changes discus need. One button, syphon poop and walk away (with your fingers crossed hahaha.)
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Plumbed most of it today, All dry fitted will glue up tomorrow.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...A-sump-is-born
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Why the need to press a button ?
I'm aiming at automated water changes on my sumps in my new fishroom, I'm using a solenoid valve on a timer to empty the sump and a floty valve to fill the sump back up. Of course I still will need to vacuum the bottom and change my filters socks, but it will give me more time to watch my discus than slave over with hoses, valves or button.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Yup! A timer would be a step up from what I mentioned. That would make everything work completely automatically without intervention.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Very Cool Neptune!Originally Posted by Neptune
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Rob,
Very interesting question. In my efforts to answer this I found out you are not the first to ask this question. I think you will enjoy the 12 pages that follower the previous time this question was asked, I sure did.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...ges-more-often
Ron
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
That was a rather entertaining morning coffee read! LOL.
My suggestion is if you don't want this to devolve like that thread make it very clear:
Automated large WC system that changes a large % of the tank volume------NOT a drip system.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Thanks for link Ron! I will check this out. I was looking for a thread on something like this but didn't have any luck finding it. I many thanks!
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Yeah, the real interesting aspect of it to me would be a large % water change and not a drip. I feel like a drip system will not have the same effect as doing a 90% or so change per day. Large volume changes rapidly replace older water with fresh water and my intuition tells me that it is probably a lot more beneficial for growing huge discus.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Your intuition serves you well weed hopper! I saw somewhere on the interwebs were someone graphed nitrates with drip and large WC's. Over time the large WC was much more effective.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Looking further into this, I've actually found out that sprinkler system valves are used in some fish rooms in order to automate WC's. The great thing about sprinkler systems is that the controllers operate in zones and you can have them go off with timers at separate instances. Some of these timers have triggers that I'm sure could somehow be used via small electronic float valves to shut off and open up other valves for particular instances. I have a background in electrical and software engineering although I did not pursue it, I find this kind of stuff really interesting. You would have to do a lot of research to figure out what works best, but I know for a fact that someone could create a system for relatively cheap that would empty a tank, refill a tank from an aging barrel and then refill the aging barrel with on push of a button. I know i can be done, I and I would love to see someone who's done it, because I do not have the space to take on such a task. I'm actually renting my current house and I can't even tap into the water lines.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Rob,
When I looked into trying to do this I believe I had it designed except I
Could not find a 1 inch electric value that would open with next to zero pressure.
I was also using a sprinkler controller, sprinkler values for tap water to fill the aging
Tank along with float value, a pump to move the water from the aging tank to the
Aquarium along with another float value. If someone can find a reasonable
Priced drain value I will try to build one and if it works I will share the design here.
Ron
Last edited by alron2; 03-16-2017 at 01:55 AM.
Re: One Push Automated WC Fish Room Build?
Interesting couple of concerns you have there. I've got two questions before I can go searching for something like that, that would work. Is your drain valve plumbed to a bulk head at the bottom of the aquarium or near the bottom at on of the sides? Is the pressure from the weight of the water above it not enough for those sprinkler valves to function properly?
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