Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

[afriend]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

My system is completely automated. It produces RO water, mixes it with a controlled amount of untreated well water, ages the mixture, heats the water, and transfers the resulting water to the aquarium. I exchange 40% daily using a modified drip method. In addition, I have developed a filtration system that automatically removes uneaten food and feces. Thus the only maintenance that I have to do daily is to feed my fish. The tank remains in pristine condition such that algae is eliminated completely because nitrate is reduced to near zero by the filtration system. The only maintenance that I do is to provide a once a month servicing of the canister filters, purigen reactor and provide minor cleaning of the tank interior.

Paul

[Branch]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

Hi Paul can you please set out how you water system works give me some details on the filtration system that you refer to in your post, maybe some pictures would help, as it sounds like a good method for eliminating the c*ap!? B

[afriend]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

Hi Paul can you please set out how you water system works give me some details on the filtration system that you refer to in your post, maybe some pictures would help, as it sounds like a good method for eliminating the c*ap!? B

Branch,

All of this is explained in detail at my Simply Discus Homestead page. At the top of the page. the two subjects that might interest you are "filtration system" and "how the filtration system functions". The system is not cheap and it is not easy to build. However, the rewards are great as it maintains the tank in a pristine conditions and creates a very healthy condition for the fish. Here's the link:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?372-Adult-Discus-Show-Tank-(afriend)-NW-Arkansas

The section on the water transfer system is somewhat out of date as I have recently upgraded it to a fully automated system and have not yet updated my homestead page.

If you decide to implement this approach, I would be glad to assist you with any questions that you might have. Just feel free to ask.

Paul

[Branch]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

Thank you Paul I'll take a look at it and if I have any questions I'll revert back to you. B

[kim457]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

In your original post, you mentioned using this hose to fit this pump.

How do you actually fit the hose to the actual output of the pump? The water hose looks like it screws on.

[Cosmo]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

I've been using my current water change setup for almost 20 years, although it was revamped 4 years ago when we moved. I started using this system in response to losses sustained because of a temporary change in the municipal water supply I was depending on at the time. As I've aged (I'll turn 73 this year) I've refined the process to reduce actual physical labor down to syphoning detritus and cleaning the tank interior. Then there are filter cleanings but that's another story.

I have a 90gal acrylic tank and I change at least 50% of the water daily. The tank is, of course, a bare bottom tank.

The heart of the system is the 100gal aging barrel in the basement. It sits on a 2in thick insulated base and is wrapped by 2 layers of 1/4 rolled cork. Inside the barrel are two 500 watt heaters and three massive air stones connected to a Jehmco linear piston air pump (which also provides air to the tank upstairs). The heaters are connected to a Jehmco digital temperature controller which I set one degree warmer than the tank water so that water going to the tank is at least the same temperature as the tank water. I have 1/2in water lines tied into the house water supply to refill the barrel using two ball valves. Both Prime and Discus Essentials are added into the barrel whenever I add water. (Kent Discus Essentials is now known as Continuum Discus Elements - T). By using and refilling approx. 1/2 the water in the barrel daily the water that goes to the tank is a mixture of multiple days of "new" water so that any temporary change in the source water is buffered by the water already in the barrel. It also insures the water that will go into the tank is as homogenous as possible with the tank water it will replenish. There are two Aquatec 550 product moving pumps that suck the water from the barrel and send it to the tank at refill time. No buckets, no hoses to the sink, all easy peasy.

I have an "umbilical cord" of fill and drain lines that run from the aging tank to the fish tank on the first floor that goes through an incredibly luckily positioned HVAC return and then through a vent next to the tank.

The water change is obviously started by draining water from the tank, and for that I use both a drain and a syphon. The drain consists of an Eheim installation kit 1 (syphon side) with an inline Eheim quick disconnect double ball valve that when opened drains water through a 16/20 (5/8ths) tubing down into a floor sink in the basement. This drain syphon going into the tank is shorter than the syphon tubes to the canister filters so worse case the drain cannot drain enough water to stop the flow of water to the filters. I used to use bulkheads for a drain but find I prefer this method for cleaning purposes. To facilitate detritus removal I use a 12/16 (1/2in) sized hard tube connected to 12/16 tubing that also runs down to the basement sink, I start the syphon using one of those rubber inline hand pumps that I buy from Amazon - does a great job though I have to replace the hand pump occasionally.

I drain the water this way until it reaches to the top of the 300 watt heaters in the tank (which equates to about 45 gallons). To refill the tank I simply sit down and plug in the extension that runs to the basement to energize the two pumps and wait for the water level to raise to the point where the outflow of the spray bars skims the surface of the tank.

The only downside with this setup is the electricity needed to heat the aging tank. The basement gets colder than the rest of the house and I'd love to cut down on energy usage, but I'll never go back to using tap water with a Python and can't figure another way around it (the wife won't let me put the aging tank in the living room ).

[LizStreithorst]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

Of all people to show up out of nowhere. It's my old play pretend boyfriend. Hi Jim :

[Cosmo]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

Hello sweetheart I've been thinking of you, hope all is well

[brady]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

And here I thought I was the only one. Oh well life will go on, I think.
Jay

[Joeske369]

Re: Are water changes a big deal? How to make them easier!

Automatic WC's:

I'm in the planning stages of a discus tank and I'm curious if anyone has done automatic water changes with Neptune Apex and a DOS dosing pump before?

This would be a system that would require a fresh water reservoir and would act as a "X" gallon per day water change over a 24 hour period that could be programmed however the user would like . It would be taking water out as it is also putting water in at the same time (intake and drain from 2 different areas in the sump).

I come from a marine tank background and it is often a common practice. I haven't seen anyone mention this method as far as automatic water changes and I'm genuinely curious if I'm the only one that is/has considered this method.