Auto Water Change anyone>?

[snowmansnow]

does anyone use the DOS from Neptune to do water changes?

how do you like it?

pros?
cons?

Thanks,
b

 

[sewer urchin]

I believe that Redstang has one set up for auto changes and has a build thread

 

[snowmansnow]

My only hang up to trying it is having a place for the water to drain. I'd love to avoid ANOTHER container beside the tank haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sewer urchin]

Would it be feasible to run it outside or maybe to a house drain that's been tapped and threaded.

At one time I thought about using two peristaltic pumps ( I have a pump that can handle a dual head fixture- just gotta get it ordered and paid for) and something like this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Little-Giant-VCMA-15ULS-115-Volt-Condensate-Removal-Pump-with-Safety-Switch-554405/204481227?cm_mmc=Shopping|Base&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2M0JRKjaiILSGFucOl6B_GdYaoltJWs0ul1mozd8oGwaAn2v8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds">http://www.homedepot.com/p/Little-Giant-VCMA-15ULS-115-Volt-Condensate-Removal-Pump-with-Safety-Switch-554405/204481227?cm_mmc=Shopping|Base&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2M0JRKjaiILSGFucOl6B_GdYaoltJWs0ul1mozd8oGwaAn2v8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds</a>

to get it outside the house. This is just a thought and have not researched it so I don't know if it can handle salt corrosion or not.

 

[snowmansnow]

Welli could w a check valve / if it'll pump uphill. Tank is n basement


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[camellia]

Sewer Urchin;1038221 wrote: Would it be feasible to run it outside or maybe to a house drain that's been tapped and threaded.

At one time I thought about using two peristaltic pumps ( I have a pump that can handle a dual head fixture- just gotta get it ordered and paid for) and something like this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Little-Giant-VCMA-15ULS-115-Volt-Condensate-Removal-Pump-with-Safety-Switch-554405/204481227?cm_mmc=Shopping|Base&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2M0JRKjaiILSGFucOl6B_GdYaoltJWs0ul1mozd8oGwaAn2v8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds">http://www.homedepot.com/p/Little-Giant-VCMA-15ULS-115-Volt-Condensate-Removal-Pump-with-Safety-Switch-554405/204481227?cm_mmc=Shopping|Base&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2M0JRKjaiILSGFucOl6B_GdYaoltJWs0ul1mozd8oGwaAn2v8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds</a>

to get it outside the house. This is just a thought and have not researched it so I don't know if it can handle salt corrosion or not.[/QUOTE]

Ben, you lost me with that condensation pump. Are you thinking that could handle large water changes?

 

[sewer urchin]

Ben, you lost me with that condensation pump. Are you thinking that could handle large water changes?

Don't worry too much I confuse a lot people, mostly myself. ;-)

No my thought was to use the condensation pump to remove the wastewater from the auto changer. I know that peristaltic pumps can over come head pressure. But I still believe that if one pump has to work against a lot of resistance ( i.e. a long run to outside or up to a drain) and the other pump has very little, something is going to be out of balance.

From what everybody talks but auto changers, a little bit adds up over time concerning salinity. Too much feed water and salinity goes up, too much waste water removed salinity goes down.

My thought was to keep the lines to and from auto changer as short as possible and use the condensation pump to push the long distance.

 

[redstang]

I use the DOS for AWC and love it. Had neck surgery in November and this saved me so much pain. I have both my new salt water and old saltwater in my basement on the other side of a wall from the tank. Old salt water barrel is a 20gal brute on a dolly so when it gets close to full I just wheel it out to the street and dump it. New saltwater comes from a 32gal brute with a lid. I keep a pump in there that runs 15 minutes of every hour.

I was doing 1gal/day in change but recently cut it way back as ~50% per month is overkill. Aiming for closer to 30% now.

As far as accuracy. It has been very good. I went through a very busy time period where I didn't even check my salinity for over a month. When I finally had time it was at 1.026. I haven't done the calibration recently and need to just to see where it is.

 

[snowmansnow]

Wow man. Soooo tempting


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[snowmansnow]

It's not that I have physical difficulties w changes. My tank is even small, but I just feel like a little water change every single day can't help but encourage a healthy clean tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jennm]

How do you vacuum the sand?

 

[snowmansnow]

True


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jbdreefs]

Aren't smaller more frequent water changes less effective than periodic large changes?

For instance... If I have 100 ppm of something and I do a 20% water change, I effectively reduced the 100 ppm to 80 ppm. However, if I do two 10% water changes, I will have 81 ppm.

I guess daily changes help stabilize things, but it seems, on the surface, that a large water change every so often would still be needed.

 

[redstang]

JennM;1038610 wrote: How do you vacuum the sand?

Same way everyone else does That doesn't take long and is usually only a few gallons of water.

 

[jennm]

Small, frequent water changes change more net water over time and keep parameters stable.

It's very important to vacuum the substrate too, though, and 'automated' systems don't do that. Nobody has invented a Roomba for your tank Electronic snail, yes, Roomba, no.

Jenn

 

[enderg60]

I made one with a 10g tank, relay, float valves and 4 pumps for under $150. Been working great for a few months now doing 5 gallon changes every day.

and I hope you mean vacuum the detritus off the top of the substrate....

 

[ringo®]

JennM;1038707 wrote: It's very important to vacuum the substrate too, though, and 'automated' systems don't do that. Nobody has invented a Roomba for your tank Electronic snail, yes, Roomba, no.

Those things vacuum? I thought they were made for cats

alt="" />