Auto Water Change

[snowmansnow]

Tell me everything I want to know about auto water changes!

I was thinking the other day... what is the ONE thing I could improve on to better my tank... WATER CHANGES.

Yes, I realize it just takes some elbow grease... but too often its something I just end up putting off... as a lot of us do I'm sure.

That beings said.... how can I automate the stinking thing? I don't think I want to do a continuous change (or do I)...?

 

[snowmansnow]

Yea.. I've seen those.... Problem is I don't have room for the 2 tanks that they use to top off and hold waste... I don't THINK....

I wonder... how risky is using a LiterMeter to remove a certain amount... and then replace a certain amount?

 

[hnguyen]

SnowManSnow;667806 wrote: Yea.. I've seen those.... Problem is I don't have room for the 2 tanks that they use to top off and hold waste... I don't THINK....

I wonder... how risky is using a LiterMeter to remove a certain amount... and then replace a certain amount?

The problem with using dozing pumps to automate wc is that you have to make sure the two pumps remove and add the same EXACT amount of water. Or else you'll be left with too much water removed or too much added. Having an auto top off unit with that will make it worst. If one pump removes too much water then your ato will kick in to compensate dropping salinity. Too little eater removed and your ato won't kick on at all in which case it will increase your salinity and you'll never notice a thing because the difference in the dozing pumps are so small. So it would be a week or so before you notice a change in your salinity. Unless you check salinity everyday but if you do that, then it defeats the purpose of automating wc.

Thats just my .02 cents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mufret]

SnowManSnow;667806 wrote: I wonder... how risky is using a LiterMeter to remove a certain amount... and then replace a certain amount?

It's actually pretty easy. You will need at least one resevoir to hold the NSW, though, so it will take up some room. It's relatively easy setup to do continuous water changes and the litermeter pumps are very reliable.

 

[basscyn]

I have a huge sump...so it was easy for me to set up automation. Otherwise, I dont know that I could do it.

I have 2 70gallon stock tanks as a sump. One has a Mag 18 in it and its plumbed through the wall and out into the woods behind my house.

My W/C is 55 gallons. I keep a 55 gallon drum mixed up at all times. It is plumbed to my sump also with a Mag 18.

Both are hooked up to a DJ strip. When I am ready to do a WC I flip one switch to drain the sump. When its done I flip another switch and NSW is pumped in. No buckets...no hoses...no siphoning.
Its a beautiful thing :yes:.
I just recently finished this phase of my build and I must say it is one of the most rewarding things I have done.

The easier this is to do...the more likely it gets done when its suppose to.

 

[qasimja]

i think thats the most awesome thing ive ever heard of lol build mine!

 

[merkywater]

BASSCYN;667825 wrote: I have a huge sump...so it was easy for me to set up automation. Otherwise, I dont know that I could do it.

I have 2 70gallon stock tanks as a sump. One has a Mag 18 in it and its plumbed through the wall and out into the woods behind my house.

My W/C is 55 gallons. I keep a 55 gallon drum mixed up at all times. It is plumbed to my sump also with a Mag 18.

Both are hooked up to a DJ strip. When I am ready to do a WC I flip one switch to drain the sump. When its done I flip another switch and NSW is pumped in. No buckets...no hoses...no siphoning.
Its a beautiful thing :yes:.
I just recently finished this phase of my build and I must say it is one of the most rewarding things I have done.

The easier this is to do...the more likely it gets done when its suppose to.

I have seen it and it is awesome.... He needs to come over and do mine too lol

 

[dan3949]

I wonder if any of the salinity probes avaailable could be used to help with automating an ATO?

 

[smallblock]

just get one of these, but beware he needs INPUT!!!!

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[cr500_af]

dan3949;669083 wrote: I wonder if any of the salinity probes avaailable could be used to help with automating an ATO?

Yes. Back when Keen Reef was open, he had two RKE's (one on each "side" of the store since it was two systems). Each one took a salinity reading, and based on that the controller "decided" to top off with RO or with SW... so yes, it could be done. However, not sure if it would be of any use for us non-stores. It was worth the trouble for him, because if you bag up a hundred or so frags a day (as he did at one time), you are removing a fair amount of SW from the system, and with no way to compensate for it the salinity would gradually become lower.

In my new build, I've come up with a system that will use my Apex and do water changes at the push of a button... I absolutely cannot wait to put that into action. It would be just as easy (one small change in the code) to do it from an iPhone, but I'm just paranoid enough that I refuse to do an automated water change if I'm not standing there to watch it happen... just in case.