DIY Aquarium Water Change system up and running - Article attached.

[bitterman]

HI all, just wanted to let you all know that I got my simple DIY wter change system up and running. It has been running for about a week on an off for testing and I turned it on full 2 days ago. Nitrates have dropped from 10ppm to 5 ppm over the past week with the system running part time.

My levels have stabilized at the following for my 172 gallon tank with 30 gallon sump:

Temperature: 77 F°     pH: 8.5-8.6     gH: 240mg/L     kH: 170mg/L     Nitrate Level: 5 ppm    Ammonian: 0 ppm    Nitrite: 0 ppm

The fish seam to be loving it. (The whole system cost about $150 to get up and running)

I used the following:
1GPH Dripper
1/4" feeder hose
30 psi preasure regulator
Part the connects the presure regulator to 1/4" feeder hose

Sump pump in my sump wiht float switch. Hose to run water out sump pump hole in basment.

I'm on well water so I don't need to worry about Chrlomines. The 30 psi regulator just screws onto the Tap for a garden hose in my basement and the dripper constantly drippers water intot he tank.

Bruce

[squeeker]

That's really, really cool.  For this reason I wish I had well water, too... the godfish would LOVE it.

[Seanc]

i have also just set up one, but it isn't on the drip system, its an all at a time thing. I can change about 75% of my water in less then 30min(the only reason it takes so long is because of the drain time)

I have a 1/6HP sump pump in my room, in a tank(soon to be a tub) i fill up the tank with water from the laundry room, heat it up with a heater.
I drain the tank, by then the water should be wwarm enough.
turn on the pump and there you go, all done.
I would of liked to do a drip system, but i have plants, and i would have to fertilise all the time.

[darkdep]

Article!  Article! 

[bitterman]

Darkdep, What happened to the DIY Trickle filter article. I sent it to you a while ago and have not heard anything or saw it.

I will write an article on this one as well, just have to get all the part numbers for everything I ordered from LeeValley for the drip system (1 part is not in the cateloge so people will need the numbers).

Additionally if you don't want to change as much water per week you can use a water timer (This would work well for smaller tanks) Also you say you have a 40 Gallon and 90 Gallon tank you can use more or less drippers on each tank. Say 1 dripper on the 40 and 2 on the 90 Gallon (Or use different GPH drippers. You can get .5, 1,2,4 GPH drippers that I know of.) and set the timer to only run 3.5 hours a day (Would change about 7 Gallons per day so 49 Gallons per week on the 90 and 24.5 Gallons on the 40)

Also all tanks on this type of system have to have an overflow, or be drilled and piped to a central sump tank so that excess water does not spill on the floor :-) Also a place for the pump/drain to remove excess water.

Hope this helps I'll write an article for this one when I have some time, get part numbers, take pictures..... etc

Bruce

[darkdep]

It's been sitting waiting for me to click "apply".. I'll do that today

[bitterman]

Kewl I see the Trickle filter article    Here is the Water chagne system

Parts for Drip water change system:

LeeValley
-----------
$2.95 XC413  - 5 DRIPPERS, PRESURE-COMPISATING  1GPH
$11.50 XC310 - PRESSURE REGULATOR (attaches to garden hose attachment)
$5.75   XC307 - 1/4" 50' PVC FEEDER HOSE (I only used about 4')
$2.50  XC245  - 1/4" HOSE/FAUCET CONNECTOR

The following are only required if you are doing more then 1 tank/Dripper.

$1.70 XC233   (10)1/4" T-Connectors
$1.95 XC341 (20) Hole Plugs (Used it you want to turn off a dripper and still use others.)

Canadian Tire
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1/4 HP sump pump with float switch.
Hose to attach sump pump to remove water

Optional
----------
Get a timer to reduce the amount of water that is changed over in the tank per week

Method:
1. Install a garden hose tap somewere close the the fish tank if you don't already have one.

1b. Optional install a garder water timer on the facet to decrease water dripper hours.

2. Attach XC310 - PRESSURE REGULATOR to the garden hose facet

3.  Attach XC245  - 1/4" HOSE/FAUCET CONNECTOR to the pressure regulator

4. Cut a piece of the XC307 - 1/4" 50' PVC FEEDER HOSE. I only used about 4' and push it into the end of XC245

5. Put 1 XC413  - 1 GPH Dripper into the end of the hose.

6. Mount the Dripper so it dripper into the tank

7. Hook the sump pump up such that it pumps excess water out or you sump out you sump pump hole (You caould also put it down a drain need the tank)

8. Turn on the water and tune the levels in you sump tank. Enuse you watch this very closely othereise you could have a flood.

Some examples.

Mine is running full out so
1 GPH x 24 Hours X 7 days = 168 Gallons per week turn over

So for a 90 you woudl most likely want the timer.

Say you want to change about 45 gallons per week you would set the timer to run about 6.5 Hours per day so 6.5 x 1 GPH x 7 Day gives about 45.5 Gallons of water during the week.

Hope this helps.
    Bruce

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