# Auto water change system ?



## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. so i herd you can get some kind of auto water change system i think it uses some kind of drip system. anybody know about these systems ? thought it might be good for discus keeping. Cheers


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## hdrob (Dec 6, 2010)

This is a nice setup. I'm just plumbing one right now for my 180g. Not as close to the drain though.

24 hour water changer - Arowanaclub Canada


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Good system if your city water has hardness. We installed similar systems in the Richmond location but the water in the system became too soft. It would have to be combined with some sort of buffer dispenser to maintain the mineral content of the system.


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

do you have water meter? if you do you need to consider the water cost. It is very straight forward either a top off system or a drip system and I prefer drip system as you only need a water supply and a drain.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

hdrob said:


> This is a nice setup. I'm just plumbing one right now for my 180g. Not as close to the drain though.
> 
> 24 hour water changer - Arowanaclub Canada


That is a nice system but looks expensive. anyone know how much ?


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

hondas3000 said:


> do you have water meter? if you do you need to consider the water cost. It is very straight forward either a top off system or a drip system and I prefer drip system as you only need a water supply and a drain.


Hello, can you explain how the drip system works ?


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

Well depend on your local water if you have so much chlorine in your area, water too soft or high ph then you need to add different filter for it. I am using two state filter similar to RO unit and I have carbon filter in it and it remove any chlorine in my tab water. You can either reduce the tap water presure down to 25 psi with adapter or just drip it straight out with what ever your tap water pressure is and this case it might blow up your drip system due to too much pressure. The system work very similar to your ice maker fridge, by using 1/8" tube tie into your cold water line and with a drip controller it will let you control how much and how many gallon you want to drip. Last is you need to have an over flow drain either in your tank or your sump and the water just drip in then over flow to the drain.


My system cost less then $100 since I bought 2 stage filter from depot when its on sale.


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## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

hdrob said:


> This is a nice setup. I'm just plumbing one right now for my 180g. Not as close to the drain though.
> 
> 24 hour water changer - Arowanaclub Canada


not sure if i missed something.... but on that video, it showed water going into the tank via 1.5gph drip straight from the tap (after the small canister setup). Then from the tank the water drains to the sump through the overflow system, and proceeds through the entire sump before draining into the second red sump. From there it then just goes back to the drain on the sink? Why would all the water go through the sump filter just to go out to the drain??? what did I miss?


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

I didn't get to watch the video but from the way you decribed it it didn't seem unlogical.

For freshwater set ups it's a breeze to hook it up, as for water being too soft over time one could add some crushed coral into a chamber of a filtration system to reharden the water before entering the main system.

This would make sense on a larger system with high bioload and would definately help if the sump came prepared with a drain already plummed on it.


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## hdrob (Dec 6, 2010)

Look at the level of the connection between the red tub and the sump. The water level in the sump should stay at the level of the connection. there is a pump in the sump that still circulates water through the tank and sump. hopefully that answers your question.



monkE said:


> not sure if i missed something.... but on that video, it showed water going into the tank via 1.5gph drip straight from the tap (after the small canister setup). Then from the tank the water drains to the sump through the overflow system, and proceeds through the entire sump before draining into the second red sump. From there it then just goes back to the drain on the sink? Why would all the water go through the sump filter just to go out to the drain??? what did I miss?


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Wouldn't this just run up your water bill? Maybe not. but surely the system could be open to abuse by others.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Edarion said:


> Wouldn't this just run up your water bill? Maybe not. but surely the system could be open to abuse by others.


Only if you're currently not changing any water. Whether you change 50 gallons a week or 10 gallons a day for 5 days, it's still 50 gallons, so why would it change your water bill?


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

But such a system might result in people changing more water than they would have if they did it manually though. Thus using more water.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Edarion said:


> But such a system might result in people changing more water than they would have if they did it manually though. Thus using more water.


Wow, imagine that...something that would be good for the fish.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

But running up water bills. esepcially important in the summer months


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Burnaby does not charge water by the meters yet. When was the last time you looked at your utility bills? Why is it important in the summer months? We live in a North American rainforest. The equivalent of the Amazon. Waste of water is important all times of the year, not just the summer.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Well at least in vancouver. Every summer they ration the water or something. That was what i was referring to.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Edarion said:


> Well at least in vancouver. Every summer they ration the water or something. That was what i was referring to.


They ration it to from idiots who sprinkle their lawns 17 hours a day....not sure how that affects tank water changes. So when was the last time you looked at a utility bill? I pay the ones for my household so I know how much every costs for my hobby and it's miniscule compared to my gas bill for my car.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

I look at them somewhat regularily. If one had a large enough tank and was doing these large water changes often enough. Would not they use the amount of water equal to these people who are watering their lawns.


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