Automatic (Drip) Water Changes

[TMik]

2007-04-12

I would like to hear from anyone who has experience with automatic drip/overflow water change systems.

Specifically, I am curious to know what rate of change is used (in a 100 Gallon system, how many gallons would be "flushed through" per week) as well as general pros & cons of such systems.

Thanks a bunch.


Terry

[Dan Woodland]

2007-04-12

I would like to hear from anyone who has experience with automatic drip/overflow water change systems.

Specifically, I am curious to know what rate of change is used (in a 100 Gallon system, how many gallons would be "flushed through" per week) as well as general pros & cons of such systems.

Thanks a bunch.


Terry

My system adds 5 gallons of 80 degree water twice a day in a tank that size.

Dan

[dogofwar]

I built an auto water changing system for my fishroom that has worked pretty well for a couple of years.

There are two components to such as system:

1) Water in
2) Water out

For Water in:
- 150G rubbermaid tub (room temp in the summer and heater in the winter w/auto top off)
- Large Mag pump on a timer to drive water from the tub to a
- Drip irrigation system hanging from the ceiling with
- Pressure regulated drip emitters / tubing to each tank
- I use 2 gph emitters. I have two-three tubes feeding larger tanks
- I have an alternate hose-fed line without the emitters (i.e. just tubing to each tank) for larger water changes...

For Water out:
- DIY siphon-type overflows made out of PVC
- Connected to PVC drain to the yard

I run the system for a little over 1 hour per day and put about 100g of water into the 30 tanks in the fish room.

Most 40g breeders receive about 2.5g per day and larger tanks (125s and 75s) get double or triple that (about 5-7 g per day).

I also do a once or twice per week larger change with a gravel vac on the tanks with gravel usually once every week or two.

Setting up this system has been awesome. Sometimes I worry about doing too many water changes (since it's as easy as turning on the water)...

[Dan Woodland]

Setting up this system has been awesome. Sometimes I worry about doing too many water changes (since it's as easy as turning on the water)...

There is no such thing as too many water changes! A fish in the wild receives tens of thousands of gallons of "fresh" water per minute! A few gallons a day we privide is like spitting in the Ocean! Dan

[dogofwar]

Amen to that

Whenever anyone asks me the "secret" to healthy fish, lot's of water changes is what I tell them...

[Marius Purcel]

The way I see it I do my water changes weekly 50-80% every week, Sunday nights.

...however, anytime during the week if I feel bored, or I have time on my hands I do another water change.

Clean, fresh water means healthier fish.

[PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn]

Setting up this system has been awesome. Sometimes I worry about doing too many water changes (since it's as easy as turning on the water)...

There is no such thing as too many water changes! A fish in the wild receives tens of thousands of gallons of "fresh" water per minute! A few gallons a day we privide is like spitting in the Ocean! Dan

that is if the water chemistry stays stable.

you could do 100% a day IF the water parameters (obviously not DOC) are the same, fluctuations in pH would be detrimental for the fishes health.

as a point of interest. the discus breeders in Singapore, do 90% a day or even twice a day on their tanks. I attended a talk by Bernd Degen, in which showed the tanks tat these discus were in. at water change time, the discus were lying on their sides, before it was topped off again. (curious thing, these tanks were unfiltered. the water was aerated in large holding tanks before getting pumped in, but that was it. no heaters or filtration on any of the tanks.)