Water changes automated...

[Mugwump]

Rick Borstein of the Greater Chicago Cichlid Association (GCCA) put this together for a club meeting. It's very well done and is informative, as all his presentations usually are.......a big thanks goes out to him for a fine effort......

goo.gl/qiPZz5

[wsantia1]

Very interesting. I've evolved to using the python with the water pump to drain. Runs into the toilet bowl in the basement. I then hook up a python to the utility sink in the laundry room to refill. Works well but I have to keep my eye on it.

[Mugwump]

I drain with one hose while filling other tanks at the same time....I'm pick'n up another drain hose too....and possibly plumbing out the fill from the tub with valves over head.........it's in the plans anyway......

have tried draining to the sump pit?...just screen the waste with a couple old nets.....

[wsantia1]

The toilet in the is right in the basement is about 5 feet from the sump. It works great. No filtering of waste involved. lol

[BillT]

Nice set-up, but he had too much new copper and solder (copper, zinc, lead) in his control area.
It could lead to dissolved metals in the water although not such a problem in hard water areas (hard water reduces heavy metal toxicity).
I live in a soft water area.

[BallAquatics]

I like Brian's system better.  Much simpler and gets the same results.....

http://www.brianstropicals.com/pages/My-basement.html

When you go into Brian's basement it sounds like the Amazon jungle with all those dart frogs mating.  LOL

Dennis

[Mugwump]

Nice set-up, but he had too much new copper and solder (copper, zinc, lead) in his control area.
It could lead to dissolved metals in the water although not such a problem in hard water areas (hard water reduces heavy metal toxicity).
I live in a soft water area.

Bob knew what he was doing. It was built with the supply water in mind.

I like Brian's system better.  Much simpler and gets the same results.....

http://www.brianstropicals.com/pages/My-basement.html

When you go into Brian's basement it sounds like the Amazon jungle with all those dart frogs mating.  LOL

Dennis

Brian's is a drip system, I like that....Bob's is more a fill system, I believe....

[BallAquatics]

I'm not sure why he calls it a drip system because the water is pumped into the tanks just like Bob's set-up.  I like the way it's on a timer and does water changes every 3 hours, and the fact that you can set the % of water that gets changed by adjusting the valve for the water coming in.

I'm hoping to get to visit Brian's fish room this fall.....  it's been a couple of years since I've been there.

Dennis

[Mugwump]

I'm not sure why he calls it a drip system because the water is pumped into the tanks just like Bob's set-up.  I like the way it's on a timer and does water changes every 3 hours, and the fact that you can set the % of water that gets changed by adjusting the valve for the water coming in.

I'm hoping to get to visit Brian's fish room this fall.....  it's been a couple of years since I've been there.

Dennis

...take notes.... .....LOL   I wish I had set up either one........

[BallAquatics]

The first time I was in Brian's fish room, I kept thinking of Jurassic Park.....  "We spared no expense"  It is super nice, but he's probably got more invested in just his racks than I have in my whole room.  LOL

Dennis

[Mugwump]

The first time I was in Brian's fish room, I kept thinking of Jurassic Park.....  "We spared no expense"  It is super nice, but he's probably got more invested in just his racks than I have in my whole room.  LOL

Dennis

I'll bet....mine too....    

[Ron Sower]

Is there a way out there to do one without drilling the tanks? I think I;ve seen one but just cant remember where!

[Mugwump]

Is there a way out there to do one without drilling the tanks? I think I;ve seen one but just cant remember where!

I think Jehmco sells a pvc rig that serves as/like an overflow/drain...??.....JC might have posted about it....I'll look around...

here's the fill thread...
http://www.mugwump-fish-world.com//index.php?topic=4937.0

Jehmco fittings, etc...
http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_siphon_aquarium_drain.html

[BillT]

Jehmco fittings, etc...
http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_siphon_aquarium_drain.html

There are a lot of fish rooms I have seen that use things like this to drain water.
They work like a siphon and therefore can be broken like a siphon if too much air gets into the tube.
This can lead to overflows if the tank is being filled and can make them difficult to set up (there are several work-arounds for that)

[Mugwump]

Jehmco fittings, etc...
http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_siphon_aquarium_drain.html

There are a lot of fish rooms I have seen that use things like this to drain water.
They work like a siphon and therefore can be broken like a siphon if too much air gets into the tube.
This can lead to overflows if the tank is being filled and can make them difficult to set up (there are several work-arounds for that)

They were designed more for water changes, and removed when done.....but some had holes drilled to aid the siphon effect...