bigstick120

I just got a python last year, I dont know how I ever lived without it before!, Very nice DIY there folks!

Zapins

Interesting.

I used to do weekly water changes of 50% for two 55g tanks, a 38g and a 10g tank with a bucket... man did that take hours...

Then I took to siphoning the water out the window and filling up the tank with a 40ft hose hooked to the shower head. Something similar to Hoppy's setup. Much easier

Jdinh04

Mine is the same as Burks, just regular siphon and buckets

hoppycalif

Brian, is the water input flow so low you don't have to worry about cold water, chlorine or chloramine? I suspect you are using a private well for the water? That overflow system is really neat. The 45 gallon tank I just got has a drilled hole like that where I could do something like this. It appeals to my Rube Goldberg instincts! What is the worst that could happen if something fails?

bpimm

Hoppy, you're correct private well no chlorine or chloramine to deal with and the flow is very slow so temp is not an issue, in fact yesterday I turned it up to help cool the tanks down.

Worst case if the drain plugs-tank overflows. if a supply line breaks you get a wet floor.

You could add a solenoid and only run it when you are home.

I haven't had a problem so far, one close call last winter the drain line was dripping and the ice formed a inverted icicle and plugged the drain line, fortunately I caught it before I had a mess. I saw the first drip run down the outside of the tank.

how about a low voltage float switch in the tank to shut off the supply if the level gets to high?

I too seem to have these Rube Goldberg instincts.

hoppycalif

Would one of those drain strainers mounted on the drain pipe keep it from ever plugging? The supply line breaking doesn't bother me. I have had cannister filters running with that risk, plus the fact that they can siphon all of the water out pretty quickly. A check valve in the fill line would stop any siphoning thru the fill line.

Another question: I am a math major from college (along with other majors), but I forget how to come up with an equation for what percentage of the water is changed per day or week with such a system of slow, but constant water change. Do you know what it is? (I admit to being embarassed at having to ask this.)

Edit: My embarassment got the better of me! I looked it up in Wikipedia: The equation I found is at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilution_(equation)
Using that equation I ended up with the following: to find what inlet flow of water will replace half of the tank's water volume in one week, use this:
Water flow in drops per minute = 5 times the tanks volume So, for my 45 gallon tank it takes 225 drops per minute, or about 4 drops per second.
This isn't 100% accurate, but is accurate enough for doing EI weekly water changes this way. (Unless I made a mistake - who wants to check my math?)

EDIT Again: With a system like this, how would one dose Prime or other dechlorinator? I could dose the tank every day, for example, but that would mean a dose for the entire contents of the tank, daily, which would be a major expense for Prime. So how do you dose the drops of water entering the tank?

lildark185

Just to let everyone know, the phython no spill kit is on sale at petsmart.com http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...ext=python&N=2 Thats the link to the python. Most petsmarts match their online prices as long as you print it out and show them, but you should probably call in first. Enjoy.

bpimm

Yes that should work,setting the water level would be a little tougher tho.

This is from your simi-automatic water changes thread, it looks like a good system. it stated it cannot remain pressurized but at 2-3 PSI I doubt that it would be a problem.

I agree on your assesment of the risks associated keeping aquariums, I have had far more water in my carpet because of stupidity than I have from equipment failure. I proved this again tonight, I had a container of water sitting on my speaker next to my 80 Gal. I was acclimatising some new fish when I knocked the container (2 Liter pop bottle with the top cut out) over, it landed upside down fitting snugly between the tank stand and the speaker to my surprise it sat there on the carpet half full of water upside down. now what, I tried to slide a spatula under it to save some of the mess failing miserably ending up with the water except for about a teaspoon soaked into the carpet.

Brian

Sudi

I put a pump in a bucket witch is filled half way, it pumps everything to the sink or outside (the pipe is very long) and then I just reverse everything. With 75G it makes my life much easier I'll show pictures later

My uncle got me the pump and the whole set so it was free

Matt

bpimm

From another thread,

Let me start out by saying I am no chemist or biologist and my planted tank knowledge is dated so this idea comes from a non scientific, rusty brain so correct my where I'm wrong, and forgive me if I'm way out in left field picking daises.

If I understand this right the only output after a "Super-Activated" carbon filter would be ammonia.

Ammonia below 7.0 PH is in the form of ammonium.
Ammonium is the preferred form of nitrogen for plants.

depending on the quantity of ammonia released from the breakdown of the chloramines wouldn't this just be a supplemental source of ferts for the plants, assuming that the levels are low and the PH is maintained below 7.0?

Brian