drip water change system

[ChicoRaton]

Ok, I searched the board, but couldn't find anything on these. Basically, you have an overflow on your aquarium, either a hole drilled, or an overflow box, like for a sump (if you had a sump the hole would be in the sump) and a supply of fresh water constantly drips in. The water that's still there after evaporation goes out the overflow and into the drain. this way, you can easily change 50, even 100% per week and not stress your fish at all. no dropping water level, no temp fluctuations, etc.

Now I don't think anybody would like me tearing up the floor to run plumbing into my bedroom, not to mention the prohibitive cost.

My idea is this, have two 5 gal buckets set up with a pump in one that pumps the water up to the tank, with the overflow running into the other 5gal. every day, shut off the pump, empty the dirty water bucket, fill the clean water bucket... think this would work?


Hmm, just thought of something. you'd have to rig up a float switch to keep the pump from running dry. anyway, what do you think? practical? ridiculous? ridiculously practical?

 

[RTR]

Do a search for the Meridian automatic water changer, distributed I believe by Aquarium Products. You should get some user reports from The Krib and despriptions allong with sources.

I don't use such here as I have no floor drains, but used it in the prior house without issues, it did a great job. I have considered setting some floor level sumps with float-switched pumps to pump waste water up to the sink drain, but have not ever bothered to set such.

If you have chloramines as the disinfectant in your water supply, you do need dual carbon filters inline to clear such prior to the tank.

HTH

 

[ChicoRaton]

Actually I have 0 chlorine/chloramine. I have well water. I think there's an air bubble in our pressure tank leading to high dissolved gases because whenever the water comes out it's always milky with little bubbles. I usually let it sit or stir it around to get it clear before I put it in my tank.

I'll look for that meridian device.

 

[JSchmidt]

I got one from That Pet Place, I believe. Or Drs. Foster and Smith.

Jim

 

[SnakeIce]

the air bubble is what makes your pressure tank a pressure tank.

water does not compress at all so there is no give for the well pump to build up that pressure unless there is an air pocket, usually about half of your pressure tank.

 

[ChicoRaton]

No, there's actually a butyl rubber bladder in pressure tanks. the metal cylinder that contains the bladder is pressurized. I'm saying there is probably a bubble inside the bladder from the time the well ran dry a while ago, causing the air to be exposed to the water under pressure, making it milky with little bubbles when the pressure is released(comes out of the faucet) if there wasn't the rubber bladder, the pressure tank would need re-charged if you opened the faucet if the power was out.