Auto water changes? Good? Bad?

[bullseyereef]

Morning everyone, I have been throwing the idea around of setting up auto water changes on my reef.
Everyone knows that water changes seem to be the best way to replenish the water with the necessary trace elements along with nutrient control.
For people who have set this up on their tanks, how has the system benefited from it?
Or is it easier to dose the tank and trace elements and run GFO and other chemicals to keep nutrients in check?
Curious to what people have experienced from both methods.

 

[Timfish]

Water changes are the best way to get rid of the hydrophilic DOC that promotes pathogenic shifts in the coral holobiont/microbome which can't be removed with skimmers or GAC. It seems to me the best way to do water changes is the method that is easiest for you to do consistantly. Even if someone sets up an automated water change system though, siphoning out nuisance algae with a water change is an effective way to deal with it.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Good. Anything that allows me to perform the maintenance needed while I sit on the couch and admire the tank is good. My philosophy is that if maintenance is hard, it won't get done often enough.

 

[bullseyereef]

Good. Anything that allows me to perform the maintenance needed while I sit on the couch and admire the tank is good. My philosophy is that if maintenance is hard, it won't get done often enough.

i like that thinking lol

 

[Arego]

For me, I like the least amount of software and moving parts as possible. I've tried everything and I went back to simply kalk in the ato and dosing 10ml every few days of red sea abcd, no water changes anymore, fully mixed 250g.

There seemed to always be something, and when nothing was wrong I would wait for the next hiccup. I just went back to basics. I wish I would have just kept it simple from the beginning that's for sure. Besides passive carbon in a bag and scooping a few tablespoons of kalk in my ATO, red sea abcd every few days and I can go sit and not worry about all kinds of things I used to, most failures on moving water around can be costly.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Morning everyone, I have been throwing the idea around of setting up auto water changes on my reef.
Everyone knows that water changes seem to be the best way to replenish the water with the necessary trace elements along with nutrient control.
For people who have set this up on their tanks, how has the system benefited from it?
Or is it easier to dose the tank and trace elements and run GFO and other chemicals to keep nutrients in check?
Curious to what people have experienced from both methods.

cons -
they can be expensive
they can be annoying to setup
malfunction risk
cannot suction

pros-
can be very accurate
saves lots of time
cool
can be integrated with monitoring software

 

[Dburr1014]

I'm going to be setting one up in the new year so I need to follow this thread. DOS will be under the tree at Christmas and right now I'm looking for 15/30 gallon barrels.
I've gotten lazy on the water changes so this will definatly help me.

 

[BrianReefer]

Have had AWC for years. Spectrapure Litermeter - expensive but reliable. Just need to monitor salinity a little more frequently (weekly) to make sure in/out are staying balanced…

 

[bullseyereef]

I'm going to be setting one up in the new year so I need to follow this thread. DOS will be under the tree at Christmas and right now I'm looking for 15/30 gallon barrels.
I've gotten lazy on the water changes so this will definatly help me.

same boat, thinking of doing the same after the new year

 

[bullseyereef]

cons -
they can be expensive
they can be annoying to setup
malfunction risk
cannot suction

pros-
can be very accurate
saves lots of time
cool
can be integrated with monitoring software

whats expensive? salt, DI resign, filter?
if math is correct for the amount i want to change per day, i can go 100 days before mixing salt or making more water

 

[Gtinnel]

whats expensive? salt, DI resign, filter?
if math is correct for the amount i want to change per day, i can go 100 days before mixing salt or making more water

The pump is the expensive part usually

 

[bullseyereef]

The pump is the expensive part usually

oh ok gotcha, expensive meaning building the system.

 

[Gtinnel]

oh ok gotcha, expensive meaning building the system.

I wasn't the one that posted it but yes building the system.
I use brute cans for my mixing station placed on a basic 2x4 frame with one above the other. I have them plumbed together to where I just open a valve to gravity feed the fresh rodi water into the bottom can to mix in the salt. To mix the salt I use an old cheap pump that I had sitting around.
For my AWC pump I use an old Masterflex with a cartridge style head pump. I do not get the same amount of water in as it pulls out so I have to slightly adjust my salinity to compensate.
I was able to do my setup fairly cheaply and I'd say I have around $400 into it, which compared to many setups isn't bad at all.

I found as I was manually changing water I would get lazy and skip doing it from time to time, which is why I setup an AWC. I love having it and probably wouldn't do a large tank without using one.

 

[SlugSnorter]

whats expensive? salt, DI resign, filter?
if math is correct for the amount i want to change per day, i can go 100 days before mixing salt or making more water

oh, i misunderstood, i thought you wanted a system that filtered water into a vessel, mixed it, and then drained the DT to add the new water. Regardless if your using Apex stuff and good RODI equipment its not exactly cheap