Automatic Water changes. It doesnt get any better then this.

[jg93]

Peanut- Correct me if you have found other info but: Its 75gpd for both pumps. Each one does 37.5 gpd. So it is 1.5G per hour. I hope your right though.

I've tested this personally, for me it's 1.5G/Hour with the 75GPD dual head pump.

 

[Peanut]

I've tested this personally, for me it's 1.5G/Hour with the 75GPD dual head pump.

Wow...that sounds like false advertising lol

 

[FLipp]

that's so clutch!

 

[Sacohen]

Well 1.5G/H comes to 36 G/D and over 2 pumps it's 72 G/D.
Pretty close to what is advertised.

 

[bearjohnson]

Great Thread! Thanks for giving me ideas! LOL

 

[best3175]

Legit.

Subscribed

 

[AquamanE]

Did you go with 1/4 or 3/8 on the hose? why?

Peanut- regarding that question, it comes with approx 50 feet (didnt measure it but thats what it looked like) of 1/4" tubing, but it includes the fittings for both 1/4", and 3/8". It also comes with 4 of the peristalsic tubing, so one set to start and another set for you first change. Im planning on waiting a year since its only on 1.5 hours per day, it sits inside the house under a/c. Also included are two of the weighted strainers you see in the pics.

So for the money you really do get a complete setup ($265-4280), unless you need more tubing than what it comes with, and that stuff is cheap.

We spend tons of money on the latest lights, even if the ones we have work but they arent the coolest out there. We spend $100 on a coral without thinking about it. This device will totally change ur reef keeping experiance.

 

[Electrobes]

Man I would so go after this.. then I realized I have a marine gravel bottom that benefits from a siphon vacuum, doh! Awesome thread and build, thanks for sharing!

 

[Railcar79]

Personally I dont see the point for automatic water changes. To me it seems like another degree of seperation between the tank and the owner, and a lazy thing to do, but that is just me.

 

[udsmkh]

Personally I dont see the point for automatic water changes. To me it seems like another degree of seperation between the tank and the owner, and a lazy thing to do, but that is just me.

Have a tumor removed from your spinal cord and you will welcome all the automation you can get in his hobby. lol

 

[Sacohen]

Personally I dont see the point for automatic water changes. To me it seems like another degree of seperation between the tank and the owner, and a lazy thing to do, but that is just me.

Spend the better part of your day lifting your 60lb 10 year old son out of a wheelchair and not having to lift a 5 gallon bucket of water 3 or 4 times is a nice relief.
Plus automating the water change or anything allows me more time to spend with him or enjoy the tank.

 

[ReeferEric]

Personally I dont see the point for automatic water changes. To me it seems like another degree of seperation between the tank and the owner, and a lazy thing to do, but that is just me.

I don't get why people like you post comments like this. It's ignorant as these other guys have expressed why they need it. This thread is about sharing ideas and improving the system. I see a lot of ideas that I'll be incorporating into my system once I get things in line.

I on the other hand am lazy, so I admit it. LOL

 

[Chris155hp]

Here's my setup

http://youtu.be/Y3Gy4yxa2zw

 

[Sacohen]

Nice setup.

 

[Softylover]

this is the official program that I developed to make it work on my pico- and yes, I did use a Reef Keeper Elite. and yes, I ran this setup flawless for 2 years with no problems- only reason I ceased using it, I moved into a new home, and just never got back around to setting up my pico tank since the move last May.

3 Cups of water to be changed during water change period. There are 16 cups per Gallon. 2X a day (6 cups total) times 7 days = 2.625 gallons of water change per week- nearly 100% water change weekly in the picotope!



1. Use three channels on my RKE PC4
a. Ch2, programmed as a multi timer (assigned to timer 1) activating every day at 8:00pm (old water out). Siphon break device would prevent any farther amount of water from being removed than desired. Pump is assigned to be on for 6 minutes 40 seconds. And off for 11 hours and 53 minutes and 20 seconds (8am) and run for 6 minutes again for a second water change in 24 hour period.
b. Ch3, programmed as a switch, with a standard float switch controlling it. (this channel is my normal auto top off)
c. Ch4, programmed as multi-timer (assigned to timer 2) activating every day at 8:07pm (new water in) . This timer is assigned to be activated on for 6 minutes and off for 11 hours and 54 minutes (8:07am ) and run for 6 minutes (second water change period of 24hours). This offers plenty of time to refill the tank. Float switch will turn off the pump at maximum level.
d. Alarm 1 is activated by ch2 or ch4 turning on. It is assigned to Ch3. (this turns off my ATO while the old salt water drain pump is on or if the new salt water feed pump is on)
e. Alarm 2 is activated by float switch. When the float switch opens (upper limit) it turns off Ch4.

2. Pump assignments
a. Aqualifter pumps are assigned to channel 2 and channel 4 for auto water change pumps
b. Air pump is assigned to channel 3 for ATO.

I came back and installed the float switch on the fresh salt water to shut off the system in the event of depleting and preventing a full water change from taking place.

Setting this up today after I move my lights to a digital timer

 

[Railcar79]

I don't get why people like you post comments like this. It's ignorant as these other guys have expressed why they need it. This thread is about sharing ideas and improving the system. I see a lot of ideas that I'll be incorporating into my system once I get things in line.

I on the other hand am lazy, so I admit it. LOL

I am trying to understand why so many people try to do this. Is there a benefit I am missing that would be better for my tank? Is there a practical purpose outside of carrying buckets. I do not ask to denegrate the accomplishment, but to learn

 

[Softylover]

I am trying to understand why so many people try to do this. Is there a benefit I am missing that would be better for my tank? Is there a practical purpose outside of carrying buckets. I do not ask to denegrate the accomplishment, but to learn

Smaller water changes daily help to simulate the ocean and the waves bring fresh water in and taking old water out... And the buckets lol

 

[Ian Eisenberg]

Plus stability.

 

[NeveSSL]

I am trying to understand why so many people try to do this. Is there a benefit I am missing that would be better for my tank? Is there a practical purpose outside of carrying buckets. I do not ask to denegrate the accomplishment, but to learn

I would have to ask why you would NOT want to automate water changes? For that matter, why automate the movement of water from a sump to your tank? Just do it by hand. Its lazy to have a pump do the work for you.

The only reason I can think of is because you enjoy doing water changes. If you do, fantastic. I am far too lazy and want to enjoy my reef more than work on it, so I am working on automating my water changes, along with everything else.

Thanks for sharing this, AquamanE! I just picked up a Cole Parmer 7543-10 for $45 to set this up for myself.

Brandon

 

[Sacohen]

There are plenty of reasons to automate water changes or automate anything.
There are plenty of people who buy automatic feeders.

I was dealing with a guy in the military in Afghanistan on the Reef Angel forum and he is looking at getting a controller to tank care of his tank while he is away and take as much of the of the maintenance off his wife's shoulders.