KStatefan
2500 Club Member
I think you will need more pump than that to get up 10 ft and 80 ft of pipe. The down at the other end will cancel out some of the up but you still have to have enough to get up on the initial start.
Automatic water changes
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csund
Active Member
You could look into diaphragm pumps.Hello everyone, I am attempting to make a water changer that is automatic ish. Or at least a plug n play style . I know they sell small ones but I have a 400 gallon system. I have a guy that delivers a 250 gallon drum of ocean salt water outside then I run a hose from one side of my house to the other. Typically I drain my system a couple hundred gallons and then fill it up. I’m getting tired of doing a lot of work, also I worry when I stress the coral out and keep them out of water. So I would like to turn one pump on and another pump on and drain and fill at same time. I’m going to run three-quarter inch piping probably through my attic and down through the wall behind the tank into the sump. I’m trying to keep it hidden so it will pump into the sump on one side and pump out the sump where it goes through the sock. (Can’t do anything on top of tank for aesthetic preference) My question is does everybody on here feel the mag drive pumps are strong enough to pump 10 foot up in the air? Or does anyone know of an automatic water changer that is strong enough to run 60-80 feet of line each way with some upwards thrust? Thank you
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Agree. I used a dual head Reef Filler for this purpose, but I don't think they are available any more.
Reef Republica
Community Member
I love this! It’s cleanly installed and looks amazing but also does the job! Awesome man! Goals.I have a 330 gallon tank and have a 110 gallon salt water reservoir and mixing station located in the garage. I perform a daily 4-5 gallon water change over 12 hours. I routed 1/4" tubing 10-12' up into the attic space and it ends up being an approximately 100' horizontal run to the tank. I do a small daily automatic water change with the neptune DOS. I have the DOS in the garage due to the noise and also ran a 125' aquabus cable from the Apex at the tank to the garage to run the DOS.
It will cover the distance and height you are talking about, but it won't be able to perform the style of water change you are currently performing. I believe it can do up to 30 gallons over 24 hours.
Thank you!
In case it's helpful at some point, here's a parts list. Many variations on the theme, but here's the specific setup I used.
Large Build - SDReef's 330G CDA Acropora Dominant Mixed Reef
Tank is looking great!!! Thank you! I'm trying to have patience to let the system mature. I feel like I'm transferring a new "tester" coral in the system daily now, but it is nice to see some flow and color in the system now.
www.reef2reef.com
More details about setting up the automatic water change:
Mixing Station / Automatic Water Change
I have been planning out a 300 gallon build, and wanted to make the maintenance easier and minimize carrying water through the house. So finally put together the mixing station located in my garage and have started using daily automatic water changes with a DOS on my current tank. I routed...
www.reef2reef.com
Tub Life
Active Member
Where do you drain your waste water? Is it near the sump?
Can you Tee off your overflow line going to your sump? Have that go to the direct to the drain.
Have a hardline from your garage or close proximity to where the outside resevoir is with a hose barb. Run that to the return section of your sump. When the new water gets delivered, grab your pump with a hose already attached, and connect it to the barb. Pump to your return section going to display.
And switch the Tee on your overflow line to dump the old water at the same time.
It will kind of replicate what you are doing now except with less effort.
Personally I have no issue with this method of a large volume change. Corals out of the water for a short period of time shouldn't harm the corals, corals are often out of the water in harsher elements on shallow reefs during different tides. I also feel like these large changes promote health and resilience in the corals, spawning events and anemone splits!
IMO, I would still do the drain first and fill second, to get the most value out of your new water, especially since you said you get more than ordered and needed.
But having said that, since you are getting extra water, the nominal loss of the method I described above of draining from sump and filling at sump return area simultaneously would be more than an acceptable loss to me.
Just some things to consider.
Can you Tee off your overflow line going to your sump? Have that go to the direct to the drain.
Have a hardline from your garage or close proximity to where the outside resevoir is with a hose barb. Run that to the return section of your sump. When the new water gets delivered, grab your pump with a hose already attached, and connect it to the barb. Pump to your return section going to display.
And switch the Tee on your overflow line to dump the old water at the same time.
It will kind of replicate what you are doing now except with less effort.
Personally I have no issue with this method of a large volume change. Corals out of the water for a short period of time shouldn't harm the corals, corals are often out of the water in harsher elements on shallow reefs during different tides. I also feel like these large changes promote health and resilience in the corals, spawning events and anemone splits!
IMO, I would still do the drain first and fill second, to get the most value out of your new water, especially since you said you get more than ordered and needed.
But having said that, since you are getting extra water, the nominal loss of the method I described above of draining from sump and filling at sump return area simultaneously would be more than an acceptable loss to me.
Just some things to consider.
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
Watch out for syphoning with the X2SR
csund
Active Member
If the OP could spread the water change out over a duration of a few days this may work and relatively affordable. There are other more industrial options but the cost could be prohibitive.
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
Sure, as a peristatic pump it should not syphon, however myself and others have experienced an issue where if the pump head stops at a particular position (around 7 o'clock) water can syphon from the tank to waste if the waste is below sump level. The rollers do not pinch the tube tightly just at that one position.
Your pump may be fine, just keep an eye on it, as the ATO function will happily top up the tank with fresh water to replace the slowly syphoning salt water.
Sordfish
Active Member
Thanks. That’s worrisome. My waste line will go to a floor drain so it’ll be below sump level. I’ll definitely keep an eye out. Does this affect all units or does changing out the head with a new one fix it?
dangros
Well-Known Member
Curious how this has done since this post.I have a 330 gallon tank and have a 110 gallon salt water reservoir and mixing station located in the garage. I perform a daily 4-5 gallon water change over 12 hours. I routed 1/4" tubing 10-12' up into the attic space and it ends up being an approximately 100' horizontal run to the tank. I do a small daily automatic water change with the neptune DOS. I have the DOS in the garage due to the noise and also ran a 125' aquabus cable from the Apex at the tank to the garage to run the DOS.
It will cover the distance and height you are talking about, but it won't be able to perform the style of water change you are currently performing. I believe it can do up to 30 gallons over 24 hours.
It's worked out very well. The impeller for the mixing pump broke at some point and I replaced it. I replaced one of the DOS heads at one point as well. That's all routine maintentance. Otherwise, I've been happy with the design of the mixing station set up, and it's been in continuous use for the past three years.
dangros
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply @sdreef
I had 2 DoS units. Motor died in one, then the other.
They worked fine for another couple years then lightening hit my yard and blew both out along with my apex.
Never replaced the DoS units due to the first 2 failures and the noise. Widget now works in the basement where they run. Need something that can do a good gallon or 2 a day during the night maybe.
I had 2 DoS units. Motor died in one, then the other.
They worked fine for another couple years then lightening hit my yard and blew both out along with my apex.
Never replaced the DoS units due to the first 2 failures and the noise. Widget now works in the basement where they run. Need something that can do a good gallon or 2 a day during the night maybe.
That makes more sense, lol. Yeah that's why I have the units located in the garage to mitigate the noise issue. The mixing station is located in the garage but the apex is next to the tank. The 125' aquabus cable wasn't cheap, but well worth it.
dangros
Well-Known Member
Garage isn’t an option for me. Routing would be a nightmare and temps drop below freezing in northern va.
So basement it is. I just need a reliable pump that can easily do 1.5gallons a night. am curious how maxi compares to DoS
louisp
New Member
thanks for posting this @gbroadbridge This is exactly what I am experiencing now. This is second time I have come to find my salinity drastically dropped after a water change. Turns out the xs2r was slowly siphoning water from the tank and the ATO was filling it with fresh water. Does Kamoer have a fix for this? I have an open ticket on the coralvue website but haven't heard anything back yet.
I also notice the new saltwater water line siphons back sometimes as well, but as this tube doesn't sit in the water, it only siphons out what's in the tube. this means it needs to get fully primed again when this happens.
Did you come to any remedy for this?
Randy Holmes-Farley
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One sure remedy is a siphon break near the top of the line.
I do that for a dehumidifier with an internal pump. It pumps out of thin plastic tubing which I stuck into an open garden hose end up near the basement ceiling. The hose then gravity drains to a laundry sink. Nothing can back siphon except what is in the thin tubing.
