Poll: Do you have and auto water change system set up?

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

What AWC system do you have? Benefits? Negatives?

 

[dwest]

what awc system do you have? benefits? negatives?

Just started AWC 2 weeks ago with my liter meter 3. 1% per day on my 180 mixed. So far, so good. No changes in tank to report yet. Like the simplicity though....

 

[Kyl]

I'm thinking of going that route, getting tired of buckets on this 60g already and I know it's leading to putting off a WC an extra week, etc. My thoughts are to pick up another 25 or 50g Norwesco tank and make a stacked stand with the 25g tank I have been using for RO storage to gravity feed down into the salt tank when needed. If doing so I would most likely use a DOS with the John Guest fittings and RO tubing. That way I could run it up and over the 20~ feet to the tank between rooms, and tie into the waste water drain line from the RO unit.

I'd like to be doing about 10% a week on ~80 gallons of volume, so just over a gallon a day. Need to do a lot more reading on this though, especially the DOS users.

 

[B-ridge]

I have mine set up using 2 float switches in sump, controlled through apex
I take out 5 gallons a day Monday-Friday. Every morning at 10am. It’s set up with a high float switch and as low. Sump drains down to low switch. Pump stops draining the water. After about a minute and a half delay another pump set up in my saltwater reservoir kicks on and starts pumping water back into sump until it hits high float switch. This high float switch also doubles down as my ato. For fall back safe plan I timed how long both operations take. So if one of my float switches were to go pump would turn drain off in the amount of time it takes to drain 5 gallons. Same as putting water back into sump
Yes I’ve seen results. Everything stays so much stable. Replenishes some trace elements. No logging heavy buckets or taking water out manually anymore. All in all so much simpler. Sounds lazy which it probabky is but no more making excuses up not to do water change.

 

[Mortie31]

I’ve been doing them for 6 months, utilising my GHL P4 and maxi doser pumps. I have my mixing containers in my garage 60ft away, and my waste is 25 ft away from my tank. I use 7/5mm silicon tube throughout and the maxi’s have no issues with the distance at all. I’m currently doing 24 500ml changes a day which makes for about a 10% change per week. I also ATO my ATO container in the same way. Hard to say if it’s improved my tank as I’ve made a few other changes in the last few months as well, but my tank hasn’t looked better in years. Very important to me it has made my life easier..

 

[ThunderGoose]

Not doing this yet but it's in the plan. Carrying buckets up from the basement gets old.

 

[dbl]

I recently purchased a stenner pump to set one up. Just have to figure out how to get the lines from my water storage area to the tank. I'm on a slab so it's going to have to go through the attic!

 

[Greybeard]

Been thinking about it. Probably buy a DOS... Need to run some hose under the house.

 

[themcfreak]

I have been doing AWC with my DOS for a little over a year. Doing roughly 1% a day. The peace of mind knowing a water change is happening, vs me pushing it off another week, is worth it for me. Not to mention that it adds more stability, rather than 1 large water change.

 

[ca1ore]

Apex DOS also. Makes changes easier, certainly. I see no benefits to the tank health versus manual changes - nor would I expect to.

 

[Adele]

I have this on the horizon to plan and implement and AWC. As a consolation prize for not going to MACNA this year as previously planned I am going to buy and APEX and DOS system to eliminate this, least favorite (for me) aspect of reef keeping. I hope to cement stabilization of water parameters and would love to eliminate the "Jug jig" from garage to dining room which inevitably ends in back pain for the rest of the day.

 

[kswan]

I set one up using a DOS at approximately 1%/day. I was pretty consistent with water changes prior to setting up AWC so I can't say I've seen a huge difference. The difference for me has been reduced maintenance. Plus I don't heat my saltwater anymore which probably saves some energy vs running the DOS for a few hours/day.

 

[TLeTourneau]

We do manual changes but with dosing we do not do them as often as we did prior to dosing. I let the tests and visual water quality guide me on when to do changes.

 

[Rachelrat03]

Not doing this yet but it's in the plan. Carrying buckets up from the basement gets old.

oh yes i remember those days. we would siphon out water using a snake then pump water up through a tiny hole in the corner of the living room.

 

[rc1626]

Started about a month ago using an AutoAqua system. Works flawlessly thus far. I was missing water changes (lazy) so this helped bring consistency. Haven't seen any real difference in my tank since started.

 

[Kyl]

I set one up using a DOS at approximately 1%/day. I was pretty consistent with water changes prior to setting up AWC so I can't say I've seen a huge difference. The difference for me has been reduced maintenance. Plus I don't heat my saltwater anymore which probably saves some energy vs running the DOS for a few hours/day.

It will be less likely for precipitate too I believe.

 

[Dan Korczak]

This is defjnitely one of those things I would be happy to see “no change” about. If I could save a few hours of my time every week or two, I would consider it a smashing success on that alone.

 

[ScooterV]

I recently purchased a stenner pump to set one up. Just have to figure out how to get the lines from my water storage area to the tank. I'm on a slab so it's going to have to go through the attic!

I use a Stenner as well. Then again, I love the Stenner so have a row of them, lol. I have a dual head, dual control so I could measure which side had the lowest flow, put it on the one at 100% and then dial back the other side to 90%. I still trigger it manually though because the discharge side still isn't where it will end up eventually and I'll need to balance it again.

What I really like is just doing a quick water change, but collect the old water in a bucket to quickly fill QT tanks as needed

 

[reefwiser]

I use to do AWC while it was nice not having to worry about changing water it didn't help and kind of started a Dino issue. So I stopped and went back to a as needed Water change approach. So times one thing can cause other problems you never thought about. My old way allows better bottom of the tank cleaning and is gravity feed and only takes 10 minutes every few weeks.

 

[themcfreak]

I use to do AWC while it was nice not having to worry about changing water it didn't help and kind of started a Dino issue. So I stopped and went back to a as needed Water change approach. So times one thing can cause other problems you never thought about. My old way allows better bottom of the tank cleaning and is gravity feed and only takes 10 minutes every few weeks.

How did it start a Dino issue?