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

[Rcpilot]

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'm on a slab too. I do use a back bedroom as an office and was thinking about putting some equipment and supplies in the closet. Biggest concern is a tax audit. I plan to claim a sizeable home office deduction, but hear conflicting stories on what you can keep in that room and still claim the square footage as part of the office. It would be nice to use that closet, because that wall backs to a bathroom (water supply and drain for my RO unit).

 

[Flexin]

How loud is the DOS? I have an AWC design in mind and would result in mounting the DOS in the basement on the support beam. Not sure if there is enough noise/vibration to drive me crazy hearing it all the time.

 

[Breadman03]

I had a couple DOS running from new ASW>display>QT>waste, but broke it down to run Triton. I stopped Triton due to their supply chain challenges and am looking to set it back up, largely due to having some Latz clowns in QT. It can't hurt to have a 10% daily water change to keep parameters stable.

@Flexin, the noise from a DOS depends on how fast you are running them. I had mine set up to do the AWC between 0030 and 0700 so that we wouldn't hear it.

 

[kswan]

@Flexin, the noise from a DOS depends on how fast you are running them. I had mine set up to do the AWC between 0030 and 0700 so that we wouldn't hear it

Yah, they are loud if you run them fast. Mine is in the basement underneath the tank and I had to slow it down so I couldn't hear it upstairs.

 

[Oscar Bravo]

I have been thinking about doing an AWC. They sell what looks to be a good one made by AutoAqua. I like their ATO product but laser gives out after 2 years for sure.

 

[beaslbob]

Don't do water changes.

 

[trido]

Ive seen a couple tanks before and after with an auto daily WC. The results are always positive.

 

[Ditto]

I am currently doing AWC with a GHL Maxi Doser and GHL P4 at approx 2.3 gallons a day. My tank is a 100 gallon tank with a 48 gallon sump. I am doing over the 10% per week to compensate for some of my AWC is taking water that I already changed. I do the switch out at night in 5 intervals 1 hour apart. I utilize 2 float switches for high and low level, with two safety nets. One that I have a set max timer that AWC each time can take, the second is if for some reason my salinity drops to much because for example something went wrong both my ato and awc stop and alert me.

Some of the benefits I have noticed are the following:

Without the use of a reefgium doing the water changes at night seem to keep my PH swings lower.

My ORP swings are less and more consistent throughout the day and night.

I am dosing less componets as the saltwater is replenishing trace materials.

My coral are thriving and my fish are healthy.

Nice not to have to carry 5 gallon buckets of saltwater It all now in the mixing station, I mix 30’gallona of saltwater at a time and the GHL ProfiLux monitors both the tank and the mixing station salinity so always a perfect match.

My CUC are cleaning the sand bed

 

[Dancingmad]

I'd love to have an auto WC system. One day! But Shoot, I'm still living off the high of getting an ATO a couple years ago. I spent 8 years in the hobby making and carrying a bucket of fresh water every other day (at least) to top off my tank. ATO changed my life.

 

[Bmezz]

I set up a sweet system for my 180. Nice mixing station and use the same pump with a hose to pump the mixed water to the tank.
For taking water out I vacuum into a brute trash can on wheels that I put a discharge valve at the bottom.

No buckets!

 

[Vin's Reef]

Yea. The DOS is loud. But I just make the TV louder. And I run Triton but still use biopellets and I still do water changes. 5% daily in my 200. Love that since there's no heater the Red Sea salt elements don't precipitate out of solution (making your reservoir brown).

 

[Amado]

I do AWC on a 125 gallon. I change about 1.5 gallon a day using apex dos. I also add 1 gallon a day of fresh water with the ATO. I lose about a gallon a day to evaporation. Right now I am using the old tank water for a frag tank. Thinking about picking up a 2nd dos and using it on the frag tank. So I would pump out 1.5 gallon out of my tank and into the frag tank and then that will pump it out and be discarded.

 

[DarthSimon]

I also have been using an Apex DOS and configured it to do AWC's... I have it down to a science. Only manual labor I have to do is scoop the salt, and turn off my Add Salt Alarm.

As far as how it's helped me. It run an SPS Dominant tank, and doing water changes auto ensures keeping my water clean, and it also simply ensures I just do them. Takes the laziness out of me.

 

[jason.kennedy.98478]

It's one of those future projects along with a mixing station/bulk sw storage

 

[zcedric]

Build my own, 2 small plastic pumps and 2 floats, and a reservoir 20g.
Fill up reservoir, mix salt in it. Pump 1 is pump old water in to my sink.... till float 1 hit, other pump pumps fresh water into the tank till float 2 hit, and so on... haha
Why I am doing it... hmm lazy.. .. way easier this way.. and faster.. and no splashes of water all over.

 

[Flexin]

Yah, they are loud if you run them fast. Mine is in the basement underneath the tank and I had to slow it down so I couldn't hear it upstairs.

Maybe I should not mount it to the cross beam, I'm sure I will hear it. Thank you...

 

[SuncrestReef]

I set up my tank from day one for auto water changes. I drilled a hole through the wall between my living room and garage where I have my mixing station set up, and ran a conduit containing 1/4" tubing for both AWC and ATO. I use a Neptune DOS for AWC, and Neptune ATK for ATO, both drawing water from my 75 gallon storage tanks in the garage. I can't say whether it made any difference for the tank because this is my first and only tank. But it has eliminated the need for me to lug hoses or buckets into the house, so I'm really glad I did it.

 

[cracker]

I don't need the complication . All my barrels are on furniture rollers & no problems using these .

 

[KenO]

I’ve been using a Spectrapure Litermeter II for about 4 years. Great product. I had stopped for awhile and used it for dosing the Triton liquids. That was a disaster, Triton that is. Went back to BRS 2 part with the Balling lite liquids. Tanks are much better now. My Litermeter is back doing my AWC. I also use the Spectrapure ATO systems and the RO/DI auto on/off setup with a booster pump. All great products.

 

[Reefpuck]

Question, do you all have a pump running to keep your salt water mixed 24/7 for your AWC?...or just get it mixed initially then just let it sit stagnant until you need to mix more salt water up?