Water Changes or AWCs... is one better than the other?

MorganAtlanta · May 26, 2020

Switched to a pair of these Kamoer FX STP pumps from the DOS due to the noise level. The Kamoers are virtually silent and can run 24/7/365. Also way better than the dual-head Masterflex lab pump I had for a few years. With the Kamoers, I change 10ml/min continuously-- around 4 gallons a day.

FX-STP WiFi Peristaltic Continuous Duty Dosing Pump

Adjustable Flow Rate from 1mL to 120mL per minute, continuously! Made for calcium reactors, denitrators, gradual water changes, or any other fluid that you need to continuously transfer to your aquarium. The Kamoer FX-STP WiFi is compact and quiet, but the biggest feature is the ability to...

www.marinedepot.com

blstravler · May 26, 2020

I just started doing AWC with two Versa’s from EcoTech. I was going to go the Apex DOS route but I saw a few videos and the noise was very high. On a 90 gallon system I change about a gallon a day over the course of an hour and the pumps are virtually silent.

Laith · May 28, 2020

What I like about the Spectrapure system I have is that you enter the amount you want changed during the day and it runs 150 times during the day to change that amount. Even though the pumps run sequentially (water out then water in) the amount changed each of those 150 times is so small it has no impact whatsoever on my ATO setup.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 28, 2020

Laith said:
What I like about the Spectrapure system I have is that you enter the amount you want changed during the day and it runs 150 times during the day to change that amount. Even though the pumps run sequentially (water out then water in) the amount changed each of those 150 times is so small it has no impact whatsoever on my ATO setup.

That's what my setup accomplished too, except it was in out at the same time. mine ran for 20-24 x 15 minute periods spread through the day and night (24 being the limit of the number of settings on the home depot timer I had).

Tank volume never changed, unless I wanted it to slowly adjust salinity by intentionally slightly mismatching the in and out.

Laith · May 28, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
... unless I wanted it to slowly adjust salinity by intentionally slightly mismatching the in and out.

I forgot to mention that "feature" of the AWC system! ;Joyful

lefkonj · Jun 12, 2020

I do 5 gallons a day on my 180 automated. Best thing I have spent money on for my tank. I have a 60 gallon tank of salt water that does the AWS via Apex DOS at a rate of 5 gallons a day. Created stability in my tank.

It helps slightly with my Nitrate and Phosphate levels but it really helps with the other parameters of my tank, ALK/CALK/etc. They just don't really change at all. I do dose as well.