Ultimate water change system - Have I forgotten anything?

[TomK2]

Ok, I have set up a 55 gal tank. The room on the other side of the wall is the laundry room. A few minutes with a drywall saw and presto! All the filtration equipment is in the next room, out of sight and can't be heard. Petty cool so far. Next to the filtration in the laundry room is a 35 gal new garbage can, which will be filled with tap water (laundry room sink is right there), then aerated, heated to tank temp, and even carbon filtered with an old canister filter. I have a magdrive pump for the bottom of the holding tank, will connect it to hosing and an old siphon tube with strainer in the display tank - press a button and water pumps in. I was going to use another magdrive pump on laundry room floor connect to another old sipon tube with strainer to pump water out of the display tank. The water out pump will be connected to PVC pipe to get the water over to the sink by way of the unfinished ceiling, so there are no hoses criss-crossing the room.

So here is how it will work:

Flip switch on for "water out" pump. water goes out siphon/strainer, into pump, up pipes, over to sink. When desired amount is out, turn off pump. Then flip switch for "water in" pump, and prepared water from holding tank is pumped into tank. Use hose to refill holding tank and repeat as necessary! A hole will be drilled into the "water in" tube to break suction when the "water in" pump is turned off. The pipe that drains the water out pump into the sink will have the suction broken on that end as well, so that water stops flowing out when the out pump is turned off. Some water will be left in the pipes/hoses when the pumps are turned off, so that they will not be starting dry the next time.

Think it will work? will the remaining water in the pipes/hoses go putrid and foul the tank when I use the system again every 4 to 7 days or so? I have fantasized about making water changes as easy as just flipping a switch, and now I have a house that would permit this set-up. Anybody ever done this before? If so, how?

Tom -
- yes, I really did cut a hole in the wall so I could do this!

 

[TeenReefer]

Sounds pretty cool!

 

[hashbaz]

First off, I envy your system. But you did forget the computer to flip the switches for you. j/k I don't imagine that the water would go foul in only a week.

I don't understand how you are breaking the suction on the "water out" hose. - unless you have a high sink or a hole high above the sink. You probably already know this and have taken it into account - but the hole to break the suction needs to be higher than the water level in your tank.

Let us know how everything turns out.

 

[BrianNY]

Congrats Tom. I love the engineering that's often an off shoot of this hobby. I'm sure your system will work except...... How will you do gravel vacs?

I don't think anyone on AA changes more water than I do. Eight tanks up to 125gallons get almost daily water changes. I bought a pump from Jehmco which empties half of a 125g in about 5 minutes. It connects to a garden hose and I pump it out the window. I'm still filling with a python but hopefully that won't be for long.

 

[TomK2]

To break the suction on the water out circuit, I was planning on using a "tube within a tube" set up. At a level above the display tank, the pipe, probably half inch pvc, will stop. This final length of verticle pipe or hose will be placed inside of a larger pvc pipe (1 inch pvc? havent been to the hardware store yet) for a number of inches. The overlap of smaller pipe inside larger pipe would prevent leaks or water spraying, while the extra room of the larger pipe will allow air in to break the suction. Some of the water would end up flowing backwards towards the pump, maybe even a little backwash into the tank since the pipe will be up to the cieling, keeping the pump full of water for the next start. I cant think of any reason why this would not work. The display tank is just starting to be stocked and cycled now, so I was planning on building this in a few weeks. I would still have to periodically drag out the python hose to clean the gravel, but I could theoretically do daily water changes if I had enough prepared water in the holding tank.

This set up will work in my current house since the laundry room is only semi-finished and is right behind the display tank. In the past, I have dreaded water changes and all the buckets and hoses, and hated to do them. I didnt have a python then, but a python makes you put untreated water back in. I was thinking that heated, aerated, and filtered water would be better for the fish. I also figure a water change would take only about 2 minutes to do!

 

[BrianNY]

OK Tom, I'm curious. I need to mix RO and tap in order to assure my raising discus fry. Why do you NEED to store water for changes?

 

[TomK2]

Before this set up, I would just use warm city supplied tap water. Things were ok. I usually put it in a little warmer than tank temp. The tap water has additives in it, and I had no choice but to do this. I am pretty sure there is chlorine and or chloramine in the city-tap water, (but not in well water?). And who knows what else. My home aquarium library tells me that the best way to get chlorine and chloramine out of the water is to aerate it for up to a week. I have a spare air pump, and a spare canister filter. I figured I would fill up a 35 gal can, fill the canister filter with charcoal, and aerate/chemical filter the water. While doing this, I would use a spare heater to match tank temp. This should then be higher quality water than right out of the tap. Also, by having a holding tank, I could keep the plumbing connected to the tank, so that I could pump water out and then back in with a flip of the switch. A short hose would be needed to replenish the holding tank, instead of a 50 ft python.

By making the process easier, I figured I would do it more often. Granted, I have to build the plumbing, but I figure about 4 hours of work to make, and much aggravation saved over the life of the tank. The plumbing will be cheap, the only real outlay was for pumps. Plus I like to build things.

 

[FishLover14]

Very Very Cool setup, and anyone who would cut a hole in the wall for fish, is dedicated to fish!

Dan

 

[TomK2]

"First off, I envy your system. But you did forget the computer to flip the switches for you. j/k"

Hmmm. not a bad idea. Then perhaps I could add an inline food dispenser, and do remote water changes and feeding when I am on vacation!

 

[TomK2]

"OK Tom, I'm curious. I need to mix RO and tap in order to assure my raising discus fry. Why do you NEED to store water for changes? "

Oh, i get it. Perhaps this is more WANT than NEED. A strong desire to provide the best water, effortless changes, and satisfaction of designing and building something cool. Do my fish NEED it? I'll go as them

 

[hashbaz]

"A pipe within an pipe" - very clever. I had not though of that.

 

[jacktheknife]

my only concern is to make sure the garbage can is of a high enough quality plastic that it will not be toxic to the fish. check the recycling number on the bottom of the can- lower is better. i would go 2 or less if i could find it-- no more than 3.

 

[zao]

That is pretty cool Tom! I wish I could do something like that, my program is that I don't have a sink near by!

 

[BrianNY]

Sounds like I need to get you to NY in Feb when I begin my discus hatchery Tom.

My plan is to keep the 29g breeding tanks on the top racks and let gravity do most of the draining work. I'll drill the tanks and use bulkhead fittings. Then by lowering the drain pipe to the desired level in the aquarium, I can empty very quickly.

I believe I can have gravity do the fill as well. My holding tank will be a 200 gallon tower drilled at the base. By turning a ball cock valve, the weight of the water should be enough to fill 3 or 4 tanks at a time.

 

[TomK2]

my only concern is to make sure the garbage can is of a high enough quality plastic that it will not be toxic to the fish. check the recycling number on the bottom of the can- lower is better. i would go 2 or less if i could find it-- no more than 3.

uh- you have me on this one. I have never heard of a recycling number. Sure enough, I checked the bottom of the rubbermaid can and there is a recycling logo with a number 4 in it. What does this mean? Where can I find more info?

 

[TomK2]

Sounds like I need to get you to NY in Feb when I begin my discus hatchery Tom.

Brian, I actually grew up on Long Island, moved to Illinois about 20 years ago.

 

[poikilotherm]

Great system Tom! Brian, your valve appears to be obscene...

I will have to wait another coupla years before I'm in a place where I can mod the house for my tanks!

 

[BrianNY]

It must be spelled ballcock

spelling is not my long suit

 

[Montwo]

sorry for the language that had to be edited but you cut out the appology, now it doesn't have the same affect

 

[TomK2]

System is up and running. The tube within a tube syphon break works great. I am going to attach a few photos of the "Aqueous preparation center"(bottom image-display tank is in office on other side of wall) Yes I plan on organizing the wires and such one day. There is a magdrive pump in the holding tank for water into the tank. A magdrive pump in the rubbermaid for water out, clear hose up to pvc in the rafters. Pvc goes over to sink, 3/4 clear hose goes into larger 1 1/4 pvc(middle image). clear hose stops above tank level to break the siphon, pvc carries water into the sink so no spills (top image). I'll post a link when I get a chance to write up how I did it.