PWC system

[Territoons]

I don't like buckets! But I do like my fish, and they like PWC's. Necessity is the mother of invention, they say, so this is the "schematic" drawing of my nifty little PWC system. I have it connected to two 10G and one 55G FW tanks. with this system I have been doing 2 - 3 "deep" water changes (probably about 30%-50%) of the tanks EVERY DAY (because I had a nitrate problem..seems to be under control, now) and NO BUCKETS REQUIRED! I am really pleased with this system. I'm sure there are better ways out there to do this, but I made this one up myself. DO ya like it? And questions/ Suggestions?

I change water so often in my tanks now, because it is so easy, that my fish all think they live in tidal pools!

 

[MrBeta]

That's pretty neat. I'm still lugging buckets since I'm in an apartment.

 

[Territoons]

I think you could do something like this in an apartment, with an indoor tank as a reservoir. I would just be concerned with the strength of the floor if you were in an upstair apartment?

 

[Dangora]

Great idea. Can really be personalized, also.

You could even automate this set up with some sensors and a controller.

 

[Bige]

So looking at your set up it seems overly complicated (unless i' looking at it wrong). If all tanks are plumbed together, just put a t-valve in that you turn off water coming from tanks to drain. Then have a valve that you turn to fill it. That may be what you are saying but your drawing seems more involved. Is this for fw? Sw has been doing thins for years. I use to have 2 400g tanks that I could change water in both tanks in under 10 min.

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Hey I like that set-up.. I need to take that into consideration when I set up my 2 tanks in the basement, I think I could make that work

 

[Territoons]

So looking at your set up it seems overly complicated (unless i' looking at it wrong). If all tanks are plumbed together, just put a t-valve in that you turn off water coming from tanks to drain. Then have a valve that you turn to fill it. That may be what you are saying but your drawing seems more involved. Is this for fw? Sw has been doing thins for years. I use to have 2 400g tanks that I could change water in both tanks in under 10 min.

Well....this is all new to me. I just kind of figured it out as I went along. The principal is simple....to be sure..but it took some head scratching to figure out how to implement it....

 

[Territoons]

Hey I like that set-up.. I need to take that into consideration when I set up my 2 tanks in the basement, I think I could make that work

That's cool! It sure works for me!

 

[ozorowsky]

Does anyone have any links on where I can look at other options/ideas for water changes?

I don't like the bucket thing myself, and need some form of easier system.

 

[Lady_Alia]

I've got a regular siphon hose from my lfs and bought 50 foot of extra tubing from the hardware store, put the tubing on the siphon and run it out the front door. Bought a 50 foot water hose and hooked it up to the kitchen sink, ran it to the tanks. I drain the tanks and fill em back up. What use to take me HOURS with buckets now takes half an hour. Cheap and easy, can't get much better than that!

 

[Territoons]

What about dechlorinating the tap water? You can't just pour chlorinated water into your tank without dechlorinating it first, it would kill the fish, wouldn't it?

 

[Lady_Alia]

I put prime into the tank before filling. I've never had a problem.

 

[The Editor]

Why not get a RO/DI filter attach it to your water mains, then run the system on continuously?

Admittedly you'd have a tiny rate of flow through the whole system, but you could have clean fresh water constantly trickling in and the soiled tank water constantly trickling out...

 

[Lady_Alia]

Because even though I understand the individual words you said, I have no idea what you're talking about! lol

 

[Lady_Alia]

Besides, my system works fantastically for me!!!!

 

[The Editor]

Lol fair enough... I tend to get carried away with these grand ideas, I like to over engineer my thoughts!

 

[BlackMagic]

pretty much the same as a betta drip sys.
but using tank instea of using contains.

 

[Retired_AF]

I bought one of the kits at the lfs with a 25-foot hose that attaches to a faucet just like the things used to fill water beds. It has the wide tube at the other end to vacuum the gravel with a removable slotted cover to prevent sucking up fry, shrimp or anything else that could get pulled into the tube.

When you turn the water on it creates a siphon and you remove as much water (along with the sediment or other nasties) as you want to replace. When you reach that point, pull the tube from the water and let the siphon empty the hose. To fill the tank you move a piece at the faucet end and the water is directed to the tank. I get my water from a well, so no chlorine issues. I take a half-gallon glass jar and add some water to mix the aquarium salt in, disolve the salt completely and pour it into the tank separately.

 

[ozorowsky]

Maybe I wasn't clear in what I'm trying to accomplish, or I'm not following you guys/gals.

I have a RO+DI filter that pumps water continuously into a storage container I have in my garage.

Currently I go in there dunk a bucket then haul it over to my tank.

I want to try to find an easier hose type thing that I can hook my pump to, or get some form of cheap suction pump that will allow me to pull water from that storage bin and fill my refugium.

Any thoughts?

 

[carey]

I just use rio pump and 3/4 inch hosing I got at home depot. I put the pump in the main water storage container and run it to my tank.