Beginning my 40 GPD Drip system

[billberet]

ok I finally started my project I've always wanted to do. A drip system. In order to almost eliminate water changes, i'll be dripping water at a rate of 40 gpd through a carbon block.

benefits of a drip system is creating a stable water column. by diluting 40 GPD, the nitrates will always be decreasing. then you only have to do a partial water changes every 4-5 months... depending on your system and stock.

some drip systems use a drip valve at the end of the line to regulate how much is dripped, I found this getting clogged, so I decided to go with a pressure regulator. MUCH better and never had a clog.

this is a mess at the moment, I'm just testing the flow and determining final placement

40 gpd are dripped into the tank constantly, after it passes the carbon block.

all excess water goes through my overflow and to a drain.
which in my case, it overflows into another tank and a pump extracts the water when it detects it.

 

[lksdrinker]

This is something I've been planning on implementing in my fishroom for quite a while now. What are your plans to secure the drip line in/above your tank?

 

[billberet]

This is something I've been planning on implementing in my fishroom for quite a while now. What are your plans to secure the drip line in/above your tank?

it's a mess now, but I plan to mount it on the wall next to the tank, you want to have access when you need to change your carbon block. and the fact that you are only dripping the water through the block, it will last a LONG time until you have to replace them. I have a TDS meter before and after the filter so I can see the status of my carbon block. I didn't install it yet, not till I make my permanent mount. I did a lot of research on different types, I tried several 'cheap' versions, and you get what you pay for. I spent a little more money to get the filter and the pressure regulator, and it was worth every penny. you can't put a price on piece of mind !!

i'll post some more pics of the overflow and whole system once I have everything mounted. but so far I am extremely happy with how things are working. and the fish love it.

 

[billberet]

OOPS, you said drip line, sorry!!

yea I plan to mount the drip line above the tank and have it drip right in. help aerate the water a little by disturbing the surface water.
i'll pick a corner that is not viewable from the outside.
I'm in my fish room, behind the scene, you view the tank from the outside.

like this

 

[lksdrinker]

it's a mess now, but I plan to mount it on the wall next to the tank, you want to have access when you need to change your carbon block. and the fact that you are only dripping the water through the block, it will last a LONG time until you have to replace them. I have a TDS meter before and after the filter so I can see the status of my carbon block. I didn't install it yet, not till I make my permanent mount. I did a lot of research on different types, I tried several 'cheap' versions, and you get what you pay for. I spent a little more money to get the filter and the pressure regulator, and it was worth every penny. you can't put a price on piece of mind !!

i'll post some more pics of the overflow and whole system once I have everything mounted. but so far I am extremely happy with how things are working. and the fish love it.

No I specifically mean the airline that is going from the carbon block to the tank. If that were to fall out of place you'd have quite a mess on your hands!

 

[billberet]

it will be mounted with clamps. i'll make sure that won't move, i'll print out some brackets that will latch it to the tank.

 

[billberet]

OK, made some more progress

the drip system has been permanently mounted.
I added a pressure gauge and TDS meter, so I can see when the filters need changing. because it's a drip system, I should get 5-6 months worth of filtering before I have to change the media.

Currently working on cleaning up the line going from the pressure regulator to the tank. Need to add some elbows and secure the end so it does not fall out of the tank.

 

[billberet]

the overflow has been added
the location is temporary, water being dripped in is being overflowed here. all water then goes to a holding tank to be pumped to a drain.

 

[billberet]

final location of overflow, by having it on the side the down pipe is hidden through refraction when viewing the tank from the front. I have to find a new piece of glass to replace the existing cover. i'll just cut one out of acrylic for now. now the final piece to the puzzle is pump to send the water to the drain. I currently have an AC condensation pump, this is a pump that will only activate when there is water.

 

[billberet]

drip has been running for one week now.
no issues, Fish seem to be doing good, everyone has good color, no one is stressed. all my chems are 0, and nitrates are decreasing.

I made a little modification to my overflow, added a little redundancy. in case I lose my syphon in one tube, I have the other

 

[billberet]

THE RESULTS ARE IN.
after only 6 days, here are my results. I couldn't be more happy.