Automatic Water Changing and Top Off System

[FiltrationDudes]

Hi, we're a team in a high school Project Lead the Way engineering design and development class and we're trying to create a marketable system that automatically changes aquarium water upon command and we need to get product specifications (rules the product must abide by) from current aquarium owners. These can be anything that you feel a water changing system should do or avoid doing, and please, don't make any assumptions. These specifications can be anything from incredibly obvious (i.e. product should not kill fish) to incredibly specific (i.e. product should not allow nitrate levels to exceed 40ppm). We need all of our specifications to be backed by apparent consumer demand, so any response, even an extremely obvious one, is beneficial to us. Thank you for your time.

[dalto]

An ideal water change system would have the following characteristics in my opinion.

• Work with any existing filtration system, canister, HOB, sponge, sump, etc
• Add and remove water at a constant but configurable rate(Vary the amount of flow based on how much water the use wants to change)
• Have strong safeguards to prevent an overflow
• Work with a variety of hoods, canopies, lighting, etc
• Easy to connect and install
• Should not require drilling of the aquarium glass
• Should be inert and not alter aquarium chemistry(outside of the water coming in)
• Need a way to treat the incoming water with chemicals
• Needs to handle large aquariums as well as small, the changing needs of aquarists vary between 100's of gallons per day to less than a gallon per day

I don't think you should worry about measuring nitrates. I think that as long as you allow for user configurable flow rates the nitrates will take care of themselves.


Just my thoughts, let me know if I can help.

[Brookster123]

This is something that will need to be plumbed in for sure, I've dreamt of doing something like this. Hard piped into the tank, flip a switch and water is siphoned out into a drain system, flip another switch and fresh, treated water is pumped/gravitationally fed back into the aquarium. Options would be some kind of pulse action powerhead to kick up debris from the substrate right before draining began. If/when I have my fish room this will all come to fruition. .. for now buckets and cans just clap your hands...

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[dalto]

Originally Posted by Brookster123

Hard piped into the tank, flip a switch and water is siphoned out into a drain system, flip another switch and fresh, treated water is pumped/gravitationally fed back into the aquarium.

The best systems don't simulate an actual one-time water change, they change water slowly over time.

Consider all the arguments here on what the right amount of water to change is. It would be hard to argue a 100% water change would be harmful to the fish if it happened over the course of an entire week. Also, consider the fry tank scenario. Here it would be great to change large volumes of water daily to keep your fry at max health and not inhibit growth.

[Brookster123]

Ohhhh, i see... i wouldn't want anything like that, just something else to worry about failing, I'd want to be in full control of the system when it's running.. evaporation top off is one thing, draining is another..

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[jetajockey]

Originally Posted by Brookster123

This is something that will need to be plumbed in for sure, I've dreamt of doing something like this. Hard piped into the tank, flip a switch and water is siphoned out into a drain system, flip another switch and fresh, treated water is pumped/gravitationally fed back into the aquarium. Options would be some kind of pulse action powerhead to kick up debris from the substrate right before draining began. If/when I have my fish room this will all come to fruition. .. for now buckets and cans just clap your hands...

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Mine does this, sorta. All of the tanks on the racks are piped with overflows, autodosers pump dechlor and ferts into the main water tank, and for 2 hours a day new water goes into the system. It ends up being about a 30%ish water change on each tank.

I still have to do manual gravel vacs periodically to clean the gunk, but I have time since I don't do water changes anymore.

[Masha]

It should allow temperature control



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[dalto]

Originally Posted by Masha

It should allow temperature control

Yes, great point.

[FiltrationDudes]

Thanks, you guys are great. This will help immensely. If you think of anything else, feel free to either comment on here or pm us, and we'll keep checking this every few days. Thanks again!

[Sands_88]

Hi guys - sounds like a great project

From my point of view

• shoud be relatively easy for someone to instal themselves - this might include good clear instructions
• Work with a variety of plumbing systems
• Allow temperature control and flow control
• plumbing to be easily hidden behind tank on or in a cupboard below
• Ensure tank does not overflow and any part of product does not leak
• Materials are fish safe
• outlet cannot suck up small fish!

I hope that's useful!