Drip system, how much do you drip per day ?

F

flamenco-t

Piranha
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Mar 27, 2006
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I am having a slight issue lol..

My dosmatic injector lowest flow rate is .03 GPM, at this rate I am having constant issue with the injector quit the suction process. After talking to the tech at dosmatic, they suggested that I inrease the flow.

At the moment, my total tank volume is about 260 gallon. at the rate of 2 GPH - 48 gallons per day, I am changing about 65-70% of water volume per week (assume no pollutant is added)

If I increase the drip to 3 gallon per hour - 72 gallons per day, I will be replacing about 85% of water volume per week. At this rate, I will be well above their minimum flow rate.

So I'd like to get your input on your system

1. Total volume
2. how much fresh water do you add per day


Stan
 
Pharaoh

Pharaoh

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You could add as much fresh water per day as you would like. You could turn the water of 500% per week if you wanted. It will only make a better environment for your fish. You just have to make sure that you are removing and chemicals from the water. (Chlorine & Chloramines) If you have well water, or already have a water filter, then go with as much as your water budget can afford.

I am going to try and shoot for at least 100% turnover per week.
 
cassharper

cassharper

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Pharaoh;2160890; said:
You could add as much fresh water per day as you would like. You could turn the water of 500% per week if you wanted. It will only make a better environment for your fish. You just have to make sure that you are removing and chemicals from the water. (Chlorine & Chloramines) If you have well water, or already have a water filter, then go with as much as your water budget can afford.

I am going to try and shoot for at least 100% turnover per week.
Click to expand...
I assume that's what the dosing pump is for. But I agree, I don't have a drip system, but my friends runs 30% a day. Fully open RO running through a dosmatic that reconstitutes.
 
J

johnptc

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1) change water........... when i used my system in stead of the nitrate filters i cahnge 20% per DAY min.

2) turn up the flow rate on your unit and put it on a timer.....i can help design this if you chose this route
 
F

fishdance

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Jan 30, 2007
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flamenco-t;2160018; said:
So I'd like to get your input on your system

1. Total volume
2. how much fresh water do you add per day
Stan
Click to expand...
1. My indoor systems range from 7 tonne water to 25 tonnes water.
2. Freshwater added is done as a percentage. Ranging from 10% weekly on breeding tanks, 20% on holding tanks and 30-50% on growout tanks. I deliberately raise conspecific species in different systems to reduce levels of Growth Inhibiting Hormone.

johnptc;2162937; said:
2) turn up the flow rate on your unit and put it on a timer.....i can help design this if you chose this route
Click to expand...
Its interesting how different people have different ideas. I advocate low pressure continuous drips (24/7) as opposed to a high rate on a timer after trying both methods for lengthy periods. The total amount of water change over the same period can be exactly the same but there are many benefits to a low pressure continuous feed.

  • the biggest benefit with a low flow input is the drip system can be low pressure which means low pressure piping and fittings (huge cost savings and far less bulky). Compare micro irrigation prices to plumbing supplies in size and price.

  • A gradual water change is particularly good during winter when supply is cold or for the peaks of BAD water that occasionally come through the town supply.

  • Simplicity also means less can go wrong. Imagine the mess a leaking high water system would do compared to a low pressure system (drips).
In keeping with the K.I.S.S. principle, my version of a drip system is ridiculously simple. I use a dedicated water tap opened slightly to reduce most of water mains pressure then run water through a dual canister mechanical and carbon filter to remove chlorine & chloramine (again slow flow is beneficial) and then drip it into my tank systems using residual mains water pressure which is quite low by now. Different systems get different water change rates. On my sump I have a drain overflow (or elsewhere if the sump is below the drain). The sump has enough water capacity to handle a power outage. I dont use a dosage pump or mixing station or anything else. On some of my larger systems where I am only changing 10%, I dont even use a carbon filter. ie just drip water in and let it overflow out.

I do keep water drippers out of water so I can visually monitor and I randomly measure flow rates but clean irrigation drippers are consistent and amazingly accurate. I routinely spot check for chlorine but carbon filters will fail gradually so there are weeks of buffer even for high change systems.

Obviously each persons situation is uniquely different but my advice to you Stan is to just throw out your injector kit.
 
R

rallysman

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fishdance;2163721; said:
post
Click to expand...
I agree with what you have said. The only difference is that I use a pressure regulator to drop the pressure to 25psi. I can just use fittings that push together and if I need to repair something I can do it with the system being live.

I drip 3gph on my 125/300 sump and use a pump to remove the excess( float switch) and on my 265 the excess overflows out of the drilled sump and it gets 2gph (heavy bio load).
 
F

flamenco-t

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I like John's idea better to have it on a timer. I am actually using a Normally Closed solenoid (open on power) in between the line to prevent overflowing in case of a power outage to the drain pump (I am using a float switch).

i can simply put the solenoid on a timer...I can do 4 GPH drip on a 12 hour basis for example...

Stan
 
F

flamenco-t

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Ooh btw, I really do like the low pressure as well, BUT the dosmatic injector require 30 psi minimum. 30 psi of water is a pretty good pressure and it's not exactly "flowing"

stan
 
F

flamenco-t

Piranha
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Mar 27, 2006
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South of Heaven
fishdance;2163721; said:
1. My indoor systems range from 7 tonne water to 25 tonnes water.
2. Freshwater added is done as a percentage. Ranging from 10% weekly on breeding tanks, 20% on holding tanks and 30-50% on growout tanks. I deliberately raise conspecific species in different systems to reduce levels of Growth Inhibiting Hormone.



Its interesting how different people have different ideas. I advocate low pressure continuous drips (24/7) as opposed to a high rate on a timer after trying both methods for lengthy periods. The total amount of water change over the same period can be exactly the same but there are many benefits to a low pressure continuous feed.

  • the biggest benefit with a low flow input is the drip system can be low pressure which means low pressure piping and fittings (huge cost savings and far less bulky). Compare micro irrigation prices to plumbing supplies in size and price.

  • A gradual water change is particularly good during winter when supply is cold or for the peaks of BAD water that occasionally come through the town supply.

  • Simplicity also means less can go wrong. Imagine the mess a leaking high water system would do compared to a low pressure system (drips).
In keeping with the K.I.S.S. principle, my version of a drip system is ridiculously simple. I use a dedicated water tap opened slightly to reduce most of water mains pressure then run water through a dual canister mechanical and carbon filter to remove chlorine & chloramine (again slow flow is beneficial) and then drip it into my tank systems using residual mains water pressure which is quite low by now. Different systems get different water change rates. On my sump I have a drain overflow (or elsewhere if the sump is below the drain). The sump has enough water capacity to handle a power outage. I dont use a dosage pump or mixing station or anything else. On some of my larger systems where I am only changing 10%, I dont even use a carbon filter. ie just drip water in and let it overflow out.

I do keep water drippers out of water so I can visually monitor and I randomly measure flow rates but clean irrigation drippers are consistent and amazingly accurate. I routinely spot check for chlorine but carbon filters will fail gradually so there are weeks of buffer even for high change systems.

Obviously each persons situation is uniquely different but my advice to you Stan is to just throw out your injector kit.
Click to expand...

My dillema was simple...

After doing some research on carbon filtration, I found that in order to remove the ammonia (after the chemical breakdown of chloramine) it takes more than carbon to completely neutralise it. I found that prime (sodium thysulfate) will detoxified ammonia as the results of chemical breakdown of chloramine.

Trust me, if it were up to me, I wouldn't spend $ 300 on a dosmatic injectors setup.

I have looked into a high purity carbon, but even then it gets exhausted rather quickly with chloramines.

Stan
 
I

islander671

Feeder Fish
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May 30, 2005
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MD...but all my fish are in japan still..lol
Im currently only dripping 1 gph in my 265 and 1 gph in my 220 both 24/7. Chloramines arent used in my area but i slow drip diluted prime for my own peace of mind.
The systems over flows thru each tank's indivudual sumps, then out the house into my 5g feeder bucket, that buckets water gets about 50 gallons a day pushed thru it...LOL.
 
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