One Touch / Automatic Water Changer

CHOMPERS

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This setup is more useful to saltwater setups. Freshwater aquariums mostly are better off with a drip system. I previously posted this elsewhere, but I am adding it here to make it searchable.

This system can be assembled from parts that are readily available from your local home improvement store and your Local Fish Supplier.
Irrigation Timer:
One touch tank changes-Only use the manual start setting for this setup (if you have to drag out garden hoses for your tank maintenance).
Completely automatic tank changes- Fully automatic timer use will require hard plumbing the system into your sewer and house plumbing. The waste sump can be eliminated if you are lucky enough to back your tank up to a bathroom or kitchen. If not, use a small sump pump with a float switch to pump the water from the waste sump up through a wall and over to a waste line.

Zone 1- Overflow to waste tank.
Zone 2- Aged/declor water to main tank.
Zone 3- Fresh water fill to age water for next water change.

Pump relay- Wire the inlet pump to this so that it runs without needing your attention. Adjust the run time on the timer so that it has enough time to pump the de-chlorinated water to the main tank.

Put waste pump on float switch with dedicated power. It can then be used as an overflow sump for all of your tanks

Main Tank:
Not Shown- add a regular overflow to the main tank, emptying to the waste tank to prevent over filling.

The overflow that is shown is cut down to the level to drain for whatever percentage of water change you require. If you want to do 10% daily water changes, drain that much from your tank and mark the overflow for your cut; the same holds if you would rather have 20% or 25% water changes. If you cut it short for 50% water changes and then decide later on 10% water changes, just add a coupler and a short piece of pipe.

Fresh Fill Tank:
This tank needs to be sized so that enough water is held for the entire water change. The water can be aged here or the zone programming can be changed so that this tank fills first (just remember to add your sodium thiosulfate when you start the fill).

The irrigation valve prevents the system from filling while the de-chlorinated water is being pumped to the main tank. This is also idiot proofed with the fill pump having its own valve on a separate zone. One operation at a time ensures that only one tank volume is added to the main tank.

Waste Tank:
The waste tank also needs to be sized to catch all of the water draining during the water change.

The pump can be turned on manually, it can be wired in parallel with the fill tank pump on the pump relay, or it can be on a dedicated power source with a float switch.

Overflows:
These can be purchased from your fish supplier or assembled using PVC pipe and fittings purchased from your local home improvement store. Follow this link for a Do It Yourself overflow: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=15733
For this setup, the water will flow in and out of the tank through the water change overflow. Because of this, the vent tube on the overflow will need to be longer than usual. This is due to the pump pushing water into the overflow. The length will need to be determined at the trial run because each pump will pump at different pressures for different heights.

Plumbing:
The Grey and Red lines in the diagram indicate the general plumbing. This will need to be tailored to your own tank set up. This can either be hoses or PVC plumbing. The red indicates fill water and the grey indicates waste. The area between the overflow and the tee for the grey and red lines was left grey for simplicity. Water will flow in either direction as needed.





Example:
Let’s say that the main tank is 100 gallons and we want to do 25% water changes.
1. The siphon tube needs to be cut ¼ of the way down of the tank depth.
2. The fresh fill tank needs to hold at least 25 gallons (plus the volume of the pump, toilet fill valve, and plumbing.
3. The waste tank needs to hold at least 25 gallons (plus pump volume and freeboard for safety).

Operation:
When the system is started (either manually or automatically) the timer will open the valve wired into zone one and it will provide power to the pump relay. The timer is divided among three operation zones.
1. Zone One allows the tank to drain into the waste tank. As the tank is filling, the float switch will start the pumping to waste. The speed or size of the pump does not matter because it will shut off on its own when done. If you do not install a float switch, the waste pump will need to be started and stopped manually. This can be done at your leisure since the waste tank will hold the entire volume of the water change.
2. Zone Two operation begins after the closing of Zone One’s valve and with the opening of the valve wired on Zone Two. This allows the fill pump to send the aged or treated water to the main tank.
3. Zone Three refills the fresh fill tank for aging (to remove chlorine and allow ambient aeration). Miscellaneous chemicals and/or salt may be added to this tank in preparation for the next water change.

onetouchfishtankchanger.jpg
 

CHOMPERS

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2006
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A prototype of this system was built by X3rox and it was found that the irrigation valves need a pump ahead of each one to open it. The valves are normally opened using the existing pressure in the irrigation lines.

Also (and obviously) if this is used on a saltwater system, it should not be operated in the automatic mode. If you forget to add salt on time, the system will add fresh water to the tank.

The salt is added to the fill tank prior to the water change. A small pump should be added to the fill tank to provide circulation to help dissolve the salt.
 

CHOMPERS

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2006
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Sunnyvale Trailer Park
Btw, if you have the luxury of a sewer line or floor drain nearby, you can omit the waste tank and pump. The waste tank comes in handy during cleaning though. Just run your syphon hose to the tank rather than to a bucket.
 

Nic

Peacock Bass
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Oct 8, 2005
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very informative thanks chompers... this looks like it will help with project 90 reef
 
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