Am I Crazy or Could This Possibly Work? - Goodbye Water Changes

[Drstrangelove]

Minerals and chemicals go into the tank all the time... even if one assumes the water goes in purified and is 100% H20, the food and the fish aren't. Each adds minerals and chemicals, while the fish and the bacteria (and heat) convert some and break down others. Very few of them leave the tank through evaporation. E.g., metals and salts will accumulate.

Over time these accumulate inside the fish, the filter and the water. As is normal, we may focus on the biggest and most obvious problems like nitrates, but that's only because the water changes solve other less dangerous items before we notice.

I think one could do the math and calculate how much added metals and minerals the tank would have just from food if one knew the content in the foods. Nitrogen, ultimately removed as nitrates, represents only 5-6% of the net dry weight of food (assuming 35% protein.) What is the 94-95%. Where is it going?

 

[Angelphish]

Minerals and chemicals go into the tank all the time... even if one assumes the water goes in purified and is 100% H20, the food and the fish aren't. Each adds minerals and chemicals, while the fish and the bacteria (and heat) convert some and break down others. Very few of them leave the tank through evaporation. E.g., metals and salts will accumulate.

Over time these accumulate inside the fish, the filter and the water. As is normal, we may focus on the biggest and most obvious problems like nitrates, but that's only because the water changes solve other less dangerous items before we notice.

I think one could do the math and calculate how much added metals and minerals the tank would have just from food if one knew the content in the foods. Nitrogen, ultimately removed as nitrates, represents only 5-6% of the net dry weight of food (assuming 35% protein.) What is the 94-95%. Where is it going?

I didn't want to use my Dad's version of a drip system because it wasn't as efficient as a normal drip system. He planned to use the water collected from a dehumidifier as the input for the drip system, but it would only do 30 gallons per day, which is only 10%. I didn't want this at the time because a normal drip system would fully eliminate the need for water changes, whereas this wouldn't. With how stubborn we both are, the drip system didn't get built at all.

If he were to implement his drip system, would it be enough to make up for the buildup of metals, salts, etc...? And possibly pH? It would effectively be RO water, so I would have seachem replenish on an auto dosing pump to make up for the gH and kH change.

 

[Galantspeedz]

1 guppy in a 8 ft tank would likely meet your needs....

 

[Angelphish]

1 guppy in a 8 ft tank would likely meet your needs....

This is MFK; you'll get banned for saying those things.

Jk... I would reduce the stock, but there aren't any fish that I want to sell.

 

[tarheel96]

It would effectively be RO water, so I would have seachem replenish on an auto dosing pump to make up for the gH and kH change.

Seachem Replenish only adds calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. It doesn't add alkalinity. You would also need trace elements like in Seachem Trace added to Replenish.

The seachem pond pH product you mentioned is good for alkalinity/KH.

 

[monkeybike]

If I was your dad, I'd be more concerned about all that electronic jiggery-pokery burning the house down than a potential flood from a drip system.

 

[tarheel96]

If he were to implement his drip system, would it be enough to make up for the buildup of metals, salts, etc...?

At a 30 gallons per day drip rate on a 220 gallon tank the effective water changed in a week is over 60%. As long as you don't have a very large bioload ... no problem.

 

[Angelphish]

Here's the updated supply list to meet the tanks gH, kH, and pH needs:



1 cubic foot of 2" Marinepure Ceramic Biomedia Cubes



CW-300 Algae Scrubber
Skimz 528gph Quietpro 2.0
Save A Watt P4472



Skimz RR153 Recirculating Biopellet Reactor
1 Gallon BRS Bulk Biopellets



Skimz Monzter NM152 Nitrate Reactor
Caribsea Live Sulfur Media
Milwaukee MC510 ORP controller



Ozotech Poseidon 220 kit:
220mg/hr Ozotech Poseidon generator
Large air dryer with beads
Milwaukee MC510 ORP Conntroller




Bubble Magus TS1 Single Dosing Pump
1 Gallon Seachem Oasis Pond pH Buffer

 

[Galantspeedz]

This is MFK; you'll get banned for saying those things.

Jk... I would reduce the stock, but there aren't any fish that I want to sell.

just curious, what would your stock be for the tank?

You may consider adding pothos to further reduce nitrates but i believe you would still at least need to top up water due to evaporation

 

[Angelphish]

If I was your dad, I'd be more concerned about all that electronic jiggery-pokery burning the house down than a potential flood from a drip system.

It's not as bad as it sounds. It would add a few more pumps, and two lights. In total the system would use less power than another heater.