drip system

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john C

john C

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 4, 2007
958
29
61
ohio
hey you ray guys with drip system with your rays. the fish room is slowly coming a long got the drains installed for my two 300 gal rubber maids. tops are close to complete. now the big question is the drip system. i will be running carbon filter for the system. i want to connect 1/2" copper to 1/2" PVC to the carbon filter to the tubs using a waste gate valve to regulate how much water i am putting in the tubs. i can taper the diameter to 1/8" from the valve or just let it drip a 1/2" . i don't know how i am going to measure the amount of water i am putting in the tubs what did you do to determine the daily amount ?

thanks
john
 
It may not be good, but there's pretty much no way you can get around it.

I think it's worse when you're running non chlorinated water through it? So don't use the copper after the carbon filter.

You can use a 1g milk jug, a 10g tank... whatever you want that you know the volume of. Time how long it takes to fill it up at the rate you want to use. Divide 24 hours by the time it took to fill it up.. Then multiply that by the volume that you filled. It will get you how much water you'd move in 24 hours.
 
I use sprinkler drip heads for my system. They are rated at 1/2 gph, 1gph, 2gph etc. There is an attachment that will thread onto a 1/2" male thread. It takes you from 1/2" to four 1/8" outlets. from there you run 1/8 inch tubing to your sump or tank or whatever and then put the drip head on the end. If you don't need that many 1/8" tubes there are plugs you can insert in the holes you don't use. Just calculate what head you have on and times by 24 to see how much water you are adding every day. That is the most accurate, easiest and cheapest way I've found to do it and mine has been up and running for about one year now with no problems.
 
JD7.62 i plan to tee off copper and lead into plastic i think thats the best i can do the main in the ground i think is even copper.

Big Dave thanks for your info i will have to look for these sprinkler heads. Lowe's, Home Despot ?

Dave when are you expecting baby marbles? patiently waiting.

thanks for all info
john
 
sediment prefilter then go carbon.... I talked to neoprodigy about his before and he told me he watches the PH.... doesn't exactly know the GPH of what he is flowing but makes sure to keep the PH stable.... also do you have chloramines in your water... carbon won't break them down....
 
john C;1437157; said:
Big Dave thanks for your info i will have to look for these sprinkler heads. Lowe's, Home Despot ?

john
Click to expand...

Lowes is where I found mine, but if yours doesn't carry drip irrigation parts you can get them from www.rainbird.com
 
john C;1436525; said:
hey you ray guys with drip system with your rays. the fish room is slowly coming a long got the drains installed for my two 300 gal rubber maids. tops are close to complete. now the big question is the drip system. i will be running carbon filter for the system. i want to connect 1/2" copper to 1/2" PVC to the carbon filter to the tubs using a waste gate valve to regulate how much water i am putting in the tubs. i can taper the diameter to 1/8" from the valve or just let it drip a 1/2" . i don't know how i am going to measure the amount of water i am putting in the tubs what did you do to determine the daily amount ?

thanks
john
Click to expand...

Copper is fine all homes are plumbed in copper these days, Just run plastic to the tank. You do not need to reduce down just install ball valves at the end of the lines right were it pours into your tank. If you have 600 gallons of water and want to do 120 gallons a W/C, I am assuming say 20% a day water change = 60gallons each tank per day. Take 60 gallons for each tank divided by 24 hrs in a day = 2.5 gallons every hour. So now you know that in 30 minutes you will dump in 1.25 gallons, just get a one gallon container, crack the valve and let it fill up the container till you get 1.25 gallons in 30 minutes. This will take some time and you will have to play with the valve but it's not hard. I do 1000 gallons a day into my ray system and I do it the same way.
 
Rallysman system works great. I have one with the overflow drain and another with a float/surface skimmer.

I do 4GPH (2x 2GPH emitters) and 1GPH (1x GPH emitter). I bought everything at Lowes.
 
IMO the emitters are better than using valves. They're cheap as hell and they eliminate the guess work.
 
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