Independent aquarium water system

[mercury904]

Well Ive searched information on this site and I cant find any similar to this,and if there's one please paste the link to your replies.
IM planning to build an independent water system for my tanks,this means that you dont have to waste numbers of hours on weekly partial water change,It is like having a very slow running water (maybe drops)


source of water : faucet (obviously)maybe just droplets
overflow pipe : where the water will flow out of the tank


Any advice / comments on this idea? working with sprint/nextel 411 is very time consuming...

 

[AndrewMack]

Im working on the same thing now, and Am nearly finished. I will have pics up within about two weeks.

 

[coolkeith]

For about a year, I used to just drip water into my tanks like most of the other folks here. Then I discovered a better way for me to do it.

I built a water system where I have hose going from my faucet to a fog/mist manifold on my sump. The fog/mist keeps the emersed plants in the sump happy. The sump has an overflow going to a drain. Its more like a paludarium than sump though.

here's some pics-

 

[coolkeith]

The link you're looking for is in the articles section-

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19920

 

[fishdance]

The idea of a mister sounds more complicated than a dripper although you may need a mister anyway (so this is better for you). Obviously, the more complex, the higher the chance of something going wrong or needing redundancy.

Using a dripper means you can use thin low pressure pipe out to many of your tanks which saves a huge amount of money and space. ie black airline tubing

 

[coolkeith]

You really think that my fogger/mister is too complex and too expensive for most folks? I know it's not the same old hat that most folks use here. It's not really that complex, it just uses regular household water pressure. No fancy pumps are needed.

Braided tubing, pvc pipe/fittings, primer, glue, and nozzles probably set me back about $50. I bet most people could afford that, especially if they wanting it for a centralized system for multiple tanks.

With most drip systems, you either need a water reservoir to age the water, or a dosing pump, or carbon block filter to treat the water. That can be very expensive and complex also.

With my old drip system, I use to have to fill a 95g water reservoir, then either treat or age the water. That reservoir tank was a waste of space and resources.

What I do now is much easier, takes less space, takes far less time, and is less expensive.
Don't forget that the plants naturally make the water healthier for the fish. Plants are cheap and are nice to look at also.

 

[fishdance]

Different ideas are always good. What works best for someone will not be best for everyone of course. Regular tap pressure is quite high pressure and does need pressure piping.

On systems where I am only changing 30% a week, I dont use a resevoir or a carbon filter .... I use a tap almost entirely shut off and simply drip water into tanks. Even with high chloramines and cool winters the small daily amount untreated is fine. I made sure the tap cant get turned on accidetly and do visually inspect drippers are dripping when I feed fish. I have quite a few tanks and numerous multiple tank systems though so even a single $1 saving per tank is a huge saving. On larger water change systems I do use a carbon filter but a large DIY version which is still low pressure.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

Well Ive searched information on this site and I cant find any similar to this,and if there's one please paste the link to your replies.
IM planning to build an independent water system for my tanks,this means that you dont have to waste numbers of hours on weekly partial water change,It is like having a very slow running water (maybe drops)


source of water : faucet (obviously)maybe just droplets
overflow pipe : where the water will flow out of the tank


Any advice / comments on this idea? working with sprint/nextel 411 is very time consuming...

Isnt this just a drip system? Theres lots of information on these on this site. Just search "drip"

 

[coolkeith]

Regular tap pressure is quite high pressure and does need pressure piping.

Actually, the faucet is barely cracked open, not much more than a steady drip would come from it. Only a little bit of pressure builds up in the hose and I use a pressure rated braided hose anyway. It takes about 20 PSI for good mist/fog action. The water rate depends on how many nozzles you use. Each nozzle will mist about 1/2 gallon per hour.