Simple water change and top off setup.

[surejaj]

I am just starting with the hobby and currently the biggest pain point is replacing evaporated water and weekly water change. I approximated my tank water volume to be about 45-50 gallons (36 gallon display + 20 gallon sump - minus 40 lbs of rock and 2 bags of sand). I need to add fresh water every 2-3 days (~1/2 gallon). Weekly, i do a 5% water change which in my case is about 2.5gallons.

So i decided to put in a semi automated system to replace evaporated water and also perform my weekly water change. My goals are:

1. Make it simple to use.

2. Run the system only while i'm around so i can monitor the water level from time to time. So no timers. Hence semi automated.

3. Slow flow rate so that the water doesn’t overflow quickly.

4. Once i figure out the water requirements, then switch to timer based.

Here is a picture of what i ended up installing.

Below is the list of items in this picture:

1. Ikea cabinet (not necessary but keeps things nice and clean).
2. Three 5 gallon jugs - Amazon:5 Gallon Plastic Hedpack with cap
3. Three aqualifter pumps - Amazon:TOM Aquarium Aqua Lifter Pump 3.5gph flow rate to 30 inches height
4. Two 25ft. airline tubing - Amazoneep Blue Professional ADB12296 Silicone Air Tubing for Aquarium, 25-Feet
5. Three 1/4" acrylic tubing from BRS - BRS: 1/4" Clear Acrylic Tube -16" Long
6. 1/4" bulkhead: Amazon: White Fittings Bulkhead Connector 1/4" Tube Quick connect RO Water Filter Pack of 5
7. Eshopps tube holder: Amazon:Eshopps 5-Hole Dosing Tube Holder


Below is a picture of the entire setup:
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Here are three aqualifter pumps in this system.
1. From freshwater jug to sump.
2. From sump to empty jug for water change.
3. From new saltwater jug to sump for water change.

Here is the plan. The aqualifter pump is rated for 3GPH. For freshwater, i will run the pump for 10 minutes every 2-3 days which will amount to ½ gallon freshwater. For weekly water change, i plugged the other two pumps (one pulling water from tank and another pulling new saltwater) into one two plug extension cord. I will run the water change each weekend for ~30 minutes. Ofcourse, these pumps are not accurate. So in the future i will need to figure out a proper method to measure the water volume output from pump.

Below are some more pictures of the setup.

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Please provide your suggestions and concerns about the system.

 

[trackfast]

It sounds like a lot of planning that really doesn't save much time or effort. I agree with having an ATO for evaporation but a semi auto WC system for 2.5G a week seems like overkill. If you're going to be around for the WC, 2.5 G should only take a few minutes. Just my $.02

 

[jrpark22000]

Nice little setup. I've automated an Autowaterchange twice now, the best method I found was to use a masterflex pump and a matched pair of heads. They will pump exactly the same amount in and out as they always turn at the exact same rate to each other. Just food for thought if you decide to automate it a little more in the future.

 

[anfyr118]

I did a manual control for water change in the past. Turn on a switch to pump the water from the tank to the bottom container. Then turn on another pump to get fresh water from the middle container to the tank. I am tire of mixing salt water.