Diy : 24/7 New Water Drip System

[neoprodigy]

Water Changes... do you love doing them? Well I'm tired of the doing water changes every other day on 18+ tanks...

The 24/7 drip system is a constant drip of "new" water and any excess water will overflow out the tank through the drains. Similar to a Overflow filter except it has a much slower flow rate.

Here's how my system works:

Water -> (filter) -> Aged water Barrel -> Tank -> Overflow -> drain/sink/lawn

----- install the over flow----

I use zip ties to secure it to the pole

make sure you line the water line correctly

you see the vinyl pipe from the tank to the overflow?

if you have time you can use pvc piping instead

to start the siphon process I use a pump to quick start it. Pump the water until it starts to flow out of the tube.

This Setup Drains to the Sink

My other setup is set to drain to the AC draining system

 

[Pat Kelly]

Oh man, I love having new blood in the club.

New ideas

New posts

New excitement





.......More members........100 club members by the end of 2008....... More members.......

 

[Charlutz]

Great article Li. Do you find the uniseals to be effective? I've made my own WD filter and was connecting two sumps together with a DIY bulkhead but because of the curvature of the sumps wasn't able to get a perfect seal. I've ordered two of the uniseals to give them a try. I've only seen one negative review. Be interested to know if you've had any problems with them or if there are any tips and tricks. I don't have a 3" holesaw, so was planning to use a dremel or jigsaw for the holes. Do you see any problem with doing it that way if I am precise, or are the uniseals forgiving?

 

[maddog10]

Charlie,

I would suggest you go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a fine tooth hole saw to cut the holes (I assume you are using acrylic sumps). Jig saw uses an up and down motion and if the blade snags it can push or pull the sump and cause it to crack. Dremmel might work but it will take a long time. Better to use the right tool for the job, IMO.

 

[Charlutz]

Charlie,

I would suggest you go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a fine tooth hole saw to cut the holes (I assume you are using acrylic sumps). Jig saw uses an up and down motion and if the blade snags it can push or pull the sump and cause it to crack. Dremmel might work but it will take a long time. Better to use the right tool for the job, IMO.[/b]

I'm actually using storage containers (rubbermaid type, though not rubbermaid brand) as sumps. I cut them first with a hole saw, then needed to make the holes bigger with a jigsaw as I changed the size of PVC pipe I was using to connect them. No cracking as I have a high speed orbital jigsaw with a fine blade, but no doubt the holesaw was much easier. Most of the problem was the result of the side of the storage container not being flat, so the jigsaw didn't have a flat space to rest on. Trying to keep my DIY costs down and another holesaw is a last resort. I'm sure I could save myself a lot of aggravation by buying the holesaw.

 

[maddog10]

Makes sense now. Jig saw would be ok on those containers. Would be to worried about cracking an acrylic sump (which I have done).

 

[Spine]

Harbor Frieght Tools sells circle saws for pretty cheap. You can order online or goto a store if there is one near you.

http://www.harborfreight.com/

 

[Pat Kelly]

Another reason to visit one of our sponsors. Exotic Aquatics. Harbor Freight next door. lol

 

[Charlutz]

So harborfreight has a set of 5 holesaws for 3 bucks including a 3" one. That's definitely easier than working carefully with my jigsaw.

Thanks to Mike for reminding me of the right tool = right job rule.
Thanks to Kevin for the suggestion of harborfreight.
Thanks to Pat for finding the store for me (though I might have to send you the bill depending on what I spend at exotic aquatics since I am not in fishbuying mode but have little willpower when I see something I like).

 

[neoprodigy]

Great article Li. Do you find the uniseals to be effective? I've made my own WD filter and was connecting two sumps together with a DIY bulkhead but because of the curvature of the sumps wasn't able to get a perfect seal. I've ordered two of the uniseals to give them a try. I've only seen one negative review. Be interested to know if you've had any problems with them or if there are any tips and tricks. I don't have a 3" holesaw, so was planning to use a dremel or jigsaw for the holes. Do you see any problem with doing it that way if I am precise, or are the uniseals forgiving?[/b]

i havent try uniseal before... i only use bulkheads....

 

[Charlutz]

i havent try uniseal before... i only use bulkheads....[/b]

Dang. Shows me what I get for surfing before my first cup of coffee. I was looking at a system that had uniseals plumbed into the pvc pipe itself as well as yours and I mistook the bulkheads in your can and plastic tub as uniseals, but I can see now that they are bulkheads. Well, guess I can give a review next week. :blush:

 

[Charlutz]

Harbor Frieght Tools sells circle saws for pretty cheap. You can order online or goto a store if there is one near you.

http://www.harborfreight.com/[/b]

Picked up my holesaw set last night from harborfreight. Went to the one in Glen Burnie since it is on my way home. I'll have to make it to exotic aquatics another time. The price on the set was $12.99, but they were running an internet price of $2.99 and when I called to see if they had it in stock, they said they would match the internet price if I brought in the page. :jumpy: Sweet deal.

I also stopped by House of Tropicals since I was nearby. They had a good selection of tangs: big sexfasciatus, medium tretocephalus, brevis, ocellatus, fronts, yellow calvus, red compressiceps, sm and med leleupi and a few types of tropheus. Most surprising, they had four 4" enantiopus sp. kilesa. Don't usually see the sandsifters in retail. I thought one was showing some male coloration. They were in a tank with pea sized gravel but were still picking up pieces one at a time and spitting them out.

 

[Charlutz]

BTW, sorry for the thread hijack Li.

To get back on track, where did you find the quick connects and once disconnected do they seal?

Also, how are the bulkheads on the trash can and plastic container? It looks like you've had some water on the basement floor, but haven't we all.

 

[mscichlid]

Li,
How do you handle the humidity?

Francine

 

[Spine]

I have used the same plastic quik connects as Li both inside and outside of the house . They never leaked on me and held up alright. Having said that, I would recommend getting disconects made of brass instead ( because they are more durable).

 

[neoprodigy]

BTW, sorry for the thread hijack Li.

To get back on track, where did you find the quick connects and once disconnected do they seal?

Also, how are the bulkheads on the trash can and plastic container? It looks like you've had some water on the basement floor, but haven't we all. [/b]

quick disconnect is one of the best invention ever... since i mod my setup often... you can connect or disconnect as many time you you want...

I love bulkheads... they are abit more $$ but worth it... i reused it over and over...

i was washing the floor...

 

[neoprodigy]

Li,
How do you handle the humidity?

Francine[/b]

i actually dont have that problem... knock on wood

 

[Spine]

I forgot to mention that you can get the quik connects in the garden or hose section at Lowes/Home Depot

 

[Tim]

Li,
Have you done any tests to check the nitrate levels? What percentage of water in each tank do you think is getting changed out daily and how do you measure that flow?
I'm getting ready to build my own fishroom and was considering a similar setup.
Do you have well water? Do you add conditioner daily to the barrel? (Amquel, Stress Coat, etc)

My system would have three different barrels. One would be standard tap water for soft water tanks, one would be rain water for really soft tanks, and the third I would have to add Baking Soda and Epsom Salt to bring the pH and hardness up for Rift Lake and Central American tanks. I'm not sure yet how I would condition the water before it went into the tanks. I'm thinking I may use two barrels for that system. The first barrel I would manually fill, then treat. And when the second barrel got down to a certain level, it would fill from the first barrel.
Thanks,
Tim

 

[neoprodigy]

Li,
Have you done any tests to check the nitrate levels? What percentage of water in each tank do you think is getting changed out daily and how do you measure that flow?
I'm getting ready to build my own fishroom and was considering a similar setup.
Do you have well water? Do you add conditioner daily to the barrel? (Amquel, Stress Coat, etc)

My system would have three different barrels. One would be standard tap water for soft water tanks, one would be rain water for really soft tanks, and the third I would have to add Baking Soda and Epsom Salt to bring the pH and hardness up for Rift Lake and Central American tanks. I'm not sure yet how I would condition the water before it went into the tanks. I'm thinking I may use two barrels for that system. The first barrel I would manually fill, then treat. And when the second barrel got down to a certain level, it would fill from the first barrel.
Thanks,
Tim[/b]

i check nitrate once a month... and i have a pH monitor. working on a nitrate monitor for Freshwater...

when i was using this barrel i dont add any conditioners in. as this system is for chlorine. when i found out the water company is using chrolamine i upgrade the machine to a dosing machine


Diy : 24/7 New Water Dripping System (de-chloramine setup)