[redthebetta]

I'm thinking about how I can lower my maintenance in my very well stocked community tank. I know this isn't new but hey, it works!
What you need:

• 6 ft of airline tubing ($3)
• 2 airline valves ($2)
• 2 buckets ($10)

Sorry that I can't post pictures but here's how to make it:

1. cut the tubing in half
2. attach the 2 valves, one on each tube
3. fill 1 bucket
4. start a siphon bupy sucking on the end of the tube so water flows from the full bucket to the tank
5. do the same with the other one but make it pull water into the tank
6. adjust the vales so the flow slowly and at the same rate

Now all you have to do is fill one bucket and empty the other one each day! If you are smart, you could run a dedicated pipe to the bucket and an output directly to a drain so you have 0 maintenance! This works great on fry tanks!

 

[jaysee]

Let me get this straight - water flows from bucket A (which would have to be higher than the tank) to the tank, and then from the tank into bucket B (which would have to be below the tank). Is that right?

 

[redthebetta]

Yes.

 

[Ogre44]

What about the buildup of solid waste at the bottom of the tank?

 

[jaysee]

I don't understand how this is "no water changes ever". You are still changing the water, only now you risk overflowing the bucket and draining your tank, and are a slave to it. You are still required to carry buckets of water, but only now you have to put 50 lbs of water up higher than the tank (on a shelf??). That's a dangerous setup, just asking for trouble. I would never attempt something so risky, especially with no reward to be had.

 

[redthebetta]

Ok, whatever, I still find this easier. And I may have exaggerated about the no water changes ever part. You still need to gavel vac.

 

[UncleEasy3000]

I would stress out over just one of these factors:

-Overflowing a bucket (Have you checked how long it takes for a bucket to fill up using an air tube? What if you got stuck in traffic on the way home or where delayed in any way?)

-Draining my tank and killing my stock.

- Overflowing my tank (which is likely if something like food or waste got caught in only one line and not the other)

-Figuring out how to secure a bucket over my tank without the weight of a full bucket falling down.

-Having to change bucket on the buckets terms and not my own. Nothing like a water change when you're in the middle of doing something.

-Still having to vacuum to substrate anyway.

Have you actually tried this? Do you have a picture of the above tank bucket? I would love to see this in action.

Personally I would just get some mossballs or plants to eat my Nitrate if I hated doing water changes.. It wouldn't eliminate the necessity, but it would reduce the amount some.

 

[redthebetta]

-Overflowing a bucket (Have you checked how long it takes for a bucket to fill up using an air tube? What if you got stuck in traffic on the way home or where delayed in any way?)
That's the point of the valve
-Draining my tank and killing my stock.
Once again, valve
- Overflowing my tank (which is likely if something like food or waste got caught in only one line and not the other)
Use an airstone on the end of the intake
-Figuring out how to secure a bucket over my tank without the weight of a full bucket falling down.
Use a shelf of to the side
-Having to change bucket on the buckets terms and not my own. Nothing like a water change when you're in the middle of doing something.
If you have the valves set pretty low, this should not be a problem
-Still having to vacuum to substrate anyway.
Yea
Have you actually tried this? Do you have a picture of the above tank bucket? I would love to see this in action.
Setting it up now

 

[jaysee]

If the flow is so slow, then what's the point?? ?? Hopefully the water changes faster than the rate of nitrate production.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you really understand what's involved with that of which you speak.

 

[redthebetta]

The point is that even though it's slow, it still changes enough water to greatly reduce water changes. Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIX7HhIrj54

 

[Tolak]

Well, rather than just telling someone who appears to me to be a bit new to ideas like this that it’s risky with no reward, and that they don’t understand what’s involved with this, why not offer a less risky alternative, along with explaining what’s involved?

I’ve done a lot of drip acclimating with air line tubing, with a 4’ drop wide open runs about 3gph. Seeing as a proper drip acclimation requires doubling the shipping water, which isn’t much, every hour for 3 hours this is way to fast. I’m cheap; tie knots, use clips & so on. It still isn’t a walk away long term thing, a half hour once it’s set sure, no way for 3 hours.

Air line, as mentioned, is small bore, just begging to be plugged by the tiniest bit of debris. The valve you mentioned would be the place it plugs, as this will have the smallest passage in the system. Look into setting up a self leveling siphon overflow, for a few dollars of pvc parts you’ll have a drain that is ½” diameter, and will be much more difficult to plug than air line tubing. If your water feed from the bucket runs slower or faster it won’t matter, this device will maintain a water level in your tank. I’d run the feed bucket line down to the bottom of the tank opposite of the overflow.

If you want to ramp it up a bit hardware wise, and cost wise look into setting up a drip emitter from your water supply; 2 GPH PC Drip Emitter, Color Green

Install a saddle valve on your water pipe, just like what’s used to install the supply for the icemaker on a fridge. Any cheap carbon block filter after the emitter will work on a flow rate that low, removing chlorine, chloramines, as well as other contaminants. This will work with the previously mentioned overflow, a step beyond that would be drilling the tank for an overflow. Run the overflow to a drain, depending on your tank & emitter size you could walk away from this for a few hours to most of the day.

These ideas are just smaller scale hardware setups of what is done in larger private & commercial fishrooms. This will eliminate many hours of hands on water changes, but as mentioned there’s still lots of other maintenance that requires a hands on approach.

 

[jaysee]

Well, rather than just telling someone who appears to me to be a bit new to ideas like this that it’s risky with no reward, and that they don’t understand what’s involved with this, why not offer a less risky alternative, along with explaining what’s involved?

I’ve done a lot of drip acclimating with air line tubing, with a 4’ drop wide open runs about 3gph. Seeing as a proper drip acclimation requires doubling the shipping water, which isn’t much, every hour for 3 hours this is way to fast. I’m cheap; tie knots, use clips & so on. It still isn’t a walk away long term thing, a half hour once it’s set sure, no way for 3 hours.

Air line, as mentioned, is small bore, just begging to be plugged by the tiniest bit of debris. The valve you mentioned would be the place it plugs, as this will have the smallest passage in the system. Look into setting up a self leveling siphon overflow, for a few dollars of pvc parts you’ll have a drain that is ½” diameter, and will be much more difficult to plug than air line tubing. If your water feed from the bucket runs slower or faster it won’t matter, this device will maintain a water level in your tank. I’d run the feed bucket line down to the bottom of the tank opposite of the overflow.

If you want to ramp it up a bit hardware wise, and cost wise look into setting up a drip emitter from your water supply; 2 GPH PC Drip Emitter, Color Green

Install a saddle valve on your water pipe, just like what’s used to install the supply for the icemaker on a fridge. Any cheap carbon block filter after the emitter will work on a flow rate that low, removing chlorine, chloramines, as well as other contaminants. This will work with the previously mentioned overflow, a step beyond that would be drilling the tank for an overflow. Run the overflow to a drain, depending on your tank & emitter size you could walk away from this for a few hours to most of the day.

These ideas are just smaller scale hardware setups of what is done in larger private & commercial fishrooms. This will eliminate many hours of hands on water changes, but as mentioned there’s still lots of other maintenance that requires a hands on approach.

You're right. I am always happy to thoroughly explain my positions and I failed to do so. Thank you for picking up the slack.

 

[ao]

As someone who uses airlines as a siphone...
I've tried airstone at the end of the intake... it clogs sooo easily!

Mu friend built himself an automatic water change system which allows continuous water flow in from the faucet, but at a rate slow enough, he doesn't need to dechlorinate ^_^ I'm pretty sure it's a fairly large tank though...

Sent from Petguide.com App

 

[rickey]

Here's may take on painless water changes

R

 

[jaysee]

 

[rickey]

Some of us have way to much time on our hands.
R

 

[dramaqueen]

It's a good thought, Redthebetta. If only there was a way to make something like this work.

 

[Tolak]

Nice vid jaysee! There's something I forgot with projects such as these. You always need a dog to supervise. Always.

 

[jaysee]

Nice vid jaysee! There's something I forgot with projects such as these. You always need a dog to supervise. Always.

Wish it were mine...

 

[rsskylight04]

interesting

While I would not be interested in trying this setup, its theoreticaly very interesting