Auto Water Change?

[AmericanBerserker]

I'm working on a semi-automatic water change system since I now have 8 tanks and would like to minimize cleaning time (not all are set up and cycled yet). I'm getting a shelving unit and each shelf (each 2 tanks) will be connected to help regulate water parameters. The idea is a weekly 25% water change using pvc and syphons. All I have to do is essentially open a valve and the water will empty from underneath the gravel. Eventually I would switch out to normally closed valves to completely automate the system. I would also like to have a system like a swamp cooler float to refill the tank. Any tips in general on this idea? Is there an easier way to do automated gravel vacuum/water change? Are there any measured liquid dispensers that I could use for the water conditioners so I can easily add them when the tank starts refilling?

 

[GaryE]

I've seen very expensive high tech water change systems. A friend had one for a while, til he moved and couldn't set up again where he went. I have never seen fish grow like his did.
I am going to drill my tanks and install overflow pipes, then fill from reservoirs in my new set up. I am going to keep it manually started and stopped because I have seen these systems go awry. It won't solve the need to occasionally siphon off the bottom, but for planted tanks it should maintain water quality with minimal old guy like me effort.
Basically, I will build it like I have a sump and central filtration, but skip the sump.
I have no use for a central filtration set-up due to the small fish I'll keep. I will use some 5 gallon tanks, and find it a pain in the butt to work in them with my large hands. They're great for breeding pairs of killies, but annoying to maintain.

 

[Uberhoust]

I have seen a couple of people with large number of tanks that simply had continuous input from city water supply directly into to fish tanks with each fish tank running a excess water drain. This method depends on the water being treated with chlorine only or not treated at all. A word of caution, one of these people was using the Saanich water supply and the community of Saanich quadrupled the chlorine due to a mud slide in a reservoir. This change was enough to adversely affect a number of his fishes. One could do something similar using a gravity feed system that aerates the water before it goes to the tanks. Alternatively with the micro dosing systems one could neutralize the chlorine in the water before it reaches the tanks.

 

[AmericanBerserker]

My main issue is I don’t have much expendable cash right now, so I’m trying to make a complicated system in as simple a way as possible I like the idea of reservoirs. Maybe if I have a auto top off system in a tub or bucket on the top shelf, it can dechlorinate before I siphon it down to whatever tank needs refilling. That way I have more control if the city decides to add more chemicals to the water. Although I wouldn’t want it to evaporate too much, I already have fairly hard city water

 

[vanalisa]

This is fascinating... Interesting to see how it will work out

 

[AbbeysDad]

I've seen a few automated water change systems and large indoor fish farms use flow through systems. Tanks have overflows, and water is often added using sprinkler controls on timers and for water treated with chlorine, large carbon filters are used (wouldn't work for chloramine). Now I don't have a floor drain in my basement, so I opted for an alternative Fast and Easy Method for partial water changes so as the next tank is being pumped out, the previous one is being filled. It's pretty efficient and doesn't require overflows or any semi permanent plumbing.

 

[AmericanBerserker]

That seems like a good system! With the pump in the tank, does it not continue to siphon when the pump is off? Like does it completely close off? Otherwise it seems it could potentially be difficult to regulate how much water you wanted to remove.

I’m thinking I may need to go the route of have a tub of water, whether it’s above the tanks, or in a big trash can like that method you linked.

Additionally, since I’m going to have to move a couple tanks regardless, would the best way be to just empty as much water out as possible to move them? Maybe hold some in 5 gallon buckets to put back in? I want to be the least amount stressful for my fish as possible, but obviously a tank full of water is far to heavy to move

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't bother doing an automated system. Just get a long hose and a gravel cleaner. Run the hose out the door and gravel clean the tanks onto the lawn/ garden.

Have some water holding containers in the fish room and fill them with tap water. Aerate/ dechlorinate them and let them stand between water changes. Then use a small water pump and length of hose to pump water into the tanks.

You can also do 3 or 4 tier stands and have the top tank for water holding. You fill the top tank with a hose and dechlorinate it. After you drain and gravel clean the bottom tanks, you simply drain water from the top tanks to the ones below it.