I currently have a 360g with a 100g sump w/ overflow drainage.
should i auto drip water in the tank or sump?
which is better and why?
should i auto drip water in the tank or sump?
which is better and why?
Auto drip to the tank or sump?
- Thread starter Arowana718
- Start date
By auto drip, do you mean an automatic drip water change system?
If so, dripping new water to the sump is probably best, because if you constantly drip to the tank, there is a chance (being lower than the tank )the sump will overflow.
If you drip to the sump, with a float valve, that stop valve, prevents the sump from over flowing.
If there is a safety overflow on the sump, or normal overflow to waste (eg to the yard,) it wouldn't matter either way.
On another front ......
I usually prefer to add water to the sump first, just in case the water provider over dosed chlorine, so the sump would have a chance to soften the blow of that dose, instead of that toxic slug hitting right to the fish full force. (organics matter in the sump would arguably neutralize a lot of a chlorine dose.
Temp changes might also be a consideration, or even seasonal water parameter fluctuations if your water provider source is riverine water.
If your water source is a stable personal well, these precautions may be moot.
If so, dripping new water to the sump is probably best, because if you constantly drip to the tank, there is a chance (being lower than the tank )the sump will overflow.
If you drip to the sump, with a float valve, that stop valve, prevents the sump from over flowing.
If there is a safety overflow on the sump, or normal overflow to waste (eg to the yard,) it wouldn't matter either way.
On another front ......
I usually prefer to add water to the sump first, just in case the water provider over dosed chlorine, so the sump would have a chance to soften the blow of that dose, instead of that toxic slug hitting right to the fish full force. (organics matter in the sump would arguably neutralize a lot of a chlorine dose.
Temp changes might also be a consideration, or even seasonal water parameter fluctuations if your water provider source is riverine water.
If your water source is a stable personal well, these precautions may be moot.
not automatic water change. It slow drips water like 50-60g per day. My sump has drain/overflow, so when water gets to that level, it drains to basement
When I start designing my 180g planted tank build I knew that I wanted a drip water change system. The more I investigated drip systems the less I liked them. The problem is if you are dripping 60 gal a day you are going to be flushing several gallons of fresh dripped water down the drain with the tank water you want to get rid of. So drip systems are pretty inefficient.
I decided to go with a daily auto water change system instead. Instead of dripping 60g a day I will flush 60g all at once then replace it. This way I will reduce the amount of water I waste.
The gist of my design us that the tank water enters the sump on the right. The pump in the right compartment pumps water down the drain. The lack of water causes the water in the left compartment to lower which opens the float valve which refills the left compartment. The fresh water has to flow from the left compartment back to the main tank, through the main tank then down the overflow to the right compartment before being flushed down the drain. In this way I hope to minimize the amount of fresh water that I flush.
Untreated well water is run through a temp balancing valve to supply the float valve. A timer will turn the flush pump on once a day for 10 minutes or so to kick off this auto water change.
I decided to go with a daily auto water change system instead. Instead of dripping 60g a day I will flush 60g all at once then replace it. This way I will reduce the amount of water I waste.
The gist of my design us that the tank water enters the sump on the right. The pump in the right compartment pumps water down the drain. The lack of water causes the water in the left compartment to lower which opens the float valve which refills the left compartment. The fresh water has to flow from the left compartment back to the main tank, through the main tank then down the overflow to the right compartment before being flushed down the drain. In this way I hope to minimize the amount of fresh water that I flush.
Untreated well water is run through a temp balancing valve to supply the float valve. A timer will turn the flush pump on once a day for 10 minutes or so to kick off this auto water change.
The tank & sump should be considered as a single unit so it wont matter where you drip theoretically.
In practice, a constant drip is an excellent failsafe and I drip directly to tank, displacing tank water out like you. I use municipal water (chloramine) with pressure reduced. Set volume to displace the same volume of water I would have to manually replace if I wasn't dripping.
If power fails for a week, if back up power fails, if I am away, then the drip will help.
In practice, a constant drip is an excellent failsafe and I drip directly to tank, displacing tank water out like you. I use municipal water (chloramine) with pressure reduced. Set volume to displace the same volume of water I would have to manually replace if I wasn't dripping.
If power fails for a week, if back up power fails, if I am away, then the drip will help.
Removing water first, timers, float switches, etc all add complexity. You can't get any simpler than dripping water from a dedicated tap to your tank.
Each to their own though. As long as your satisfied with the result then that's the best solution for you.
Each to their own though. As long as your satisfied with the result then that's the best solution for you.