Thanks Pharaoh for the response and information. Great thread, I got a lot of information from it.
My DIY Drip System/Water Changer
- Thread starter Pharaoh
- Start date
Pharoah you are a wealth of information. I am planning a W/C system on my 240 gal. and wanted to run it past you. I am using unchlorinated well water @ max 50 Psi that requires no conditioning for my Cichlids. I don't have a sump and want to drill the back of the tank for an overflow to the garden. Could I use a drip irrigation emitter and regulator without an electronic valve/controller and just let it run all the time ? Thanks,Chris
dawnmarie;3781532; said:
Absolutely! I chose the electronic version as I wanted to try something different, plus I get to extend unyielding power and control over my water supply! MWAHAHAHA.....
But seriously, having a drilled tank with overflow and a drip emitter will do a great job. It is basically the simplified version of what I am running. I have the drain on the sump as I run multiple tanks off of this system, but having one in the tank is no different.
The only thing I would look at is the PSI rating of the drip emitters and address the need for a regulator. If I remember, most of them are rated for 25psi or so. For a matter of a few bucks and a little bit of time, you could be in business.
This is simply fantastic. I will (hopfully) remember this when I buy a house and I can tap into the water lines and create a system like this.
Bear
Bear
Just wondering what kind of control is the electronic controller and valve giving you? For example, could you give some info on what schedule you programmed into it? It seems like with the electronic system you can set how much water you want changed and when, but it won't get released as drips like with a drip emitter. Am I understanding that correctly?
Sword625;4026033; said:
Correct. I originally set this up to simply change some water every day. Here lately, I have been toying with some of the numbers and alternating things to simulate seasonal changes to induce breeding. Although I have been doing the same with my heating.
Originally, I had it set to run for 20 minutes Sunday through Friday and then it ran for an hour on Saturday. I never really measured it to start out with. I based the duration on my water parameters and what it took to keep the tank pristine. When I increased some of my stocking, I bumped up the run times to an hour every day.
I'll look into specific flow rates and see what I can come up with to pass on.
This was my inspiration to make my own wc system for my 240. I simplified it a little with a $12.00 easy connect for an ice maker, a dupont inline carbon filter(for removal of chlorine)and a 1gph drip emmiter(can be lowered with the icemaker valve). The whole system was around $60.00 and works great..I had a bulkhead from a previous tank and drilled a whole in my sump for discharge of old water and just in case my pump fails. I route it back to the laundry room drain behind the tank..
Thanks, Bobby...king of DIY....
Thanks, Bobby...king of DIY....
I think one can eliminate the need for a pressure regulator if you tapped the house supply with a piercing valve. That way you can regulate the pressure going into the filter.
Exactly what i used..sashimimaster;4552845; said:
made everything very easy to install,with the dupont filter all i had to do was stick the water line in the holes and it seals by itself,no tape or silicone. The dripper just fits tightly into another small hole i drilled in the other sump,(i have 2 marineland tidepools hooked together).
I just recently upgraded the pressure regulator, and I am not super pleased with it. I might switch over to the saddle myself.
