WATER CHANGES

I want to make a auto water changer simialr to fishman's for my new 160g because i am already getting tired of water changes on my 75g. What I would like to know is on a 160 gallon tank, what would be my optimal GPD change be? I am on city water so i have chlorine and all that good stuff so would i still need to add prime all the time or if i make the water change small enough will it disapate at the same rate as my flow. How fast does chlorine disapate anyways? Im thinking 12 gallons per day for a 50% weekly change would be perfect. Does anyone know where to get 0.5gph drip emitters? home depot and lowes only have 1gph. Thanks for the input in advance.

You can order .5 drip emiters online. Also I believe home depot sells an adjustable drip emiter that goes down to .5

As far as chlorine goes I don't think it'll be an issue for you. but if you're worried you can use a "whole house filter" for about $40 and replace the cartridges every 5000 gallons of water.

Also keep in mind that it's changing 50% of the water, Each gallon that goes in takes old and new water out. But yes, what you'll probably find is that 12 GPD will be more than enough for your tank.

With a solid heater i would drip at 1gph to give 100% weekly changed but thats just me

Not to detract from the conversation at all, but this is the reason I haven't ventured into the large tank category. And by large, I mean anything bigger than a 40 gallon...

Gizmo wrote:Not to detract from the conversation at all, but this is the reason I haven't ventured into the large tank category. And by large, I mean anything bigger than a 40 gallon...

I always had more maintenance issues with smaller tanks. With the lack of water volume it just seemed like keeping water parameters in place was a bit harder. Once I got away from the 5 gallon bucket water changes and used a python type water changer it was a lot easier.

On my 165 gallon tank I do 30% change twice a week takes less than 20 min or so. With a drip type system you still have to do water changes and substrate cleaning anyway, so whats the point or benifit of a drip system?

The constant changing of the water effectively replaces water changes. You will still need to vac the sand/gravel at normal intervals which is super quick on a tank under 300gals. For the 160 and 235 it would take me no more than 30mins to do just a vac. Even then if you have enough turnover and the current of your returns was setup right you could avoid gravel vacs for a month, maybe more!

Whats the benifit of a drip system????

I'll put it this way i was changing 700 gallons weekly on all my tanks with gravel vacs and it was taking a solid 7 hours of my time every single week (with newborn babay not an option anymore) and it stresses the crap out of your fish. Since i installed the drip my maintenence has been probably 1 hour total vaccumming every two weeks or so, and now am changing 700 gallons withyout even lifting a finger and thats in over two months!!! My fish dont get sressed from as influx of different water or having a significant drop in the water level, temperature or parameters, cause you have to remember the water your putting in has a totally different makeup than the old water and to a point can shock the fish espescially in large changes. My water is the same all the time and im hardly doing anything. Yes gravel vacs are neccessary, but instead of doing a 40% change when I vac I fill 2 gallons of a bucket from each tank then stop cause all im doing is removing the crap and not actually performing a water change. I have a 30 and 55 fry tanks that are also ran on the drip and the fry grow like mad with a 50% change daily without me having to do anything. The way I see it is in a river thers a constant flow of clean water and lakes dont drain 30% then fill up witha rain, there is a constant cycle of evaporation then filling with rains and what not.

So.... Here were my options

Option 1: Manually change 700 gallons weekly, stress my fish and take 7 hours of my time
Option 2: manually change 10 gallons weekly/biweekly with 700 gallons auto changed and get to sit back and actually enjoy keeping fish.

Hmmmmmm.... which would you chose??

Never heard of a drip, so how does it work? Cuz it does sound like sumin I'd be interested in.

fishman09 wrote:Whats the benifit of a drip system????

I'll put it this way i was changing 700 gallons weekly on all my tanks with gravel vacs and it was taking a solid 7 hours of my time every single week (with newborn babay not an option anymore) and it stresses the crap out of your fish. Since i installed the drip my maintenence has been probably 1 hour total vaccumming every two weeks or so, and now am changing 700 gallons withyout even lifting a finger and thats in over two months!!! My fish dont get sressed from as influx of different water or having a significant drop in the water level, temperature or parameters, cause you have to remember the water your putting in has a totally different makeup than the old water and to a point can shock the fish espescially in large changes. My water is the same all the time and im hardly doing anything. Yes gravel vacs are neccessary, but instead of doing a 40% change when I vac I fill 2 gallons of a bucket from each tank then stop cause all im doing is removing the crap and not actually performing a water change. I have a 30 and 55 fry tanks that are also ran on the drip and the fry grow like mad with a 50% change daily without me having to do anything. The way I see it is in a river thers a constant flow of clean water and lakes dont drain 30% then fill up witha rain, there is a constant cycle of evaporation then filling with rains and what not.

So.... Here were my options

Option 1: Manually change 700 gallons weekly, stress my fish and take 7 hours of my time
Option 2: manually change 10 gallons weekly/biweekly with 700 gallons auto changed and get to sit back and actually enjoy keeping fish.

Hmmmmmm.... which would you chose??

Well for you obviously option 2, for me option 1 as I don't have 700 gallons worth of tanks and it take me 20 min tops. Thanks for your explanation..

tayntdawg wrote:Never heard of a drip, so how does it work? Cuz it does sound like sumin I'd be interested in.

This is it.

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