mawhins
Thu Aug 06, 2009, 06:12 PM
Hi all,
I haven't really introduced myself here yet but will in the proper forum however....
I've been mulling over a system that allows me to do "one touch" water changes on multiple tanks used for breeding grow out etc... I've come up with the attached.
The header tank is fed through a float valve from a toilet cistern. Tank will prolly be a low long plastic storage container.
The sump will be a similar container, not using it for filtration(but optional). Filtration is by the sponge filters which are made of terracotta pipe filled with foam over a standpipe through a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank. The terracotta pipe is siliconed to the tank base and the pipe height sets the water level in the tank. Not too sure about this... I hope the discus will use this as their laying surface :wink:
I've never been a fan of shared filtration/water so ive added isolating ball valves on all the tanks both in and out. If treating tanks I'll switch to cannister or just drop the water level below the terracotta and add an air driven sponge while treating and do manual water changes.
The one touch bit works like this, you press the flush button on the cistern flush mechanism in the sump, choose half or full for small or large change. Water drains from the sump in a big rush like a toilet flushing. In fact the sump is a heated toilet cistern with a pump recirculating water from it to the tanks and back via sponge filters.
The sump immediately starts filling from the header tank thanks to the miracle of gravity and stops when the float valve (in the sump) tells it to.
This lowers the level in the header tank which immediately starts refilling and fills until the float valve in the header tank tells it to stop. Need an autodoser for prime on the inflow to the header tank. (Saw something neat on another forum that uses venturi to add controlled dose percentage wise of chems. Cant remember where i saw it though. Monstertanks i think.)
The thing i like about it is it's relatively low tech and therefore robust and most importantly cheap. How cool would it be to walk in and press one button to do a water change on multiple tanks. I've laid out the plan with two tanks but easily extended to more. And if you want to change more water just press the button again!!! Gold gold gold???
Would really appreciate any thoughts as I think the filtration idea and using toilet parts is a bit off the wall.
Cheers,
Sean
I haven't really introduced myself here yet but will in the proper forum however....
I've been mulling over a system that allows me to do "one touch" water changes on multiple tanks used for breeding grow out etc... I've come up with the attached.
The header tank is fed through a float valve from a toilet cistern. Tank will prolly be a low long plastic storage container.
The sump will be a similar container, not using it for filtration(but optional). Filtration is by the sponge filters which are made of terracotta pipe filled with foam over a standpipe through a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank. The terracotta pipe is siliconed to the tank base and the pipe height sets the water level in the tank. Not too sure about this... I hope the discus will use this as their laying surface :wink:
I've never been a fan of shared filtration/water so ive added isolating ball valves on all the tanks both in and out. If treating tanks I'll switch to cannister or just drop the water level below the terracotta and add an air driven sponge while treating and do manual water changes.
The one touch bit works like this, you press the flush button on the cistern flush mechanism in the sump, choose half or full for small or large change. Water drains from the sump in a big rush like a toilet flushing. In fact the sump is a heated toilet cistern with a pump recirculating water from it to the tanks and back via sponge filters.
The sump immediately starts filling from the header tank thanks to the miracle of gravity and stops when the float valve (in the sump) tells it to.
This lowers the level in the header tank which immediately starts refilling and fills until the float valve in the header tank tells it to stop. Need an autodoser for prime on the inflow to the header tank. (Saw something neat on another forum that uses venturi to add controlled dose percentage wise of chems. Cant remember where i saw it though. Monstertanks i think.)
The thing i like about it is it's relatively low tech and therefore robust and most importantly cheap. How cool would it be to walk in and press one button to do a water change on multiple tanks. I've laid out the plan with two tanks but easily extended to more. And if you want to change more water just press the button again!!! Gold gold gold???
Would really appreciate any thoughts as I think the filtration idea and using toilet parts is a bit off the wall.
Cheers,
Sean