On the fly water change plans - will it work?

[bob30329]

120 gallon RR tank with a 35 gal or so sump with Mag 12 return pump.
For auto top-off, there will be a tube out to a RO/DI container connected to a powerhead controlled by a Cailfornia Reefs float switch.

Plan to run a chiller driven by a Mag 9.5 in the sump connected to the chiller in the garage. The return from the chiller will drain in the return pump chamber in the sump containing the float switch.

Here’s the fun part. On the fly water changes - see diagram. Normally Valve 1 is open, valves 2 & 3 are closed.

During a water change, (while the tank system is still running),

Valve 1 is closed
Valve 2 is open, filling the drain barrel with ‘old’ water pushed by the sump pump
Valve 3 is open, pumping new water from the Saltwater barrel into the chiller and then the sump.

To do the water change:

1. measure the level in the saltwater bucket & mark the same level in the drain bucket to replace the same amount of water.
2. unplug the RO/DI powerhead from the float switch and plug in the mag pump in the saltwater bucket.
3. open valve 3. The pump may run briefly if the sump level is low (it shouldn’t be).
4. Close Valve 1
5. Open valve 2 (no delay)
6. The saltwater pump should kick in, controlled by the float switch.

To stop the process, Close Valve 2, then 1, then three when the pump stops.

Any comments would be appreciated.

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[Doug1]

The image is not showing up, just the code

[bob30329]

Fixed attachment

[xtopher]

sounds pretty cool do you have this set up yet?

[bob30329]

Just in the planning stages.

[Tim224DT]

My sister did something like this with her Fresh Water Tank......I incldued a pic of her setup.


Tim

[tims]

looks like it should work.. i would have a few towels around just in case..

[motorslave]

Hey, that looks like a pretty good system. Looks like it should work! If you do it be sure to post pictures and fill us in. If you have luck with it I might do something like that in my next house when I have a wet room. Good idea!!

Robert

[reefBoyDc]

That looks like something i would love to have. The only drawback to such a system is thatyou'll be wasting some SW, as some of the new SW you are putting in will be taken out. So it's not a very efficient way of doind it, but it's easy!

[bob30329]

Originally Posted by reefBoyDc

That looks like something i would love to have. The only drawback to such a system is thatyou'll be wasting some SW, as some of the new SW you are putting in will be taken out. So it's not a very efficient way of doind it, but it's easy!

I'll reduce the waste sw by having the sump pump (to the chiller) in the section containint the tank drains and the output in the return pump section.

This is my first big tank. 20% water change, 120 tank, 5 gallon jugs, I did the math and had to come up with something.

[VWD]

Originally Posted by reefBoyDc

That looks like something i would love to have. The only drawback to such a system is thatyou'll be wasting some SW, as some of the new SW you are putting in will be taken out. So it's not a very efficient way of doind it, but it's easy!

It is not really a waste of water on larger tanks. It is more of a tranfusion. I pull water out of the left imput side of my sump and replace it with new saltwater on the right side being pump back to the display tank. I do it 25 to 30 gallon at a time every 2 weeks. and it works very well and I don't have to shut any pumps or anything off. just need extra pumps around to do it.

[Doug1]

What I did on my 75 with 55g sump, shut down return and skimmer pumps, theres a line marked showing the drain down , power off level, throw in a mag 5 pump, in the main sump area and suck out as much water as possible, then use same pump to refill from seperate 32 gallon SW mixing container, when level reaches high water mark, stop filling, and restart return, then skimmer pump

[bob30329]

Not glued up yet...
Still waiting for float switches