Automatic water change?

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Lionfan
Posts: 166
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:53 am

Automatic water change?

Post by Lionfan »

So, basically. I would like to use one of my float switches for the ATO, have that cut off at a certain time everyday, then have a pump pull out water for say 5 minutes. Using the 2nd float switch, or the same, have another pump put fresh saltwater back into the aquarium. That way, the pump will always fill up the saltwater back to the same spot. I think not having to not calibrate 2 pumps will be effective. This way, the pump will only replace how much water gets taken out. I did this without a controller, using timers, not I want to do it with.
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lnevo
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by lnevo »

I have a routine in my code that does this. I don't have it scheduled though but I do it during my water change. As I pump water out, my float switch is controlling a pump using the ato function and adding new salt water. Take a look at my INO in my signature.
Lionfan
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by Lionfan »

I appreciate your post, but that's not exactly automatic. I want a scheduled water change either once a day, a week, or a month. Haven't decided yet. Its mostly because I travel a lot for work, and I'm trying to make maintance easy for my wife. If I have to manually click water change on my phone to make it happen, that's okay. I really just need it set up where I don't have to touch anything except for maybe my phone, for a water change.
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pandimus
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Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:58 pm

Re: Automatic water change?

Post by pandimus »

Lionfan wrote:So, basically. I would like to use one of my float switches for the ATO, have that cut off at a certain time everyday, then have a pump pull out water for say 5 minutes. Using the 2nd float switch, or the same, have another pump put fresh saltwater back into the aquarium. That way, the pump will always fill up the saltwater back to the same spot. I think not having to not calibrate 2 pumps will be effective. This way, the pump will only replace how much water gets taken out. I did this without a controller, using timers, not I want to do it with.
Sounds like a salinity disaster over time.. If it was me I'd get a liter miter 3,which has pumps that can be calibrated.. Put it on a relay put a float switch in your fsw container to shut off that relay when empty. It will be completely automated.. Just fill up your bucket with fsw and go..
rimai
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by rimai »

IMO, the best and fail proof automated water change only involves one regular pump and no float switches at all.
It was explained to me by one of our members and I since think it is the best :)
The only downside is that the water level of the container you are going to be using as fresh saltwater needs to be at the same level of the water of your sump.
All you need is this:
1. Have a container with saltwater by the sump with a U pipe or hose and make sure you have full siphon. That's the reason the 2 water levels need to be the same.
2. Inside the container with fresh saltwater, place a pump with a hose in its outlet and place the other side of the hose in the sump.
3. Turn the pump on when you want to change water and let it run for maybe 30min. That should cycle through all the water inside the container.
4. When done, break the siphon and dump the water from the container and add new fresh saltwater for next time :)
5. Don't forget to have the siphon in the U pipe again or you will end up having more water that you want in your sump.

Technically, this method is not 100% efficient, but pretty close.
You will be always have a little bit of that fresh saltwater left inside the container, but it is very minor.
This will ALWAYS keep the water level in your sump stable, so you don't need a float at all.
Roberto.
Lionfan
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Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:53 am

Re: Automatic water change?

Post by Lionfan »

thanks for the ideas. I think i have a few better plans for it. Like getting another replay box, a diy ato float switch, and 2 pumps. ill have the controller flip on a pump for 5 minutes and remove water. I need a way to timeout the ato during this time, thats the only thing I need help. Once the water has pumped out, The relay with the ato and and refill pump will kick on 5 minutes later and refill. the float switch will have it fill back up to the ato float switch level. I have a salinity module, and hoping maybe to have a failsafe with the salinity module? when i go to build this, the sump will have an overfill pipe attached at the very top, in case a pump stays on for any reason. that way I don't flood the basement. (which would be fine, it has a drain anyways)
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lnevo
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by lnevo »

Lionfan.

I gave my INO as an example. There is no reason the same mechanism couldn't be automated. I don't see why there would be any salinity issues with what I proposed...

All you'd need to do is...

Disable RO ATO
Enable SW ATO
Turn on drain pump for X amount of time.
Disable SW ATO
Enable RO ATO

You've removed whatever amount of saltwater and replaced with exactly the same amount. There's no calibration needed and no siphons u-tubes, etc. Nothing to forget. If you run out of saltwater, you trigger an ATO timeout and disable the drain pump. You resume the RO ATO and you're back in business.

I like my method. The only reason I do it manually is because I haven't run a connection to my saltwater station downstairs and i have to run a hose to the bathroom for drainage. Otherwise I would totally do exactly that with the volume I want removed spaced out a few times a day or something. You could even treat the drain pump as a dosing pump command and set the port for your ATO based on if that pump is on or off.
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lnevo
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by lnevo »

Lionfan wrote:thanks for the ideas. I think i have a few better plans for it. Like getting another replay box, a diy ato float switch, and 2 pumps. ill have the controller flip on a pump for 5 minutes and remove water. I need a way to timeout the ato during this time, thats the only thing I need help. Once the water has pumped out, The relay with the ato and and refill pump will kick on 5 minutes later and refill. the float switch will have it fill back up to the ato float switch level. I have a salinity module, and hoping maybe to have a failsafe with the salinity module? when i go to build this, the sump will have an overfill pipe attached at the very top, in case a pump stays on for any reason. that way I don't flood the basement. (which would be fine, it has a drain anyways)
The only difference with my method is that I'm adding fresh water to the return side of my sump while I'm draining from the input side as a "continuous" change. If you want to remove X amount of time and then pump new water in back to that point, it would be a bit different code, but to the same affect.

As I said, I use the ATO Timeout flag to stop my drain pump and that works great for me.
pandimus
Posts: 213
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:58 pm

Re: Automatic water change?

Post by pandimus »

Lionfan wrote:thanks for the ideas. I think i have a few better plans for it. Like getting another replay box, a diy ato float switch, and 2 pumps. ill have the controller flip on a pump for 5 minutes and remove water. I need a way to timeout the ato during this time, thats the only thing I need help. Once the water has pumped out, The relay with the ato and and refill pump will kick on 5 minutes later and refill. the float switch will have it fill back up to the ato float switch level. I have a salinity module, and hoping maybe to have a failsafe with the salinity module? when i go to build this, the sump will have an overfill pipe attached at the very top, in case a pump stays on for any reason. that way I don't flood the basement. (which would be fine, it has a drain anyways)
Are you planning to turn off your return pump?
Lionfan
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Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:53 am

Re: Automatic water change?

Post by Lionfan »

No. Wouldn't be doing enough of a water change to lower the volume of water in the sump below the return pump. I think that would make it more complex then needed.
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Lionfan
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by Lionfan »

lnevo wrote:Lionfan.

I gave my INO as an example. There is no reason the same mechanism couldn't be automated. I don't see why there would be any salinity issues with what I proposed...

All you'd need to do is...

Disable RO ATO
Enable SW ATO
Turn on drain pump for X amount of time.
Disable SW ATO
Enable RO ATO

You've removed whatever amount of saltwater and replaced with exactly the same amount. There's no calibration needed and no siphons u-tubes, etc. Nothing to forget. If you run out of saltwater, you trigger an ATO timeout and disable the drain pump. You resume the RO ATO and you're back in business.

I like my method. The only reason I do it manually is because I haven't run a connection to my saltwater station downstairs and i have to run a hose to the bathroom for drainage. Otherwise I would totally do exactly that with the volume I want removed spaced out a few times a day or something. You could even treat the drain pump as a dosing pump command and set the port for your ATO based on if that pump is on or off.
Exactly!! Sorry, I was confused while reading your post at first. Even if I had to do it manually, with my phone, that would work. I don't know enough about code to figure out what I need to write.
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lnevo
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Re: Automatic water change?

Post by lnevo »

Ok well when you have all the pieces put together its a pretty straight forward routine we could put together. I'd need to know what ports, what timings, frequency, etc. we could use one of the three dosing pumps for the timings and you could set the details in the portal
Lionfan
Posts: 166
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:53 am

Re: Automatic water change?

Post by Lionfan »

lnevo wrote:Ok well when you have all the pieces put together its a pretty straight forward routine we could put together. I'd need to know what ports, what timings, frequency, etc. we could use one of the three dosing pumps for the timings and you could set the details in the portal
Alright, I'm going to get everything together thru the holidays, and well jump on it at the start of the year. Should be a good project.
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