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RE: How big a sump and automated water changes.
- To: <Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com>
- Subject: RE: How big a sump and automated water changes.
- From: "Chris Ferrell" <ferrell_chris at hotmail_com>
- Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 09:30:28 -0400
- Importance: Normal
- In-reply-to: <200305230053.h4N0rfYi002951@otter.actwin.com>
I had a friend who had a great setup on several tanks.
He had RO water in a 55 gallon drum, premixed w/ all ferts located in
the basement (directly under his tanks on the floor above). On specific
intervals, using sprinkler system timers, pumps and valves, a little bit
of water would squirt into his tanks.
He also plumbed overflows into non-sump tanks so that when his automated
water fill system kicked into gear, the extra water would flow out the
overflow, down into his basement and into his drain/garden/etc.
I can't recall the intervals, but it was several times a day but only a
little bit of water each time. It ended up being %10-20 a week, but
with the constant addition of water, the levels of nutrients stayed very
constant. With such a low fill rate, differing water temperatures
wouldn't be an issue.
Plumbing a sump would be just as easy. A single overflow in the sump
would empty the extra water. It would also act as a back-up safeguard
against a power outage and too much water flowing into the sump from the
main tank. The sump overflow would prevent a wet floor.
His system was pretty darn automated - and slick.
Chris