Re: How big a sump and automated water changes

["Giancarlo Podio" <gp at isaconsulting_com>]

A friend on mine had a simple way of automating his water changes. He simply
had a tap installed under the tank with a hose going into the tank, the tap
was adjusted to give a continuous drip into the tank and an overflow was
used to drain the excess water from the tank. I think the overflow hose
brought the water out into his flower bed but I'm not sure, I remember when
he first set it up it used to just dump the water in a large plastic
container that he would empty manually. I know he didn't use any water
conditioner which I guess he didn't need to considering the small amount of
water being added at any one time. I thought it was a very simple and
effective design which probably didn't cost him any more than having the tap
installed under the tank. The amount of water changed weekly would also have
been a very easy thing to adjust.

Giancarlo Podio

----- Original Message -----

  a.. To: <Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com>, <billw at waveform_net>
  b.. Subject: How big a sump and automated water changes.
  c.. From: "Charles Kuehnl" <ckuehnl at cox_net>
  d.. Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 15:56:33 -0500
  e.. Disposition-notification-to: "Charles Kuehnl" <ckuehnl at cox_net>
  f.. Importance: Normal
  g.. In-reply-to: <200305220151_h4M1pwUS022381 at otter.actwin.com>

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Bill,

Not having ever used a sump and being in a similar situation (about to
do a large tank, maybe two), I am curious about your comment regarding
sizing the sump for water changes so that the tank level does not
change.  We are in the planning stage of a new house and I want to have
a couple of tanks, at least one of them pretty large.  I know that it
will take a lot of work to keep these up so I am trying to figure out
ways to automate them as much as possible.  I had already figured I
would use sumps for hiding stuff and to do the water changes in the
sump, and get the plumber to run some water and drains to the tanks to
facilitate water changes.  If I could come up with a pretty fool proof
method, try to automate the water changes too.  The sump being sized to
handle a water change without changing the tank water level sounds like
a good idea.  I would assume that the sump somehow has to have the
capacity for all that water and then some but assumptions have gotten me
in to more trouble than I can remember.  Would you please explain how to
do this or refer me to a good source for info on this?

Also I would appreciate any suggestions on how to automate this stuff if
anyone has done this successfully.

Thanks
Charles