Re: [APD] Automatic water changing

[Ken Simolo <Simolo at chem_chem.rochester.edu>]

Hi Vaughn,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your post - I am way behind on 
the APD.  I looked a few days ahead and did not see anyone who said 
they had used such a system so I thought I would respond.

I have been using a similar setup (used temperature mixer/controller 
for a developing tank) for about 7 years on my automatic changing 
system which feeds ~130 tanks.  It works extremely well.  However, I 
have a well that I chlorinate and then remove all of the chlorine 
through a giant charcoal filter.  If you are on a municipal system, 
then you have to worry about chlorine, chloramines, etc. unless you 
do something to remove it.  The initial temperature of the water from 
the system is the temperature of the basement until the fresh water 
makes its way into the pipes.

In the past, I have read where some people have had toxicity problems 
from heavy metals using water from their hot water heater.  I used to 
worry about the initial slug of water being higher in copper from 
sitting in pipes overnight so I used to run the fish room sink until 
the hot and cold lines were flushed.  I no longer bother but realize 
this potential problem gets spread among 130 tanks.  If one were 
going to the other extreme and just using this system on one 2.5 
gallon tank, the only water entering the tank would be the water that 
has been sitting in the pipes (and your temperature control system 
would never have a chance to kick in!).  I have not had any problems 
with my hard well water/hot water heater/heavy metals doing 15% daily 
water changes for the last 7 years.

Ken


>
>Message: 9
>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 07:47:56 -0700
>From: Vaughn Hopkins <hoppycalif at yahoo_com>
>Subject: [APD] Automatic water changing
>To: aquatic plants digest <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
>
>
>...moment!  My showers use Delta shower controls, which allow you to 
>adjust the water temperature with a little knob, then forevermore the 
>water will be at that temperature, no matter if someone else is 
>showering, the clothes washing machine being run, a toilet being 
>flushed, or anything else.  The only thing that changes that set 
>temperature is someone adjusting the water heater setting.  I have 
>installed a few of these controls myself so I am  pretty familiar 
>with them.
>
>"Light bulb ON"   Why not plumb one of these into the water supply, 
>hot and cold, in the garage or where ever the water heater is, run 
>the output thru the appropriate piping and valves to the aquarium?  
>Then, to add more water to the fish tank, just turn on the "shower" -
>and you get water of the appropriate temperature, automatically.
>......
>Vaughn H.
>
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