vacuum water top off system...does it work?

[tim000]

I'm thinking about trying out the vacuum method for water top off like the link below..... is it as simple as that our are there some modifications i need to do? please feel free to leave me some suggestions.....

BTW- i'm a poor college student so thats why i cant buy a dosing pump!
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~lleclair/watertop.htm

 

[Chucker]

Yes, it does work. This is the principle the Nurce is based on. I have a similar unit that friends made for me out of acrylic, and it works quite nicely.

 

[esmithiii]

You can buy a float switch for like $10 at granger and it is typically less maintenance than a vacuum type.

Ernie

 

[wombat1]

I built one of these for about 30 bucks using a glass carboy from a brewing supply store. It might work with a cheaper plastic container but it should be fairly incompressible. I used 1/2" rigid tubing and vinyl hose for the larger tube rather than buying a gravel vac. You can drill the holes yourself in the rubber stopper, just use a little vegetable oil to push the tubing through. The only problem I have with it is Kalk precipitating in the line where it hits the water. Simply pinching it to break up the crystals every day will solve this. I've also seen knots tied in the line to make it drip slow but this clogs the line when I try it. HTH, Matt

 

[tim000]

Ok I a have 15gal tank without a sump.
I was going to use a 5gal water jug, now is there any certain size air tubing I need like 1/2" 1/4" ect? and do I need a gravel vacuum attachment for the end?

is there anything else I need?

thanks alot!
JEFF

 

[fishfarmer]

My first water topoff device was the same as the one in the link.

I'm on topoff device #4 now :roll: .

It would work sometimes for me. I may have not had the top of the gravel vac completely airtight though. I came back after several long weekend and it hadn't worked.

I then switched to just slow dripping kalk, until I setup the inverted jug vacuum system which works on the same principle but has less tubing and such, just one straight shot from the jug to the sump with a ball valve between. The ball valve eventually failed and I needed a larger reservior so I went to my current setup with the 5 gal jug, with powerhead hooked to a float switch.

 

[tim000]

wheres granger?

maybe i will try the inverted way instead i just have to drill into my concrete cieling at my campus apartment......lol

 

[fishfarmer]

www.grainger.com

 

[esmithiii]

Float Switch at Grainger

 

[fishfarmer]

How did you wire your float switch, Ernie? Through a relay or directly to the pump wire?

 

[esmithiii]

I haven't wired it yet (I use a pre-wired one now) but I am not sure you need a relay (in any case they are fairly inexpensive.) The one that I have uses a relay.

Ernie

 

[Markymarklar]

if you don't want to use this method, you could try using a method that is very similar to an IV drip that hospitals use. try visiting a vet or a local hospital and ask if you can hav an old IV bag. they have tons of them that they throw away all the time (i know b/c my dad is a vet). you can use the tubing and roller mechanism on it to control the drip speed. all you have to do is take the tubing off the bag and attatch it to the bottom of another container like a rubbermaid storage bin. just drilla small hole at the bottom of the container and glue a piece of rigid tubing in the hole. now attatch the tubing from the IV to the rigid tubing and you're all set. fill with your kalk and adjust the drip by turning the wheel on the IV. HTH

 

[tim000]

Markymarklar- thats what im currently doing and have been doing for a long time. the reason I want a more dependable method is because i'm going away for 5 weeks during x-mas.

 

[danmhippo]

5 weeks! Yikes.......

Who's gonna feed your tank? (I hope you have thought about that problem as well....)

I think most reefers are bound to take trips less than 2 weeks. Otherwise, they need to have a buddy to do the maintenance for them. That said, I don't really trust anyone taking care of my tank, still. Take it from Ernie....... :twisted:

Yeah, the problem with the drip system is evaporation usually varies from day to day. It's hard to decide how much and how fast to drip. In your case, you need a DIY vacuum setup or a doser with a level sensor, or a float switch.

But still, who's going to feed your tank?

 

[Desolas]

I use a vacuum method based on the link myself. I've had little problem, but some, mainly with air leaks.

I've found the gravel vac end is pretty important, or you need some large opening that can draw up a decent amount of water so when the siphon does drop there is enough water to pull it all out of the airline. Keeps the air/vacuum line much clearer.

I use a 3 gallon water cooler jug. It is small enough to fit under my stand, and also won't flood my sump in the event that I do have a air leak. I have to refill every 2-3 days, depending on evaporation.

I also use 5/16" line for the vacuum, and 3/8" line for the water siphon. The siphon is large enough that even though I do get precipitation from the limewater, it is never enough to block the line.

However, reading that you do not have a sump, I would NOT use this method, you'll end up flooding your tank in the event you do have a air leak; which I think is inevitable once or twice until you get the bugs worked out.

 

[tim000]

shoot I dont know what other method there is that is relatively cheap. i'm going to go ahead and try it.

is it possible to only filll the 5 gal jug with like 1gal for the first couple of days just incase I do have an air leak, will it still function right by starting it with 1 gal???

once the system is up and running for a while is it a common for it to flood the tank?

thanks!

 

[wombat1]

Mine has never "flooded". You can avoid air leaks by simply using one piece of vinyl tubing like I mentioned earlier. The larger tube is 1/2" and the smaller tube is 1/4". Use a rubber cork and you will have no problems. It will work just fine with 1 or 5 gallons of water. BTW, how much does your tank evaporate every day? Whoever takes care of your tank could probably just topoff your tank when they feed and you would worry a lot less and save the most money. Another method that I've never tried is to use a float VALVE connected to a reservoir above the tank. There are no electronic devices and the price is about the same. Something you may want to look into.

 

[esmithiii]

Tim000- you do realize that for the vacuum method (or the reservoir with the float valve to work, you must put the reservoir (or bottle) higher than the main tank (or sump if you have one)?

 

[reefNewbie]

Alright, I currently have a drip system and am sick of it. I want to buy that float switch and a PH. Anyone have any good plans on how to hook everything up, or is it quite self explanatory? thanks

edit: Are there any electric float valves that you simple connect to the PH and just set the level of water to maintain and then it would just pump RO water into the sump based on if the float valve is tripped or not?

 

[Garry thomas]

I take it you mean some form of OSMOLATER? There's so much differance in the reef keeping scene than over here in cold blighty? I use a system 2000 module for topping up evap water,not my octopus because i already had one or are you talking about kalkwasser ? I'v tried 2 methods
1..A Deltec Kalk stirrer which should be used with an osmolater so all your evap water is Kalk
2..1 gall cotainer with R/o and 15 grm's calcium hydroxide leave stand for a hour or two and then drip into the sump if you do it slowly your PH will not alter..GT i hope i'v been on about the right thing!