Auto water change

My dad id disabled and cannot do his own water changes. I don't get much time to go round and do a water change as often as I should. I am planning on making an auto system that he can operate it himself by pressing 2 switches, one to take the water out and another one to pump the water back out of a tank that I was thinking of putting in his loft. So basicly I will have a 20 gallon tank in his loft which has a ball valve so constantly fills up. In there I will put a heater sump pump and air brick to get the chlorine out. It is only a tropical tank so no need for salt. I will put another sump pump in the tank and make a level mark on the tank at 25% of the volume. so all he would have to do is press the sump that is in his fish tank and pump out the water to the level on the tank, then press the switch that operates the sump in the tank inside the loft then when the tank is full again switch it off. This is only a rough idea so would appreciate your views and possibly a better idea.

 

hi Jonjoe

sorry to read about your fathers problems, hopefully the aquarium hobby at least provides some comfort for him

good on you for setting up the water changer - yours sounds like it will work IMO

I have sent you a PM with some links to autowater change systems that other people have developed - I hope that they are usefull

Steve

 

Don't forget about gravity from the loft water. If you are pumping it out but going up over the side of the reservoir and then down a drop, it will continue to flow even after electricity to the pump is off. A small hole in the pipe (in the reservoir) will be a good siphon break. Also make sure the reservoir tank does not have the possibility of overflowing, during refill. You could make this electricity free, if you gravity feed both the drain and the refiling from the water reservoir. Meaning pipe ran to the tank with a simple ball valve opened until the water is full then shut the valve. For draining if the tank is drilled low, add some pipe with a valve there too. Drilling tanks isn't too difficult unless its tempered glass, in which case is a definite do not do.