Need help with sump/fuge

[mr_alberta]

A float valve from a humidifier to your R/O unit should suffice. As a failsafe, you can use a float switch hooked up to a solenoid that cuts off the water supply to your R/O unit if the water level in your sump gets too high in conjunction with the float valve. If you are really worried, you can set up a couple of switches in case 1 should fail (if everything fails, you're just unlucky! )

[TheReefGeek]

Sorry Ruth, apparantly they want to continue this discussion here.

yeah actually you did.

Quote:
And that is not an auto top off unless you run the RODI into your tank not a garbage can.

I said that an RODI supplying a garbage can is not an auto top off. And its not!!!!!!! You have to then run your garbage can water into your tank for it to be an auto top off!!!!!!!! Without involving the display tank or sump you won't convince me it is an auto top off system! It is just a reservoire filling system that will produce waste water 24hrs a day from your RODI unit!!!!!!

So with just a float valve, how do you shut off waste water production from your RODI if you dont use any other valves, just a single abs float?

I have had the pleasure of flooding multiple ways, with the exception of my current setup. I have had float valves fail in multiple ways (stick open, and just plain leak), I have had the hyraulic plumbed into the RODI fail, and I have had float switches fail even with 4, yes 4 redundant float switches, set with 2 series and 2 in parallel for "ultimate" protection. And before I used a time, I have forgot to unplug my RODI when filling a reservoire, and filled the reservoire then my floor.

So for simplicity sake, when wanting to control an RODI directly to your sump, I have found a sprinkler solenoid and a timer set to replace approximate evaporation rate to be the "best".

If there is a better, safer way to setup a completely automated system I would love to learn it. After having multiple float switches burn out and fail in the on position, I just dont trust them anymore. Now if my timer starts to fail im screwed, I dont know what else to do!

[Ruth]

Hey you guys I can end this really quickly because........it's my thread I don't have an RODI unit and won't any time soon. Reason is not enough room in my house to be able to have the equipment I would need to bring my well water down to a useable TDS (1500 - 2000ppm TDS) so I will be running auto top off out of a garbage can or other vessel. This way you can also control the amount of water that is in your vessel and should not have a flood although you can burn up a pump
I don't need a chamber for the protein skimmer as I will be running a BK 500ext. on it. I want to have a refugium, a place to house my return pump, heaters, zeovit reactor (if I decide to use zeo on this tank) and misc. other pieces of equipment that I might aquire.

[TheReefGeek]

So do you bring in jugs of distilled then for water change a top off water?

[Ruth]

Rory, I currently have a 230g, 190g, 44g, 24g and 12g tanks and I buy and pack all RODI water from a water store in town that I have worked with quite a bit and trust the way they treat their water. I do a minimum of 15% bi weekly water changes on all of them. It's a lot of work I guess but honestly I don't mind. Packing all that water has definately helped out my muscle tone!

[Jason McK]

Ruth,
Jack and I built a sump a couple of years ago. It was quite easy. I simply had an acrylic shop cut the pieces to the sizes I wanted and used Weldon 40 to glue it all together. I used silicone to add baffles.
It might be a challenge to find a shop around you but I'm sure shipping of pieces of Acrylic would be cheaper than a completed tank.

If your interested I could pick up and mail pieces to you?

Or you could talk to Wendell

J

[mr_alberta]

Hi Jason,

How did you like using the Weld-On 40? Its a 2 part right?

[Ruth]

Oh Jason thanks but you have no idea what an idiot I am when it comes to building stuff or putting it together - heck I had to bring my Calcium Reactor down with me at Christmas so Wendell could put it together for me (It is a grotech reactor and the instructions were not very clear - I did manage to put my Precision Marine one together). No I would be far better off getting someone to build it for me and either paying for shipping or coming and picking it up. I have had an e-mail from a guy in Saskatchewan that is willing to build it for me and has built a few and sent me some designs that look pretty good to me.
I guess I would like suggestions for design of a sump/fuge that will sit below the tank (or behind it in a separate fish/equipment room. For now I will not be able to have a fuge sit above the tank which would be ideal but it will have to part of the sump or a separate tank connected with bulkheads and plumbing.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Ruth

Rory, I currently have a 230g, 190g, 44g, 24g and 12g tanks and I buy and pack all RODI water from a water store in town that I have worked with quite a bit and trust the way they treat their water. I do a minimum of 15% bi weekly water changes on all of them. It's a lot of work I guess but honestly I don't mind. Packing all that water has definately helped out my muscle tone!

500 gallons x 15% biweekly = 75 gallons every two weeks. That's 15 jugs of water, or 7/week. Now THAT'S a commitment (and an exercise program).

I stand in awe, and will NEVER AGAIN whine about having to carry my water up and down one flight of stairs.

[Ruth]

I also evaporate 7-10g a day so yeah I pack a lot of water. The really funny part of it is that I drink my well water. The only thing that gets the good stuff is my fish tanks.