tur4k
Member
Ok...Let's look at the risk...
- The input pump is pumping slightly faster than the output pump or the output pump fails.
* The level in my sump starts to rise. My sump can easily handle the four gallons that would be pumped into it over a 24 hour period. Hopefully a float switch would tell the controller to shut down the dosing pumps, but lets say that fails. Eventually the skimmer would start skimming like mad due to the rising water level in the sump. My Precision Marine Bullet 2 skimmer has an external collection vessel that shuts off the flow of air when it's full. This causes the skimmer to stop skimming and makes a ton of gurgling noise. At this point I notice the problem and resolve the issue, but if that fails...I either see a little bit of water on my floor from the skimmer overflowing (I can also have a water detection probe on the floor) or I notice the high water level in the sump when I get seaweed sheets out from under my tank to feed the fish like I do every morning.
* The difference in the pumps is less than or equal to the rate of evaporation. This causes salinity to gradually rise. Hopefully my conductivity probe would shut off the pumps and send me an email or a text message, but if that fails...I notice after a few days that the water level in my ATO reservoir isn't dropping. I break out my refractometer and test the water. I resolve the problem.
- The output pump is pumping slightly faster than the input pump or the input pump fails.
* My ATO makes up the difference and the salinity starts to drop. Hopefully the conductivity probe detects the drop in salinity, but lets assume that it goes undetected by the controller. I notice that my ATO reservoir that normally lasts a week is exhausted after two days. The slight drop in salinity over the span of two days causes no harm to my system and I fix the problem.
- I'm going out of town for two weeks on vacation and I'm not around to notice any of the telltale signs that something is wrong with the water exchange.
* I shut down the water exchange before I leave. I sleep easy while enjoying my vacation.
Let's look at the reward...
- Dumping water into a garbage can is easier than doing a water change.
- 4% a day is going to cause much less stress on my livestock than weekly large water changes.
- I can safely change out more water doing a continuous small water exchange than I could doing large water changes. This reduces the amount of stuff (Ca, Alk, trace elements) that I need to add to my tank.
- I don't have to worry about matching temperature or PH when doing a water change because the exchange is slow enough that it doesn't matter.
- Stability, stability, stability!!! There are no large fluctuations due to water changes in my system. Everything is happening gradually because the water exchange is slow and constant.
- The input pump is pumping slightly faster than the output pump or the output pump fails.
* The level in my sump starts to rise. My sump can easily handle the four gallons that would be pumped into it over a 24 hour period. Hopefully a float switch would tell the controller to shut down the dosing pumps, but lets say that fails. Eventually the skimmer would start skimming like mad due to the rising water level in the sump. My Precision Marine Bullet 2 skimmer has an external collection vessel that shuts off the flow of air when it's full. This causes the skimmer to stop skimming and makes a ton of gurgling noise. At this point I notice the problem and resolve the issue, but if that fails...I either see a little bit of water on my floor from the skimmer overflowing (I can also have a water detection probe on the floor) or I notice the high water level in the sump when I get seaweed sheets out from under my tank to feed the fish like I do every morning.
* The difference in the pumps is less than or equal to the rate of evaporation. This causes salinity to gradually rise. Hopefully my conductivity probe would shut off the pumps and send me an email or a text message, but if that fails...I notice after a few days that the water level in my ATO reservoir isn't dropping. I break out my refractometer and test the water. I resolve the problem.
- The output pump is pumping slightly faster than the input pump or the input pump fails.
* My ATO makes up the difference and the salinity starts to drop. Hopefully the conductivity probe detects the drop in salinity, but lets assume that it goes undetected by the controller. I notice that my ATO reservoir that normally lasts a week is exhausted after two days. The slight drop in salinity over the span of two days causes no harm to my system and I fix the problem.
- I'm going out of town for two weeks on vacation and I'm not around to notice any of the telltale signs that something is wrong with the water exchange.
* I shut down the water exchange before I leave. I sleep easy while enjoying my vacation.
Let's look at the reward...
- Dumping water into a garbage can is easier than doing a water change.
- 4% a day is going to cause much less stress on my livestock than weekly large water changes.
- I can safely change out more water doing a continuous small water exchange than I could doing large water changes. This reduces the amount of stuff (Ca, Alk, trace elements) that I need to add to my tank.
- I don't have to worry about matching temperature or PH when doing a water change because the exchange is slow enough that it doesn't matter.
- Stability, stability, stability!!! There are no large fluctuations due to water changes in my system. Everything is happening gradually because the water exchange is slow and constant.
