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Thread: Automatic water changes. Creative ideas using salinity probe, break out box float switches and solenoids

  1. #1
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    Automatic water changes. Creative ideas using salinity probe, break out box float switches and solenoids

    I just ordered a bunch of gear on the 10% off sale.

    DOS
    2X SOLENOIDS
    PM2, temp prob, salinity monitor
    LSM and LEDs
    2nd Break out box
    Etc...

    My Set up is 3 tanks. A 225 display, a 90g qt and a 40g mixing station, all plumbed with 3x water lines and drainage lines run by pumps.

    I decided to set up the DOS on continuous water change around 1.8 gpd

    I had originally bought the pm2 to monitor salinity as a novelty...thought a back up temp prob would be good and with the second break out box I'll have both high and low sensors in both sumps, both ato Reservoirs and mixing stations.

    All of my water lines are on brs float switches.

    I had bought the solenoids as back up shut offs for my atos should my float valves fail and my high sensors get set off.

    It occurs to me however with a salinity monitor, high and low level monitors for my mixing station, a DOS and a solenoid switch I might be able to do something very creative with my continuous water change situation.....

    Ideas?????

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  2. #2
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    I have mine doing a 1 gallon water change and watch and correct the salinity in the tank.


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    I wouldn't recommend doing anything besides adding a low salinity then off line in the advanced tab. Trying to use the dos to stabilize salinity values could lead to issues as electrical interference, forgetting to calibrate often enough, etc could lead to a tank crash if you rely to heavily on the salinity reading.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

  4. #4
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    I was thinking I could monitor the salinity in the mixing station to remind me when fresh water is needed (evaporation as one mix will last 20 days) or when salt is needed (in case the water line gets turned on for some sttange reason).

    With the low and high sensors I could regulate a solenoid in the water line for on off switching

    And then program the DOS to shut off if the salt levels get out of whack or the water runs out.

    If I could automate adding salt I wouldn't ever need to touch it except to calibrate it once a month and maybe manually check the salinity once a week...

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    Quote Originally Posted by zombie View Post
    I wouldn't recommend doing anything besides adding a low salinity then off line in the advanced tab. Trying to use the dos to stabilize salinity values could lead to issues as electrical interference, forgetting to calibrate often enough, etc could lead to a tank crash if you rely to heavily on the salinity reading.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.
    So I'm better off sticking with plan A and running the salinity probe in my display, using the solenoids as emergency back up shut offs on my RODI lines and manually testing the salinity in the mixing station?

    Still might run a low sensor in the mixing station AND like you said, a shut off command if salinity suddenly drops (same as my ATO will get)

    I suppose I could also insert a command to kill the awc if salinity rises (if say one side of the DOS failed but not the other).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Allentown View Post
    So I'm better off sticking with plan A and running the salinity probe in my display, using the solenoids as emergency back up shut offs on my RODI lines and manually testing the salinity in the mixing station?

    Still might run a low sensor in the mixing station AND like you said, a shut off command if salinity suddenly drops (same as my ATO will get)

    I suppose I could also insert a command to kill the awc if salinity rises (if say one side of the DOS failed but not the other).

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
    You could also do what you mentioned in post 4. More or less I was advising against using the DOS to regulate tank salinity.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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    My tank has been running stable for the past year when I added this system. I recalibrate frequently. The correction is nothing more than a line of code in the advance tab.

    For the nsw: if salinity > x then off
    If sump hi then off
    For the osw: if salinity < x then off.

    I also have a salinity probe in my nsw container. It shuts off the whole awc system when the salinity drops in there. This happenes monthly when the container reaches low a solenoid opens and refills the container with Rodi water. Then I get a notification to let me know to add salt. The system then starts back up once the salinity reaches the right level in the container (after a delay to allow mixing)


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    Quote Originally Posted by willtheld View Post
    My tank has been running stable for the past year when I added this system. I recalibrate frequently. The correction is nothing more than a line of code in the advance tab.

    For the nsw: if salinity > x then off
    If sump hi then off
    For the osw: if salinity < x then off.

    I also have a salinity probe in my nsw container. It shuts off the whole awc system when the salinity drops in there. This happenes monthly when the container reaches low a solenoid opens and refills the container with Rodi water. Then I get a notification to let me know to add salt. The system then starts back up once the salinity reaches the right level in the container (after a delay to allow mixing)


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    How many gpd are you doing?

    If you get a chance, copy and paste the full program for me the next time you are in fusion.

    I have a 225g tank and 40g sump.

    Thought I would do a conservative 1.8g per day. That's new heads every 9 months and a unit should last about 7 years.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Allentown View Post
    How many gpd are you doing?

    If you get a chance, copy and paste the full program for me the next time you are in fusion.

    I have a 225g tank and 40g sump.

    Thought I would do a conservative 1.8g per day. That's new heads every 9 months and a unit should last about 7 years.

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
    His lines are independent of that. You would set your GPD in the graphical part of the wizard, and then add those lines to the advanced tab of the wizard.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

  10. #10
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    I'm not sure what level of nitrates you are aiming for but I'm running a 200 gallon with 50 gallon sump and am changing ~3 gallons a day. Basically it's 10% every 7 days. My nitrates hover around 5ppm.

  11. #11
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    Looking for 1% daily water change.

    One thing I've noticed is IO has a high alk and even 2.6gpd along side my 2 part and lighting is spiking my PH to 8.5.

    I'm gonna have to switch salts and already have a box of Fritz.

    My main thing is to get my 20 to 25% monthly volume done with minimal shock to tank (and minimal work for me)

    I think RHF posted that a bunch of little water changes for a total of 30% translated into about a 26% real water change as you are throwing out SOME new water.

    I suppose doing tiny WC every 12 minutes that true number is reduced to around 20%.

    With you doin 40% a month I suspect you are hitting close to a 30% real value.

    For me that's 3.78gpd which is certainly do-able.....if I can get my PH to stop climbing so high.

    I actually turned off my 2 part just a few minutes ago....and I only run my alk at 8.0 ish.

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    Pic for proof of PH issue.

    I know many struggle w low PH, I struggle w high.

    I'm going to recalibrate probe soon but my PH has aways run on the high side since the probe was new.

    And we all know IO runs around 11dkh.

    I might end up just turning down my dosing pump one I do some more testing.

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