Automating a tank

[dwall174]

I'm a truck driver and might be going over the road this summer? I'm looking to automate my fowlr system to last at least a week???

I have a RO/DI unit with a float switch & automatic shutoff valve for top off. I also have a above tank fuge, I’m going to set up a automatic feeder (flakes) on the fuge with a surface overflow, so most of the flakes will flow into the main tank. I plan on getting the B-Ionic (http://www.championlighting.com/e/env/0001WN2AhuFVjyQphg5C9E6/index.html?link=/Products/products.html) system for Ca & ALK? I can’t afford a Octopus or Neptune system! But I have thought of getting a dual stage controller (like a Medusa) to control my heaters and a couple small 6� fans?
Any other ideas????

[dwall174]

:confused: 37 Views no replies? I must be on the right track? Or nobody knows? Or has a answer? :confused:

[Finious]

I travel from time to time for work. I had everything going great. One day i got back from a trip and my sump pump had come lose from it's holder and turned over. No water or air to tank. Lost mated pair of clowns 1 yellow 1 blue tang, and a juvy emp. Sad day. Realized you can do everything possable but all it takes is on mech failure and and your toast:sad1:

[arkman]

whats in your FOWLR?

[Desolas]

Mainly all you really need is something to turn the lights on and keep the tank full of water. Your temperature control, fans, etc should already be taken care of. Myself I just use a normal heater, no controller. Controllers can fail too, and it is easier to talk a friend through putting a heater in the tank should something happen than to try and school them on how to operate a controller over the phone.

I have a calcium reactor though, so that makes life a little easier. I don't have to dose anything. I leave my tank for a week at a time, usually about 3 times a year, and I've yet to have a problem. I just make sure nothing is going to break while I'm gone, I clean all my pumps and check the fittings for tightness and leakage. I don't feed for the week I'm gone, I feed right before I go, dump a little phyto in and go.

I have someone drop by mid way through the week to make sure nothing has caught fire or broke, so far I've had no problems.

Since your FO I wouldn't be as worried about maintaining the alk/ca while your away. Maybe bring it up a little above normal and let it drop gradually on it's own. It shouldn't drop too much in a week.

[baron_vonklyff]

I have a 180 reef and I have let is be for 10 days without any special preparations. I have my lights on a digital timer, and I have a 5 gallon drip to compensate for evaporation. The drip does not last the whole 10 days, but it lasts long enough that the need to top off when I return is relatively minimal.

The fish forage for food instead of me feeding them directly and there is plenty in the tank for them for the duration of my absence.

My pumps and my lights provide enough heat that I don't need a heater (Texas doesn't get that cold) during the winter months, and I have a chiller on a controller for the spring, summer and fall.

I think that a FOWLR with a healthy pod population should be fine for a week without any problem. If you are worried, I would have a friend drop in to check on it every few days or so, with instructions to call me if they see any significant change in the tank or the inhabitants.

[pbanda]

I make sure everything is running ok before I go. I then have my future brother in law stop by ( usually away with my finance ) to feed and add water to the top off system bucket.

I have left the tank for a week on numerous times and not feed them and everything was ok.

In the days of pre-auto top-off I would often come back to a low sump and bubbles shooting out of the return line. But once I got an auto top-off I didn't have to worry about the sump running dry. I would highly recomend one if you don't have one. The calc reactor I got in Sept is a big help as well. With the both of these additions I do not have to time my dripping of calc so that it matches the evaporation rate and will last a week while I am gone.
-pbanda

[lawndoctor]

Most fish are fine for a week without feeding. I use a Medusa with a titanium heating element - the Jalli version that comes without a thermostat - and I highly recommend the setup. I would never trust my tank to (a) glass heaters or (b) the cheap thermostats that are built into most heaters. I think these two things are responsible for most of the "my heater fried my tank" threads. You might want to figure out a way to back up your auto topoff in case the switch/valve fail. It seems to happen to many people. I've seen several threads about how to create a backup switch/valve and people seem very pleased with the results.

[Chrismo]

Right now I'm on vacation for 2 weeks, And am praying that the tsunami auto top off I bought doesnt malfunction. I'm going to buy a fish feeder for next time, as my gf is probobly less reliable than ehiem. :)
I wish those feeders would dump in liquid phyto!

Lights are on timers already. And I'm hoping my alk / calcium doesnt drop too much in 2 weeks. I put kalk in the top off bucket, but supposedly it's largely inneffective after a week of sitting.

G-luck

[dwall174]

Originally posted by arkman
whats in your FOWLR?
I only have a 3" tang, 2" dwarf angel, a couple yellow head gobys, & a couple dozen hermits/snails. The tank is a 65gal with a 32gal fuge & a 20gal sump. The lights are on timmers! I also have a batery back up system (playfair's diy type) I have thought of adding another (back-up) float switch connected to a electric solenoid & the supply line to my RO/DI? just incase the automatic shut-off on my RO/DI stops working? or the float valve sticks open? I do have a friend that knows a little about the hobby that will stop by just to check things out?

[Tadashi]

Look at Petwarehouse. They have a Azoo Thermoelectric heater/chiller. I just got one to try out. It uses the peltier effect so no freon. If I understand this unit it heats when needed and chills when needed. I just got it and have yet to hook it up. This should reduce the need for the controller for heater and fans.

[arkman]

sounds like you should be OK to me. The fish wont starve and lights are on timer. heater has a thermostat and you have an auto top off - sweet.