I am looking into doing a automatic water change system for a pico tank build. I need some help on deciding wish pump to go with since the total volume of my system well be less then 3 gallon so the pump has to precise To not cause sg swing. I been looking at the nautilis 2 pump but can find any review on it .
automatic water change pump recommendation
- Thread starter PicoSavvy
- Start date
If you want precise, go with a peristaltic pump.
But you can use a dixie cup to do water changes on a 3g pico. :lol:
Do you have any specific peristaltic pump in mind and a dixie cup is probably the amount that it well change by the pump:lolspin:
Johnseye
Reef Addict
I use a SpectraPure peristaltic pump. Set your watch to it. I have read the Avast is a good choice as well.
slief
RC Sponsor
A dual head stenner is a great solution for auto water changes. They are damn near bullet proof. A litermeter III and slave pump would be another option. Of course as mentioned, there is the Apex Dos but you also need an Apex for that and I am not sure it's worth the effort on a 3 gallon tank. Then again, I am not sure any automatic water change setup is worth the effort on a tank that small. I'm kind of with d2mini in that you could use some cups to do a tank that small.
slief
RC Sponsor
This is true but if you think the Dos is loud, you should hear a Stenner! I run one for my ATO pump and they are as loud as they come. I liken it to a blender! :spin2:
At the end of the day, it's about reliability and having the same amount go out that you put in. Having a pump that you calibrate to insure it's accurate such as the Dos and Litermeter III with a slave pump or one with a dual head like a Stenner or even a Cole Parmer insures you don't end up with salinity drift and can do water changes without having to monitor it. I used a Litermeter III & slave pump for years for auto water changes and it worked pretty well on my large system. I now use a Genesis Renew which works better for my needs because it requires no maintenance and no calibration. I certainly wouldn't condone the renew for a pico though as the metering bins are nearly as large as the tank. If I were seriously looking for an auto water change setup for a tank that small, it would either be the Litermeter III and slave or a stenner. I'd probably lean towards the Litermeter III because it would be easier to resell and quieter but the Stenner is bullet proof and requires no calibration. It's just noisy. The Dos is a great option and probably about the best betweem the Stenner, & LM III as far as control goes but an Apex on a tank that small is just silly to me. I run a VERY extensive Apex system but don't think I could justify it on a tank that small. Then again, I couldn't justify am auto water changer on a tank that small either.
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I agree with you guys that a automatic water change system in a pico tank is kinds silly but I am sometimes away from home for 2 plus weeks and can't tend to my aquarium And having a awc gives me Peace in mind that my system won't be dead when I return home. Wow I didn't know the stenner didn't require calibration. This is what originally gave me the idea for awc http://166.78.194.238/forums/showthread.php?t=2349824
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slief
RC Sponsor
There you go.. I use pretty much the same Stenner for my ATO although it's a 90 gallon per day single head version. They are great pumps and will work great for what you are looking to do. Since you have a small tank, having one with higher flow rates isn't needed although that would reduce wear and tear on the motor since it would run less. The tubing however would still get the same kind of wear and tear so I would suggesting getting a couple extra sets of tubing so you have them on hand. I would save money and not get one with adjustable flow. You really don't need it and all it does is engage and disengage a clutch at intervals set by the dial. The motor still spins continuously at the same rate. The non adjustable version will save you some money. You could just set the pump up on an appliance timer and call it a day. They do however draw power. I think they run at about 1.7 amps or around 175 watts so keep that in mind along with the noise factor. If those two concerns don't bother you, that the Stenner will certainly be your path to least resistance and least mainenance.
slief
RC Sponsor
This is my single head Stenner that I use for my ATO. The dual head ones use the same motors. In fact, you can convert a single head Stenner to a dual head one for around $130 if memory serves me.
I'am not one to cut corners on my tank and chose this pump for my ATO because they are slow enough to be safe for ATO's and are the beasts of the peristaltic pumps. I prefer slow for ATO because if things go wrong, a slow peristaltic pump won't flood a system before it's caught. They are also designed for industrial fluid transfer applications and are made to be tough and last.. It's a no compromise reliable solution. They are powerful enough to pump water around the block too and are damn near bullet proof as I mentioned in my other post. Not cheap but you won't find a better peristaltic pump at the price point. A Cole Parmer is another great option that offers much more control over flow rates but you can spend much more on one or less for a questionable one.
I'am not one to cut corners on my tank and chose this pump for my ATO because they are slow enough to be safe for ATO's and are the beasts of the peristaltic pumps. I prefer slow for ATO because if things go wrong, a slow peristaltic pump won't flood a system before it's caught. They are also designed for industrial fluid transfer applications and are made to be tough and last.. It's a no compromise reliable solution. They are powerful enough to pump water around the block too and are damn near bullet proof as I mentioned in my other post. Not cheap but you won't find a better peristaltic pump at the price point. A Cole Parmer is another great option that offers much more control over flow rates but you can spend much more on one or less for a questionable one.
Nice setup man. Yea the stenner pump sound great. I was looking at some used *Cole Parmer they have on ebay and I don't know as if it is worth it to take the risk because they don't really detail what is wrong with it or if something is wrong with it. The 3rd option is a nautilis 2 pump but I can't find any review on them. And I agree with you about ato slow is the best
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Johnseye
Reef Addict
I have the same, except use the litermeter 3 and UPLC 2. One for auto change and the other for ATO.
I also have a DOS I use for alk and calcium dosing.
I wouldn't change a thing, except am now curious about your Genesis. If the day ever comes when I need to upgrade :fun4:
slief
RC Sponsor
From what I've read, they Nautilus pumps are pretty good and are continuous duty rated. I always questioned that because of their low cost though. The fact that you are going to be using this on such a small tank with such small incremental runs may lend itself well for a pump like the Nautilus. It would however need regular calibration and it's no going to be nearly as "robust" as a Stenner. You also need to look closely at how much you want to change daily and realize that the Nautilus pumps are really low volume/min pumps which is good and bad. Things will happen slowly which can be good but if you want to use the pump for a larger water change, it can be kind of slow.. Although, larger on a 3 gallon tank when I have 200 times that volume is almost laughable to me. The Nautilus may not be a bad option for you tank and it sure as hell would be MUCH quieter if that matters to you. I guess it boils down to whether you want a Prius or a Sherman tank! :lmao:
What in the design make the stenner pumps not need calibration. At the very most I well change 1 gallon a week . The only thing I am afraid of are sg because in such a small system it is not hard to change the specific gravity and nuke the tank. And thank you for being so helpful you are the first person that has commented on the Nautilus pump
slief
RC Sponsor
The Stenner is an industrial peristaltic that is high pressure rated. Unlike a medical pump such as the cole parmer or a dosing pump be it a Litermeter, Nautilus or Dos, the volume it pumps doesn't need to be precise down to the ml.
Instead it's used for applications such as adding chlorine to a pool or water sanitation applications where that level of precise isn't need therefor calibration isn't required. Because of the nature of the motor and pump head design and it's higher pressure, a pump like the Stenner can overcome any head pressure we would generate from an ATO or automatic water change. Even 40' of tubing won't really impact the flow rate. As such, with a dual head Stenner, you are almost assured to get the same transfer rates from both heads becuase of both heads are tied together to the same motor shaft and spin at the same time at the same speed. If you start with two new tubing kits, the tubing wears at the same rate and therefore pump virtually the same amount even if the tube lengths are different lengths & creating different head pressure. Still I would keep the tubing lengths the same even if one head needs some of it's tubing coiled up.
In short, with a Stenner, it's all about the pressure it creates which over comes head pressure and the two heads spinning at exactly the same speed with the same tubing inside the pump heads.
If you do decide to get a Stenner, try to get one with Quickpro heads. They make tubing changes much quicker and easier. I will likely end up upgrading my Stenner pump head to the Quickpro version.
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O ok I see what you mean as long as your not trying to get down to ml precision you don't really need calibration. I am not to worry about pressure as the awc change pump well probably be above the tank. The thing I am worried about the stenner pump is that it won't be as precise as I would like. I read this on the thread that I list( http://166.78.194.238/forums/showthread.php?t=2349824&page=38) after 10 minutes the bottle on the left received 1,158 ml's, the bottle on the right received 1,094 mls. A difference of 64ml per 10 minutes= 384 mls per hour. (576 ml per 1.5 hours)*and a that has me a bit worried do to the small volume that I am working with
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slief
RC Sponsor
The Genesis the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to water changes. It's dead nuts precise if you get your bins mounted level. It's fast relative to a peristaltic at a rate of 1 gallon every 3-4 minutes. It's painfully convenient to set a rate of 1 to 99 gallons and set it to do that amount at once (continuous) or daily or weekly and then to set it to do it once or repeat. I can do a 40 gallon water change and hit a button. 120 minutes or less later, it's done. 5 gallons a day is my normal daily ritual and I never have to worry about it. For well over 2 years straight, it's just done it's thing without skipping a beat and I've never once touched the little Eheim pumps that feed it. It's by far the best water change device you can get. That is when you can get them. From what I understand, they have been out of stock for months due to a component supplier issue. I heard they have that resolved and will have them back in stock anytime now. Hopefully they become a sponsor here again when they do. They would be crazy not to.
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