• Autonomous aquarium

  • Debra8438

Colleagues, I have a question about maximizing automation for aquarium maintenance. For example, for a month to a month and a half. I would like to understand using the BOYU TL550 as an example (preferably). Thoughts: Display part: - Glue all unanchored corals. Remove all macroalgae to the sump. - Automatic feeder with a trigger mode of 2-3 days (refill once a week or two). SUMP - completely remove the algae scrubber and fill it with crushed live rock (?). (to prevent algae from clogging the sensors) - auto top-off -- a container with distilled water, for example, 50 liters -- a container with seawater at 1.021 (50 liters mixed with a pump) -- pH controller with a program for both seawater and freshwater top-off (?) - outlet from the skimmer cup for draining the skimmer. Overall, an uninterruptible power supply for 12-24 hours for the return pump (skimmer, WM). Please share your thoughts on additional equipment and the process itself. Thank you!

Anna9752

Add a heater for winter and fans on the temperature sensor for summer. I think it's better to leave the algae scraper. A calcium reactor, if there are hard corals. But a month is really long... Feed the fish no more than once every two days, but in this aquarium, it's problematic; if you sprinkle dry food, most of it will wash into the sump from the surface, although you know better...

Frederick

I wonder how he will choose what to add. In my opinion, the osmotic top-up is enough for a month to a month and a half. I have experience with 42 liters, actiniae, although without fish—my wife only added osmotic water for 1.5 months, and everything lived normally.

Monica

Well, besides the fact that a) you will always be scared that the sensor didn't work/the float is stuck, etc., b) the aquarium still needs to be cleaned, right?? I have a similar system, including point a))) But it's unclear what a pH controller with a program for marine and freshwater top-up is; is it a controller that will have two sensors/valves for two different containers with marine and freshwater? And the output from the skimmer cup drain. If the foam is dry, it will never flow through any drainage according to the laws of physics...

Mike

Thank you to everyone who responded. I read somewhere about the pH controller. Maybe it wasn't about pH... The question is that when I only add osmosis, the KH drops (to 6). Right now, I'm adding seawater with parameters 1.016-1.021, and the overall salinity stays at 1.026-1.027. KH is 7. pH is 8.2-8.5. The skimmer is completely wet. Will balling help here?

John3187

the best automation.

Scott9892

If you reduce the light or daylight, the savings on automatic refilling are a third (or even half), proven by my absence (though for 10 days). Half of the lamps worked from 10 AM to 6 PM, and then all went to sleep. I didn't feed them (there were zebras), just threw in some caulerpa and other stuff (by the way, I took some from you too), and they lived perfectly on it... they greeted me happily, with full bellies. The yellow zebra even made friends with the Scopas... but by the way... I did spoil my vacation a bit with thoughts of "what if"... now I'm planning that if I go, I will definitely leave the keys with the right buddy; an SMS from him is the best sleeping pill...

Christina9947

The discussion was definitely about salinity control. Saline water needs to be added if a lot is being drained with the skimmer. Otherwise, it's just osmosis. The conductivity drops due to consumption, not because of the addition of osmosis. Balling will help if automated with dosing pumps, after properly selecting the dosage of solutions based on consumption.

Jenny

The osmotic water is topped up automatically, and salinity is adjusted manually during water changes or if the skimmer starts acting up.

Vanessa

No. The pen is not going crazy. At first, it could provide a bowl per day, but now it’s no more than 25-50% of a bowl in 1-3 days. The question is precisely about the 1-3 days. The auto-refill capacity is 10-12 liters. It’s either too little or too much. How to catch salinity normally (smoothly)?????

Mike

Who to catch? Why catch? Forget this dead-end job, you’re adding pure osmosis with an auto top-off, not saltwater. Replacements on average every two weeks, how much will your skimmer pull out in that time - a liter? Two? And what’s your total volume? Over a hundred, as far as I remember. And you think that because of 1-2% less saltwater, your salinity will fluctuate?

Monica

I'm doing fine. Auto top-off, reverse osmosis. The consumption is about 2-3 liters per day. The tank capacity is 38 liters.