newreeferontheblock
Community Member
Hey folks -
TLDR: Pumps I am using for AWC drift out of calibration which messes with my salinity. Are others having this problem and how have you solved?
Full version:
In November/December of last year I set up AWC on my 20 g nano; my set up is as follows:
- The tank is on the first floor of my home, about 4 feet off the ground
- Almost directly below that in the basement is a Brute trash can with replacement saltwater that I make fresh ~monthly as well as a slop sink (total elevation gain to the tank is probably ~15 feet)
- I have two of these (INTLLAB Peristaltic Liquid Pump) on wifi plugs to turn off and on at the appropriate time. I calibrated them to match (when I first calibrated the fill needed to run ~1 minute longer than the drain)
About 3 or 4 weeks ago I went to recheck the calibration on my AWC after I had noticed a few weeks of dropping salinity and found that it is pumping in at about 1/3rd the speed it was before (while the drain had stayed relatively similar to what it was). I replaced the tubing in the stepper motor, which improved the speed back up to better than where it was when I first calibrated, and went off to the races. Today (about 3 weeks later), I am noticing my salinity dropping again and this thing is back out of calibration (though not as bad as before).
How have other people solved this? Will a level gauge be sensitive enough to make sure the in and out match? What about a flow meter? Is this pump just crappy?
TLDR: Pumps I am using for AWC drift out of calibration which messes with my salinity. Are others having this problem and how have you solved?
Full version:
In November/December of last year I set up AWC on my 20 g nano; my set up is as follows:
- The tank is on the first floor of my home, about 4 feet off the ground
- Almost directly below that in the basement is a Brute trash can with replacement saltwater that I make fresh ~monthly as well as a slop sink (total elevation gain to the tank is probably ~15 feet)
- I have two of these (INTLLAB Peristaltic Liquid Pump) on wifi plugs to turn off and on at the appropriate time. I calibrated them to match (when I first calibrated the fill needed to run ~1 minute longer than the drain)
About 3 or 4 weeks ago I went to recheck the calibration on my AWC after I had noticed a few weeks of dropping salinity and found that it is pumping in at about 1/3rd the speed it was before (while the drain had stayed relatively similar to what it was). I replaced the tubing in the stepper motor, which improved the speed back up to better than where it was when I first calibrated, and went off to the races. Today (about 3 weeks later), I am noticing my salinity dropping again and this thing is back out of calibration (though not as bad as before).
How have other people solved this? Will a level gauge be sensitive enough to make sure the in and out match? What about a flow meter? Is this pump just crappy?
