lol im not gonna say i have big pipes..... but i am 275lbs..... And i had a 380 in the livingroom before and i did it with pails every week.... Talk about hours well spent.
Do they have a controller you can set up with a drip system to monitor the amount its using? Ive seen flow monitors on timers for Hydroponics but i dont know if it would work with this application?
I would love to see pics
I don't have one as I am dripping into my only tank now which is tiny in comparison at 300 gallons. Easiest way to figure out how much you are dripping is to check your water meter right before you go to bed and make sure there is no water used during the night other than the drip. When you get up check the meter again and divide by the hours. You can however buy low rate flow monitors
I have never aged water and have never had an issue but quite literally once you go drip you never go back. Mine have been as simple as a washer box installed under the tank with a hose draining into the sump or into the tank whichever you prefer and then a drain hole drilled on your sump where you want the water level to stay. For easy use a 1 inch bulkhead for the drain hole as you can buy a garden hose attachment that will fit any 5/8 hose and attach it to the bulkhead and run it to the drain.
Just a note however if you are going to drill your sump for the return (the drip) make sure it is signifcantly higher than the water level as first of all it is way easier to see how much water is dripping out and secondly and more important if you are not going to use a water filter such as carbon when the water drips into the water most of the chlorine will dissapate. Honestly though if you do not want to attempt a water filter for your drip it is just as effective to use a nipple and hang a filter bag full of carbon from it and let the water drip into the filter bag. It is somewhat ghetto and you do have to change the carbon more however it is just as effective.
Most Basic and effective set up for a drip is:
1. Get three 1 inch holes drilled in your sump. First one where you want your water line to be. 2nd the highest on the sump you can drill it. 3rd somewhere in the middle. Use 1 inch bulkheads threaded and go to the hardware store and buy 3 1 inch convertion to garden hose. You will probably find one in the sump section (flooding section). You may wonder what the 3rd one is for..... Safety. I have had a drain clog before and it sucked.
2. Buy some 5/8 id hose, garden hose attachements you will need for 5/8 hose and some hose clamps a washer box with a individual controlled hot and cold tap. (this is important as you will need to adjust your hot and cold individually to maintain the proper temp). ABS pipe to attach to a drain
3. Install a washer box (for a washing maching) WITH A DRAIN. If your handy do it yourself if your not get a plumber. This must be installed inside your stand or near your tank. Make sure it is installed at a level where the drain is lower than the lowest hole drilled in your sump. VERY IMPORTANT
4. Buy a t hose for your hot and cold of your washer box so there is one single hose attachment. This is just a black hose that looks like a y. Youll know what I mean at the store.
5. Hook up your drip first by attaching 5/8 hose from the Y hose to the highest bulhead. (this is your drip)
6. Attached the 5/8 hose to the other two bulkheads and run the hose to the drain in the washer box. You can either fasten the hose in there or simply run the hose far enough down the drain that it wont come out.
7. Turn the hot and cold on to the temperature point where you want the water from your tank to be. Hey gas is under $4 this morning so heating your tank with hot water beats the hell out of 1000 watts of electicity...
Drips done
For the water filter either use a bag of carbon:
For the filter the simplest way is to buy a "watkins whole house filter". Should be easy to find. You can buy 3/4 inch male fittings with 5/8 hose nipples so you can simply cut the hose running to your drip in the middle and place this filter there. Take out the micron filter they give you and buy a carbon filter, or get crazy and run two in parralel.
This is not the best drip you can do. If you want the cadillac talk to Scott However this method has always been safe, simple and has evolved believe it or not.
Personally I think drips changed my entire fish keeping life and surely they will change yours. Those of you with big ass arms can go back to lifting weights...not 5 gallon buckets.