This video is titled “How to not do any Water Changes”. It is a bit misleading since there is no way to get away with no water maintenance in the fish tank. This is a Do-It-Yourself automatic water changer system that needs to be built and installed on a tank. This continuously adds fresh water and removes the older water. This prevents nitrate from being allowed to rise to dangerous levels while replacing vital minerals and trace elements as well.
I like his videos since they are quite complete and take the time necessary to illustrate the exact parts that are needed for the creation of the device. In this case a water source is needed and he tells you what to look for and why it is so important. Also required is a pressure regulator to ensure the water drip is consistent over time. There are automatic water changers commercially available that can do the job. The difference here is that the they require being hooked up to a tap on a long-term basis.
Whenever you consider a work saving system like an automatic water changer, though, be sure you are able to neutralize the water for chlorine or chloramine before it is dumped into the aquarium. If you do not, the benefits will not be realized since the fish will be killed by the water company’s additions to make water safe for humans to use.
Automatic Water Changer Keeps Water Characteristics Acceptable
One of the most important jobs of a water change is to remove nitrates. Although they are relatively harmless in low concentration, they do not leave the aquarium and will concentrate to very high levels if they are not regularly diluted by removing water from the system that has accumulated nitrate and replacing it with fresh clean water that has little if any nitrate in it.
Also replaces the minerals and salts in the aquarium. Over time the fish will require a number of trace elements that can become depleted in water that is not regularly partially removed and replaced. Also, the water characteristics will often move toward the acid in the pH as the Nitrogen Cycle changes ammonia to nitrite and then finally to nitrate. The normal decay processes that break down organic wastes add acids into the water. As time goes by the water changes and may become stressful if it is not maintained.
An automatic water changer will remove a substantial amount of water during a given period, the system discussed here will remove and replace about 24 gallons per day, not radical for the fish, but useful to keep the conditions stable and optimum.
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