Help with continuous automatic water drip/change system.

Just use a Tee off a canister filter instead.
Use a small electronic float valve in the tank.
A solenoid can be used to time and drain the tank, and then the float will refill it.

You can do this slowly(advised) and say set the timer for changing the water at 10% the volume a day.
You will need some drain and fill plumbing, hard poly pipe works well and a U shaped return for the float switch return is simple to add on.
So a Tee off the canister filter, goes to a solenoid, say 1/4" or 3/8", this drains for 1-2 hours etc. As the tank drains, the float switch is activated and refills the tank.
Solenoids can be had for 10-30$ or so for liquids off ebay. Hard plumbing the switch tot the float valve return can be done either with warmed water, or cold, since the refill rate is slow, the temp does not matter.
You do need a connection to the refill water and the drain for this system, but otherwise, as long as you can hide that(small hard plastic pipes, 1/4' etc to the drains/refill water supply), you can easily do this method.

If you use a controller with web control functions, you can call up the controller and do a water change via the phone even.
So using a controller can replace the manual timer.

You can also do a water change for 6 hours to really do a larger % water change and flush things out.
Always do the water changes about 1 hour after the lights come on.

Eshopps are fine for prefilters.
To get around the overflow issues, most use a Tom's dosing pump, cost about 10-14$ on line, CPR overflows are what I use, they suggest these and I've had no issues to date.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

If simple is the goal, then a semi automated device for water changes would be even better.

I use those myself.

Automation comes with a price.

I use a valve to quickly drain the tank, turn another to refill it.
Nothing more is required, it's semi manual, but extremely easy for anyone to drain and refill.

No risk of overflows when equipment fails or you are not around.

If you worry about solenoids failing, use 2 in row, redundancy/back up system.

That means even if 1 fails, you have another just in case, the same dual system can be used for the float valves for refill.
Planes are set up like this so if one fails, you always have a backup.

Same applies to many systems.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

I "hard plumb" the system. there's no reason you also could not soft plumb it either, using flex hose etc.

So like adding a hot/cold washing machine outlet into the wall, and a drain for the laundry room, you do the same where the aquarium is placed.

Paying someone to do this, eg a plumber, or if you are handy, you can do some/all of the labor.
Once done, and yes, it might cost a bit and take some time if you DIY, then the work is not a chore ever again.

It's easy.

So while it cost some $ up front and seems a bit crazy, the long term reduction in hassle and labor is excellent.

Soft plumbing involves using flexible pipe to snake the water in/out of the tank and is good where you cannot use hard plumbing or where you do not own the home/apartment.
If the aquarium can be placed near a drain and tap water, then you can do this pretty easily.

I do this myself.
The soft plumbing is stored under the aquarium and pulled out to the bathroom via hoses. I simply turn a valve to start the siphon which drains about 70% of the tank. Once drained, I turn on the refill.

Python water changers are like this to some extent, but I pre set things using this method.

No, I do not want to do a water change every day, even with that, the hard plumbing is easier though, sicne you do not even need to pull the hoses out and place them near a drain/tap water refill. Those you simply turn a valve and nothing more.
A toilet flapper have a drain that stops ata certain level and slowly refills the tank, just like a toilet.
The float valve shuts the water off once it refills.

Nice thing is that it's just one thing and the refill is slow(so does not deplete the hot water and if cold comes out, it's slowly warmed up) and automatic.

There's several way you can go here.
Automating and making the water change easier should be a goal for most folks who plan on having aquariums for a few years that are larger than 50-70 gallons.
The labor and motivation saved is huge.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

No!
Still be a cheap guy!
But take it out on the plumber

You are being cheap by doing something that will save you a lot of time, labor and motivation over the long run.
Now use that cheapness to work a good deal on what you want specifically from the plumber for the aquarium.

It' is a bit like first getting people to use CO2. Once you do, you'd never want to go back, but the first leap of faith is often harder to do.
Still, afterwards, you wonder how others could suffer.

It certainly makes the hobby far more enjoyable.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

??
Try using the sump area for that refill/drain aspect.

Open the cabinet up and install the drain/refill there.

Unsightly refill water hoses etc should be easily concealed with a sump.
You can do slow water changes also, leave the drain and refill both on.
Use a float switch to add the replacement water back as the the other drains(the drain should be upstream from the refill, this avoids mixing and gives you a higher % replacement water fraction.)


Regards,
Tom Barr