nice water mixing setup
- Thread starter pascal32
- Start date
jdoenumber2
New member
I wouldn't go inexpensive. That looks like something i wouldn't wanna try with out knowing that it is over built.
puter
Active member
Three options:
1) Elevate the tank and run regular bulkheads in through the bottom;
2) Buy the specialty (expensive) bulkheads designed for curved surfaces and run them in through the side; or
3) Use uniseals.
Bulk Reef Supply, Savko, and Aquatic Ecosystems are three sources. If flow rates are important take into consideration whether you're getting Sch 40 or Sch 80 bulkheads.
For mixing stations I typically run the pipe in through the bottom of the container using a good quality threaded bulkhead and install a penductor on the return line.
Cheers,
Mark
1) Elevate the tank and run regular bulkheads in through the bottom;
2) Buy the specialty (expensive) bulkheads designed for curved surfaces and run them in through the side; or
3) Use uniseals.
Bulk Reef Supply, Savko, and Aquatic Ecosystems are three sources. If flow rates are important take into consideration whether you're getting Sch 40 or Sch 80 bulkheads.
For mixing stations I typically run the pipe in through the bottom of the container using a good quality threaded bulkhead and install a penductor on the return line.
Cheers,
Mark
Last edited:
captain7359
Active member
I did my water changer with all uniseals. Had to "finese" one to stop a slow weep, which was probally my fault for not setting the pipe first before I filled it, but other than that they've worked great. I went through the sides of two different 55 gallon poly drums with 3 uniseals.
I'll take a picture of the one I put together last weekend.
I've built a number of rain barrels like this.
You dont really need the curved bulkheads for this.
If you go to homedepot into the outdoor electrical section (not the PVC section) you will find watertight bulkheads that have a barbed end for a hose and a PVC fitting style on the other end (no metal on these all pvc). The only thing I did was to add another o-ring so that I had an o-ring on both sides of the barrel. Why they dont put these in the PVC section is odd... like I said... they are in the outdoor electrical box section.
I've built a number of rain barrels like this.
You dont really need the curved bulkheads for this.
If you go to homedepot into the outdoor electrical section (not the PVC section) you will find watertight bulkheads that have a barbed end for a hose and a PVC fitting style on the other end (no metal on these all pvc). The only thing I did was to add another o-ring so that I had an o-ring on both sides of the barrel. Why they dont put these in the PVC section is odd... like I said... they are in the outdoor electrical box section.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I plopped a MagDrive into the bottom of one of those barrels to mix and pump new saltwater into my system.
What are the advantages of having all of that external plumbing (as seen in the picture)?
What are the advantages of having all of that external plumbing (as seen in the picture)?
Looks to me like they were using the pump to first mix saltwater...
then by switching valves.... used it to deliver water upstairs.
I'm like you... I use a simple magdrive to mix and pump water out of the barrel... That said, I used a pvc manifold like this with a 2-barrel system.
1 barrel to hold straight RO/DI water and the 2nd to mix salt in.
then by switching valves.... used it to deliver water upstairs.
I'm like you... I use a simple magdrive to mix and pump water out of the barrel... That said, I used a pvc manifold like this with a 2-barrel system.
1 barrel to hold straight RO/DI water and the 2nd to mix salt in.
diverdick
New member
+1 with the rubbermade & the mag12 lying in the bottom. A nice free fringe benefit with the submersible pump is after you add your salt and let mix overnight, the mag drive adds some heat to the water, enough for my 40 gallon change w/o another heater running.
Shoot, spring for the roll around base and you are super portable. You will invariably have to move it when there is water in it. Take a look t the handy work posted above. Imagine moving that rig out of the bathroom its in (I think judging by the poorboy filling in the tub). The tweaking of pipework, fooling with the bulkheads and the foul language...lol I do like the union valves and all the pipe meat. I would rather place them elsewhere though.
Have Fun!!!
Shoot, spring for the roll around base and you are super portable. You will invariably have to move it when there is water in it. Take a look t the handy work posted above. Imagine moving that rig out of the bathroom its in (I think judging by the poorboy filling in the tub). The tweaking of pipework, fooling with the bulkheads and the foul language...lol I do like the union valves and all the pipe meat. I would rather place them elsewhere though.
Have Fun!!!
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
wheels on the bottom of the mixing vessel are definitely a good idea but what about all of that plumbing in the picture... is there any good reason for having it?
puter
Active member
Not sure if there's a good reason if you're only using one barrel, but the arrangement I put together for the zoo:
makes it so I use one external pump to mix several barrels at once. Since there are external input and output connections I can (and do) use that same pump to transfer water to other barrels, get the waste water where it needs to go, etc.
Granted, the distances involved are much larger than most will have in a home aquarium setup...
Mark
If you could post a picture that would be great! The plan is to use one pump to:
- move RO/DI from one barrel to the next
- premix
- deliver to bucket with minimal water spillage.
I like the pic with the plumbing on the bottom and the pipes up the front. Ii might take that approach...
- deliver
Came home to a dead camera battery....
and left my phone at work.
It will have to wait until tomorrow night:hmm5:
wrt following
- move RO/DI from one barrel to the next
- premix
- deliver to bucket with minimal water spillage.
You could do all of that with a powerhead.
The setup I built conserves space by stacking two barrels on top of one another.
I bought my barrels from here:
http://www.needabarrel.com/
I used one of these for mixing saltwater:
http://www.needabarrel.com/rain-barrels/47-30-gallon
I use these 9G small barrels for lugging stuff around.
They are great.
http://www.needabarrel.com/food-storage/58-95-gallon-with-handles
The guy who sells these is located in henrietta, NY
He sometimes has those 55G ones that are shown in the other pictures but they go fast because they sell well as rain barrels.
I promise to post pics tomorrow. pm me if I forget.
and left my phone at work.
It will have to wait until tomorrow night:hmm5:
wrt following
- move RO/DI from one barrel to the next
- premix
- deliver to bucket with minimal water spillage.
You could do all of that with a powerhead.
The setup I built conserves space by stacking two barrels on top of one another.
I bought my barrels from here:
http://www.needabarrel.com/
I used one of these for mixing saltwater:
http://www.needabarrel.com/rain-barrels/47-30-gallon
I use these 9G small barrels for lugging stuff around.
They are great.
http://www.needabarrel.com/food-storage/58-95-gallon-with-handles
The guy who sells these is located in henrietta, NY
He sometimes has those 55G ones that are shown in the other pictures but they go fast because they sell well as rain barrels.
I promise to post pics tomorrow. pm me if I forget.
captain7359
Active member
Here's what I've got rigged up. No wheels here though.
My ro/di goes into the left barrel via the white poly line. The red tubing coming out goes to my dosing pump which feed my kalk reactor for all my topoff water.
With one bag of salt I can mix up a 45 gallon change or max it out at a 55 gallon change. Between filling, mixing, draining, and refilling a 55 gallon change took me less than 30 minutes combined over the last 2 days.
With the bottom left valve I can pull ro/di water and pump it into the right mixing barrel. Close the ro valve and open the bottom right and top valve on the salt barrel and I can recirculate for mixing and heating.
With the bottom middle valve I can hook the vinyl tubing up via the union and pull water from any one of my 3 tanks in the sump system or my 40 frag tank and pump it right to the sewer drain.
Above the topmost tee and valve at the ceiling are the last pair of valves that either let me pump tank water to the sewer or back to the sumps with fresh mix.
I've got to add one more valve on the discharge of the pump to allow me to pump just ro for random use.
Besides the spare ro valve the only regret I have is not putting the middle valve coming off the bottom of the pipe so I could use it as a drain for the pump when I've got to pull it.
My ro/di goes into the left barrel via the white poly line. The red tubing coming out goes to my dosing pump which feed my kalk reactor for all my topoff water.
With one bag of salt I can mix up a 45 gallon change or max it out at a 55 gallon change. Between filling, mixing, draining, and refilling a 55 gallon change took me less than 30 minutes combined over the last 2 days.
With the bottom left valve I can pull ro/di water and pump it into the right mixing barrel. Close the ro valve and open the bottom right and top valve on the salt barrel and I can recirculate for mixing and heating.
With the bottom middle valve I can hook the vinyl tubing up via the union and pull water from any one of my 3 tanks in the sump system or my 40 frag tank and pump it right to the sewer drain.
Above the topmost tee and valve at the ceiling are the last pair of valves that either let me pump tank water to the sewer or back to the sumps with fresh mix.
I've got to add one more valve on the discharge of the pump to allow me to pump just ro for random use.
Besides the spare ro valve the only regret I have is not putting the middle valve coming off the bottom of the pipe so I could use it as a drain for the pump when I've got to pull it.
Here's what I've got rigged up. No wheels here though.
My ro/di goes into the left barrel via the white poly line. The red tubing coming out goes to my dosing pump which feed my kalk reactor for all my topoff water.
With one bag of salt I can mix up a 45 gallon change or max it out at a 55 gallon change. Between filling, mixing, draining, and refilling a 55 gallon change took me less than 30 minutes combined over the last 2 days.
With the bottom left valve I can pull ro/di water and pump it into the right mixing barrel. Close the ro valve and open the bottom right and top valve on the salt barrel and I can recirculate for mixing and heating.
With the bottom middle valve I can hook the vinyl tubing up via the union and pull water from any one of my 3 tanks in the sump system or my 40 frag tank and pump it right to the sewer drain.
Above the topmost tee and valve at the ceiling are the last pair of valves that either let me pump tank water to the sewer or back to the sumps with fresh mix.
I've got to add one more valve on the discharge of the pump to allow me to pump just ro for random use.
Besides the spare ro valve the only regret I have is not putting the middle valve coming off the bottom of the pipe so I could use it as a drain for the pump when I've got to pull it.
that looks nice! how did you seal into the circular barrels? regular bulkheads?
if you don't mind I'll be stealing the union idea with a hose for pulling/pushing water using the pump
captain7359
Active member
that looks nice! how did you seal into the circular barrels? regular bulkheads?
if you don't mind I'll be stealing the union idea with a hose for pulling/pushing water using the pump
Uniseals.
I'm adding a true union valve to the hose too so i can close both the union and middle valve, disconnect the union valve and drain it too. This will let me take a bucket of sump water if I want to do a dip or acclimating if I need to. Overkill, but if I'm going lazy, I'm going all out lazy!!!
