Powerhead for Salt mixing

[re76]

This is what I would love to do. Only maybe with brute trash cans instead:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=24004687&postcount=8

That build in general is just awesome...

 

[FF337]

That is a very nice set up. I used the square 28 gallon brute containers. They are shorter than the barrels and I needed that for my application. I have one below the one pictured for fresh water. They are setup to be topped off automatically from the rodi. once the fresh barrel is filled I shut off the 1/4" ball valve to it in case my ato sticks open. My sump was designed to take another 35 gallons in case of an accident. And if the ato does fail, at worst my skimmer overflows and salinity drops to 1.021. However, if my ato is on longer than 3 minutes my apex shuts off my ato pump for 45 minutes and sends me a text message and email. If text and email don't work out, at worst I'm getting 1 gallon of water every 45 minutes. If the salinity does indeed drop. It's dropping very slowly over a 24 hour period rather than all at once.

 

[FF337]

If that all fails. Well, it was just meant to be.

 

[cincyjim]

Thanks for posting those. I'm working on setting up an AWC and I'm always looking for better ideas. I have most of the items I need and I'm hoping to start putting some of it together this weekend.

 

[billdogg]

My DT is in the living room, the mixing station and frag tank system in the basement. I use a 55g barrel to store and mix water in. After years (15+) of schlepping buckets (Way too much like work) and then getting smarter and using the python siphon hose to not only drain but then refill the DT (still work), when I set up my current system I ran and electrical circuit (well, 2 x 20A) for the DT and figured that if I'm already drilling one hole I might as well make it 2. My mixing station is now hard plumbed and comes out the wall behind the tank. I using a pvc spigot and a $10 remote control to turn the mixing pump on and off. The pump itself is a mag18 - although I suppose it is good enough, something that will handle the head pressure a bit better would be nice. It is now a simple matter of using the python siphon to get the old water out, pushing a button and opening a spigot to refill. I can now do a complete water change in about 15 minutes, instead of the 2 hours or so it used to take, and the risk of spilling a bucket in transit is now 0. Sure, I can still overfill the sump, but only if I'm REALLY not paying attention.

Make everything you do as easy as possible and it won't seem so much like a chore, and therefor that much more likely that it will get done.

 

[re76]

Can someone provide some insight into the following setup (picture of interest is the last picture in the post):

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=24016060&postcount=38

With the water change line going into the main sump area, doesn't this limit the water change capacity to whatever the volume of the main sump is?

Would you just make up for this by doing more frequent but smaller water changes?

If I run plumbing through the floor, is doing water changes via the sump like this the preferred method?

 

[FF337]

I'm not sure I follow your question. Since in thr pictures I see plumbing for the reactors not a water change system.

The water has to be removed from the system somehow. Some people use an extra vessel, whether it be a barrel, another tank, or a section of the sump that can be emptied. Then the water is pumped back into that vessel and system is resumed to normal capacity and operation.

I am currently vacuuming water from the sump into my sink. This removes old water and allows me to remove waste from the bottom of the sump that has settled. Then I drain the new saltwater into the sump and then turn the pump back on.

 

[re76]

I'm not sure I follow your question. Since in thr pictures I see plumbing for the reactors not a water change system.

The water has to be removed from the system somehow. Some people use an extra vessel, whether it be a barrel, another tank, or a section of the sump that can be emptied. Then the water is pumped back into that vessel and system is resumed to normal capacity and operation.

I am currently vacuuming water from the sump into my sink. This removes old water and allows me to remove waste from the bottom of the sump that has settled. Then I drain the new saltwater into the sump and then turn the pump back on.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I am discussing the following picture and quote:

A shot of my water change line. Simply priming this line, turning off the pump, open the valve in the image, open the drain valve in the basement... instant syphon to drain the entire main sump area. I love sitting in the chair in front of my tank and using Apex Fusion to turn on the basement pump to pump salt water back up to the sump. I really hated lugging buckets around with my old tank.

Based on this picture and description this setup would only allow you to do a water change that is equal to the volume of the main chamber in the sump. Is this correct?

 

[re76]

Just wanted to update you guys. Operation "plumbing to basement" was a success. Using 3/4" flex PVC and a 1/4" line for my ATO to the RODI container.