Salt Water Mixing Stations Let's See Them
- Thread starter kc350twin
- Start date
bennkrys01
Member
Here is mine
How far are you pumping the water from the station to your sump room?
I have a similar problem where I was planning on installing my water tower station in the garage and pumping it up and over to the sump. I'm thinking it is probably a 50 ft run (14 foot up, 20 foot over and 14 foot back down).
I also consider running it under ground outside from the garage to my living room ( the house is shaped into a T where the living room and garage jet out from the main house)
For draining old water out of the system I was going to drill a hole into the side of the house and couple the tank drain into the line running to the street for my pool backflush.
My house limits my ability to make this simple. I'd buy another house but my wife told me she wasn't moving for a fish tank!!! :lmao:
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marino420td
Premium Member
I am pumping it up into the ceiling and over into the sump room. Probably 40 feet. I use an old Little Giant pump that works great. I have a valve built into the piping to drain excess water from the pipes so it doesn't sit in there and go stale.
It works great and I don't dread refilling my auto top off container now that I don't have to carry buckets of water.
It works great and I don't dread refilling my auto top off container now that I don't have to carry buckets of water.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1634018 when they finish the update mine is on this out of 3 45 gallon trash cans and RODI all hooked up on a board works better than any i have seen.
Los
New member
I just posted a substantial update on my build thread showing my water change system in substantial detail, walking through a 10 minute water change. So that you don't have to go through the whole build thread, here's a link to the page:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1335781&page=12
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1335781&page=12
Los
New member
Thanks, Dipan. That was the idea. It allows me to take it offline and make a water change without having to disconnect my auto-top-off system or even my return pump. Everything keeps running as normal, with the simple twist of one valve, and I can do the water change with 5 or 10 minutes work. Making chores easy is a good way to make sure they happen regularly!
MrineLfRlz
Active member
here is my simple setup i did for right now
im using just 3/4" pvc and running a MAG18 pump i hope it holds up ok i will be using this setup till i finally get to upgrade my tank upstairs to a much bigger one then i will purchase a 100 tank and us this 55 poly as a fresh water container
im using just 3/4" pvc and running a MAG18 pump i hope it holds up ok i will be using this setup till i finally get to upgrade my tank upstairs to a much bigger one then i will purchase a 100 tank and us this 55 poly as a fresh water container
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connecticut cichlids
Craft Beer Geek
I figured it was about time to post a pic of my simple, but effective salt mixing station. Top Brute is 44g which holds the RO/DI, gravity feeds the bottom Brute which is 20g. water and salt are then mixed, and pumped from the 20g brute via a Mag 5 to my sump. Temp and pH of the newly mixed salt water are fully monitored by a dedicated SL1 module connected to my RKE
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MarkusII
New member
Hello,
I am just doing an installation (not yet finished). Here is my solution.
It will allow an easy water change in the fish room in the room below the tank.
You just have to stop the circulation pump; then you can open a valve below the sump allowing to drain a 55g chamber of the sump. Then you close again the valve. Now you can pump from another 55g tank fresh saltwater (the tank has a water pipe to fill and a small pump for circulation till the salt has dissolved) to the sump. Then just start the return pump again - water change done within minutes.
It is not yet ready completely (therefore no picture available)
but here is a picture of the sump with some drawings how it will be set up.
(red is the 55g sump part which can be drained via a valve), yellow the position of the tank for preparing the fresh saltwater, blue the return plumbing
quick water change system (on the right side of the sump will be the tank for fresh water to compensate evaporation)
regards
Markus
I am just doing an installation (not yet finished). Here is my solution.
It will allow an easy water change in the fish room in the room below the tank.
You just have to stop the circulation pump; then you can open a valve below the sump allowing to drain a 55g chamber of the sump. Then you close again the valve. Now you can pump from another 55g tank fresh saltwater (the tank has a water pipe to fill and a small pump for circulation till the salt has dissolved) to the sump. Then just start the return pump again - water change done within minutes.
It is not yet ready completely (therefore no picture available)
but here is a picture of the sump with some drawings how it will be set up.
(red is the 55g sump part which can be drained via a valve), yellow the position of the tank for preparing the fresh saltwater, blue the return plumbing
quick water change system (on the right side of the sump will be the tank for fresh water to compensate evaporation)
regards
Markus
Indymann99
New member
Quick question. Why does everybody have a separate RO storage tank?
I do the following:
1. Fill mix tank directly with RO.
2. When mix tank is full with fresh RO add salt.
3. Salt mixes for x period of time (days to weeks) Mag pump heater and airstone.
4. Pump water out of mix tank to sump for water changes.
5. Fill mix tank with RO and start all over again.
I just dont see the need for the additional RO storage tank. ???
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/DSC_0098-1.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/MixRoom.jpg
I do the following:
1. Fill mix tank directly with RO.
2. When mix tank is full with fresh RO add salt.
3. Salt mixes for x period of time (days to weeks) Mag pump heater and airstone.
4. Pump water out of mix tank to sump for water changes.
5. Fill mix tank with RO and start all over again.
I just dont see the need for the additional RO storage tank. ???
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/DSC_0098-1.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/MixRoom.jpg
connecticut cichlids
Craft Beer Geek
The reason for me having the storage tank is so that I can have a volume of water on hand for emergencies, if they should happen, also to fill up my top-off resavoir.
Hawkdl2
Mad Scientist
Manual water changes should be a thing of the past. Sophisticated controllers are only a couple of hundred dollars and allow hands-off continual or frequent low volume water changes. It is easy to program and requires nothing more than a couple of float switches and two peristaltic pumps. Mine is set up to exchange about 1.5 gal 4 times per week in a ~120 gal system, though I can set it to exchange any number of times per day or week at up to about 3 or 4 gal at a time (up to the practical head room in the sump). Low volume frequent exchanges means no heater in the NSW tank (less $$$), no PVC plumbing all over the house, no large pumps, no ph, alk, cal or temp swings in the tank, and I don't have to be anywhere near the tank when they happen - i.e. they continue during vacations, etc.
My station is ~70ft away in my garage.
I'm working on a salt hopper so I can program the system to also automatically make NSW, based on conductivity, but until I figure that out, I still have to make NSW once a month.
The system is controllable at the tank or through by cell phone while I'm in the garage or away on vacation.
My station is ~70ft away in my garage.
I'm working on a salt hopper so I can program the system to also automatically make NSW, based on conductivity, but until I figure that out, I still have to make NSW once a month.
The system is controllable at the tank or through by cell phone while I'm in the garage or away on vacation.
kc350twin
New member
I have two tanks due to my supply water being on the first floor and I pump it upstairs. I will soon plumb th fish room and won't need to do it.
I think a lot of people use it as top off water for evaporation. I like to have emergency water on hand just incase I need to mix some water fast.
I think a lot of people use it as top off water for evaporation. I like to have emergency water on hand just incase I need to mix some water fast.
Indymann99
New member
Having volume of RO to fill up the top off reservoir makes sense.
I have a 15g pressure tank connected to my RO (as it also serves the drinking water for the house) so I fill up my 5g ATO reservoir from that.
By filling my Mix tank and mixing salt after every water change I always have mixed, heated, and aged SW ready for an emergency.
Thanks for the info.
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