Salt Water Mixing Stations Let's See Them

[Ronic]

I have to show mine

having a small tank is easier in some ways

 

[Joshporksandwic]

I have to show mine

having a small tank is easier in some ways

I bet your fish and corals get hyper after water changes LOL.

 

[Charfish]

just read 18 pages of this thread...looks great, will follow

 

[yort265]

Hi all,

I'm about to start piecing together a RODI & saltwater mixing/storage station and I need help on picking the right pumps for the job. I'll have 2 vertical storage tanks, and 2 external pumps. Looking at the most reasonable choices, it looks like the Pan World 30PX would work, but I'm looking for what my other options are. The 30PX is $99.99 and offers a max flow of 258GPH with a max head of 10.1ft. Inlet & Outlet is 3/4" which is what I want.

These pumps will run continuously for circulation and I'll be using the discharge pressure of the pumps for ATO & water change purposes. This'll be in the garage, so it doesn't have to be dead silent, but I certainly don't want anything loud!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts ,
Troy

 

[Charfish]

Hi all,

I'm about to start piecing together a RODI & saltwater mixing/storage station and I need help on picking the right pumps for the job. I'll have 2 vertical storage tanks, and 2 external pumps. Looking at the most reasonable choices, it looks like the Pan World 30PX would work, but I'm looking for what my other options are. The 30PX is $99.99 and offers a max flow of 258GPH with a max head of 10.1ft. Inlet & Outlet is 3/4" which is what I want.

These pumps will run continuously for circulation and I'll be using the discharge pressure of the pumps for ATO & water change purposes. This'll be in the garage, so it doesn't have to be dead silent, but I certainly don't want anything loud!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts ,
Troy

Food for thought... pump has a max flow of 258gph and a max head of 10.1 feet but is it 258gph at 10.1 feet? Flow drops drastically with head height/distance so it could be 258gph at pump but only 80gph at 10.1 feet. Every pump I've seen has a diminishing flow/head height chart to reference...

 

[jscarlata]

im curious how you guys with elaborate mixing systems keep them clean....i use the old tried and true Brute garbage cans for fresh RODI top off water and mixing saltwater...my salt mix can gets funky after a few weeks and requirwes cleaning...its not that hard for me because i just unscrew a few unions and take it offline so i can get in and clean it. I cant stand having to do this btw, so im curious, with these clsoed in systems and tall cans, how do you clean them? do they not need it? please tell...

 

[yort265]

Food for thought... pump has a max flow of 258gph and a max head of 10.1 feet but is it 258gph at 10.1 feet? Flow drops drastically with head height/distance so it could be 258gph at pump but only 80gph at 10.1 feet. Every pump I've seen has a diminishing flow/head height chart to reference...

thanks for the thought. I knew about the flow/head pressure correlation but didn't think I'd have an issue. the verticals tanks I'm looking at are 43" tall. and the ATO & SW lines coming from the discharge will not require high flow rates. do you think I need more gph anyway?

 

[Charfish]

thanks for the thought. I knew about the flow/head pressure correlation but didn't think I'd have an issue. the verticals tanks I'm looking at are 43" tall. and the ATO & SW lines coming from the discharge will not require high flow rates. do you think I need more gph anyway?

You are absolutely correct. So long as your top-off flows into your tank faster than evaporation, your tank will top-off. I just wanted to point out that flow will diminish over height/distance. Now your concern is placement of equipment/lines so you do not develop a siphon should your pump fail. (Everyone here says it WILL fail eventually so just plan for it.)

 

[Steveb]

I kinda copied cmacld's setup...

Finished mixing station. Still need to test. The pump is a Mag12. I have some other pumps if this one proves to not be up to snuff...

RC headloss calculator: Total losses are 5.37 feet of head pressure, or 2.32 PSI. with a flow rate of 1002 GPH.

Why are there two valves above the mixing tank and another valve over the saltwater tank? Well I made a boo boo and wanted to recycle most of what I had already built....

 

[r1racer]

Simple setup. RO/DI up top that can gravity feed the sump or a bucket directly. Salt on the bottom that does the same. Check valve installed to prevent accidental contamination of the RO. Overflows installed on both cans just in case, float vlalve, mag7 inside the salt container for a cleaner look and to prevent accidental leaks, 150 watt heater, digital thermometer and open lid on salt for aeration.

 

[brizhound]

I just took ideas from others in this thread. Thanks everyone who has shared ideas and photos. Here are my pics.

 

[jcmelski]

the pics didn't come out.

 

[Outlets710]

Simple setup. RO/DI up top that can gravity feed the sump or a bucket directly. Salt on the bottom that does the same. Check valve installed to prevent accidental contamination of the RO. Overflows installed on both cans just in case, float vlalve, mag7 inside the salt container for a cleaner look and to prevent accidental leaks, 150 watt heater, digital thermometer and open lid on salt for aeration.

your setup( space and supplies) are exactly what I am working w, do you have a full shot of the whole set up? looks great BTW

 

[Pastey]

It's 99% finished that in picture. I've since added a sight glass to the lower barrel. A Mag9.5 goes at the bottom of the piping as a circulation / mixing pump that is not pictured. I have not mounted / piped my RO/DI yet because I haven't moved my new tank in the house and it's sitting in the way.

 

[jcmelski]

I like the sight glass. Never seen that b4 great touch.

 

[r1racer]

Simple setup. RO/DI up top that can gravity feed the sump or a bucket directly. Salt on the bottom that does the same. Check valve installed to prevent accidental contamination of the RO. Overflows installed on both cans just in case, float vlalve, mag7 inside the salt container for a cleaner look and to prevent accidental leaks, 150 watt heater, digital thermometer and open lid on salt for aeration.

your setup( space and supplies) are exactly what I am working w, do you have a full shot of the whole set up? looks great BTW

Here's a quick video...not enough room to take a pic. I ended up putting an additional rio pump in the salt bin to prevent the salt from settling on the bottom. Speeds up the mixing time too. Definitely recommend the overflows.

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[Psirex]

Very simple...

My mixing station

My pump

Drain from DT and sump from upstairs drains into utility sink

Output to DT and ATO

I control the pump via a remote controlled power outlet add on

 

[S14Swap240sx]

pretty simple. thanx for the ideas.. for my first reef tank this has made it super easy.. ran a ro water line from the ato to the 25g so I pretty much do nothing other then hit a switch to fill up my tank after a water change.

 

[jcmelski]

S14,
I like your set-up. is that an ehiem pump?

 

[S14Swap240sx]

S14,
I like your set-up. is that an ehiem pump?

yeah sure is.. have one running my tank, and this one for the garage.. I got the smaller of the two because they where on sale, and if u wanna upgrade its just one piece to get more flow out of it that costs like 15 dollars or something