Salt Water Mixing Stations Let's See Them

[Da Maui life]

My Low tech ultra low cost saltwater mixing station.


Mixed by mother nature, piped and filtered free of charge by Maui Ocean Center.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9201937539/" title="maui ocean center 008 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/9201937539_3059bbbabb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 008"></a>
This area by the saltwater fill station holds the QT tanks the big round one has some sharks and sting rays, the other ones have turtles, corals and other things not sure what was in them, water was very dark. I'll try and post more photos in the appropriate forum.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9204723612/" title="maui ocean center 010 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3816/9204723612_68377b7cc9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 010"></a>


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9201937333/" title="maui ocean center 009 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/9201937333_e2a2118d8a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 009"></a>

 

[tallball158]

That's awesome! It doesn't get any better than that!

 

[Da Maui life]

That's awesome! It doesn't get any better than that!

Always awesome when you can poke around the ocean center.


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9201937241/" title="maui ocean center 011 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/9201937241_080da1e053.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 011"></a>

 

[tallball158]

Wow, what I would give for experiences like that!

 

[HPballer76]

Here is my mixing/qt closet in my basement.

And it's plumbed up to my renew system under my tank.

 

[tallball158]

That's a nice set up, I like how it is hidden in a closet!

 

[Dustin1300]

And it's plumbed up to my renew system under my tank.

Just curious why your top off is in your skimmer section of sump? Looks like your levels would fluctuate a lot and that skimmer would not perform very well.

 

[HPballer76]

Just curious why your top off is in your skimmer section of sump? Looks like your levels would fluctuate a lot and that skimmer would not perform very well.

It isn't lol. My top off is in the return section which is directly behind the skimmer in the 3rd pic.

 

[Dustin1300]

It isn't lol. My top off is in the return section which is directly behind the skimmer in the 3rd pic.

Gotcha! Now let's see more water mixing stations.

I've still not hooked up any tubing on mine down in basement but was curious what others use for tubing that's flexible but does not kink? I'm using liter meter for auto water changes but would still like to use the pressurized pipes I ran to fish room for emergency changes, rinse/fills of ro/di and so forth. Would really like something that'd stretch 20-30 ft and wraps back up nicely. Keep thinking our coiled garden houses would be ideal but brass does not fit with reefs! Any coiled hoses anyone can think of that'd be safe?!

 

[Larz_1]

My Low tech ultra low cost saltwater mixing station.


Mixed by mother nature, piped and filtered free of charge by Maui Ocean Center.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9201937539/" title="maui ocean center 008 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/9201937539_3059bbbabb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 008"></a>
This area by the saltwater fill station holds the QT tanks the big round one has some sharks and sting rays, the other ones have turtles, corals and other things not sure what was in them, water was very dark. I'll try and post more photos in the appropriate forum.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9204723612/" title="maui ocean center 010 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3816/9204723612_68377b7cc9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 010"></a>


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/97143584@N02/9201937333/" title="maui ocean center 009 by damauilife, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/9201937333_e2a2118d8a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="maui ocean center 009"></a>

That's awesome!
We love the Maui Ocean Center and always have to go when we get to visit Maui.
I would LOVE to see some of the behind-the-scenes plumbing and such.

 

[ReeferGil]

Not to get off topic, but how often do you guys clean out your storage containers, especially the salt mix container. After time, mine builds up with a white substance that adheres to the inside of the container. Just curious if you guys use distilled vinegar to clean them out and if so, what's the ratio vinegar to water? Overnight with pump do the trick?

 

[Toomnymods]

just finished mine this weekend in the garage..

 

[tallball158]

Very nice! I really like the epoxy floor, it makes it look very clean!

 

[Toomnymods]

Very nice! I really like the epoxy floor, it makes it look very clean!

Ya i used valspar garage floor coating, just make sure you etch the concrete first or it wont last more than a few months before chipping

 

[TommyP]

This thread is awesome. I believe this is my first post but that's fine. Been working on my tank. I am tired of lugging containers of water upstairs to my bedroom from outside the garage to fill my small 6-7g containter for my top off reservoir. My tank is a 55g reef. I was planning on getting a brute pail and just throwing an old powerhead in there with a heater and on my day off, just filling it up as needed. At that point, siphon or pump some water out into my storage container, drag it through the office upstairs to my room then change the water and drag the water down and empty it by the curb. Is there an easy way to run some sort of hose upstairs to just fill the water for my ato and also just fill my saltwater bucket to make this less painful? How big of a pump would I need? Thanks.

 

[TommyP]

Btw I wouldn't mind mixing the water upstairs when I do the change the same day but just looking for a simplier way to get the water to the 2nd floor? I actually have a window too I can throw a hose up but that's a LOT of head loss.

 

[awais98]

Keep thinking our coiled garden houses would be ideal but brass does not fit with reefs! Any coiled hoses anyone can think of that'd be safe?!

You can cut the brass ends and put in plastic repair male and females ends available at lowes.

 

[Kdawg_69]

You can cut the brass ends and put in plastic repair male and females ends available at lowes.

or get a RV food safe hose from a RV shop thats what we did

 

[awais98]

Water change made easy, just turning 3 knobs total.
1 knob from the return line manifold to get the water out to the drain.
Another knob to open the new saltwater from the brute to the tank
3rd to shut the continious recirc mixer knob in the brute can.
See Pics

 

[MikesReef83]

Here are some pics of mine. My 120 gallon reef tank is directly above the area in the basement where I have my saltwater mixing station. When I do water changes I shut down my return pump which drains back into my sump until my sump is just about full. I control how much water goes into the sump when the power is off based on how low I positioned the return locline. I than open some valves and the water drains out of my sump via siphon/gravity. Once the sump is empty, I turn some valves and pump mixed water back into my sump. I have a valve located on this line next to my sump so once the water is back to where I want it, I turn the valve and than go downstairs and turn off the pump. I can also pump water from the RO tank over to the mixing tank by using valves. I use the last barrel on the right for my water to drain into from my sump and than it drains much slower into a floor drain in the basement.

Hey, I seen your water station in the thread and it is a great setup. In fact, I'm going to mock your setup when my 90g is going.

I had a question though.

If you had a reservoir set up next to your dt tank upstairs. Could you use the same line running up through the floor to refill your top off reservoir also? Or would running ro/do water through the same line going through the floor no be a good idea?

This would make it easier so you wouldn't have to fill a 5 gallon container for your top off downstairs and lug it up stairs and also without having to drill two holes in the floor.