How should I handle the hose on my mixing station?

[vanguard]

I'm almost finished with my mixing station. The only sticking point left is the hose I'll use to fill the tank.

It's currently a 1" PVC ball valve waiting to be built out (pictured). My tank will be about 25' away so I was thinking of using a 30' potable garden hose. Another idea was to use a braided vinyl hose but I worry about its tendency to remain in a coil. I considered the python hoses but they have a 3/8" bottleneck in them, which would be a bummer.

What's the best practice for running a hose from your mixing station to your display tank?

 

[twentyleagues]

I just built a water station, not as cool as yours for sure. I used 3/4" flexzilla garden hose good for potable water and extremely flexable. Mines in the basement about 30' total away from tank get decent flow rate could be better though. Probably just need a bigger pump.

 

[Gtinnel]

I just used vinyl tubing on mine, but mine was smaller and not braided. I straightened it out with the help of hot water.

Is it possible to use pvc to run to the tank?

 

[twentyleagues]

I just used vinyl tubing on mine, but mine was smaller and not braided. I straightened it out with the help of hot water.

Is it possible to use pvc to run to the tank?

Thats how my other set up was run. If you can accommodate this its really nice.

 

[vanguard]

Is it possible to use pvc to run to the tank?

I may eventually automate the water changes by running RODI tubing under the house but for now I'm looking for a simple solution.

The tank is coming soon and I'll have plenty of little projects getting it up and running.

 

[Gtinnel]

I may eventually automate the water changes by running RODI tubing under the house but for now I'm looking for a simple solution.

The tank is coming soon and I'll have plenty of little projects getting it up and running.

I have two 1/4 hoses ran to the tank for my AWC and then my bigger vinyl tube (I think 5/8 but not positive) is for filling up my ATO container.

 

[vanguard]

I ended up going with vinyl hose. I read online that brass has copper in it and that over time, it can hurt your tank. Aluminum had similar threats.

That made we wary of using a garden hose, even though they handle much more nicely than a vinyl hose.

The parts are in the mail, I hope it works out nicely.

 

[twentyleagues]

I ended up going with vinyl hose. I read online that brass has copper in it and that over time, it can hurt your tank. Aluminum had similar threats.

That made we wary of using a garden hose, even though they handle much more nicely than a vinyl hose.

The parts are in the mail, I hope it works out nicely.

I just cut the hose ends off.

 

[KStatefan]

I used a RV garden hose and replaced the ends with plastic.

 

[Peace River]

I use ~25’ of vinyl tubing with quick connect fittings on the end. I also use this hose to connect to the quick connect fitting on a Sicce ultra zero pump.

 

[mike550]

Potable water hose - either the flexzilla or RV water hose — and replace the metal end fittings.

 

[Peace River]

FWIW I agree that the RV water hose (with the ends replaced) is a better option and that is the way that I was headed with the original project. I grabbed the nylon hose because I had it on hand and I haven’t got around to changing it out because two+ years later it is still working for my application.

 

[Hallowhead]

I've used a 1/2" vinyl tubing with a simple plastic ball valve at the end

 

[timry2]

Use 5/8 or 3/4 soft vinyl hose with poly camlocks.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I use soft vinyl hose with stainless steel cam locks. I have he male on my mixing station and a female on each hose. I have used the plastic ones, but the metal in them is not stainless and they rust out. I have also had some break. The stainless I got will last longer then I have left to reef...

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Have any of you figured a good system to use the same hose for draining and filling? I set my water station up downstairs to allow camlocks on the suction or discharge of the pump. No real way to start a siphon upstairs though without prefilling the hoseline prior (turning pump on briefly).

I doubt I would need the pump power to drain the tank water (Just use gravity/siphon)

 

[MickeyCT]

For draining, I just have a tee off the closed loop to my chiller in the basement. Then 1" vinyl tubing from the Tee to a waste barrel so I make sure I take out as much water as I'm putting in.

To refill I have PVC through the floor ending a couple inches above the typical water level in my sump. The basement side of it is just hanging there most of the time with a quick disconnect end on it. My mixing station has a quick disconnect as well. Pump connects to the quick disconnect on the mixing station, then a true union ball value on the output side connected to 1" vinyl tubing with the other end having a quick disconnect. For filling the tank it gets connected to the pipe that's hanging free, then I disconnect it from there and reconnect it to a drain pipe (also with a quick disconnect fitting) to drain the waste water.

Been working like a charm for many years. Note that I don't leave the pump connected just in case my basement floods which it has a few times in the 40 years we've lived here, hence the reason for the quick disconnect between pump and mixing station.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I love these cam locks. Best thing I did.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Why not just run pvc pipe ?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

My mixing station is in a utility room in my garage. I hook up “python siphon” like hoses from my mixing station to areas of my house where my tanks are (2 different areas opposite sides of the house). I have cord reels in my garage close to the door to get in my house, I run the hook up side when in-use via cam locks to my mixing station (15 feet away). The business end follows me via 100 foot python siphon hose to my tanks. I have 1 hose for RO/Siphon. Between clean and RO refill I flush, and then test to 0.0 salinity then fill, I use a green plastic farm grade cam lock on this one. For my salt hose, I use the SS cast (both hook ups have match connectors within my station). I keep the hoses covered with a grill cover when not in use to prevent potential growth. I also use Kasa smart plugs to turn each pump on when filling either RO or Salt, each has their own pump.