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The PLAN for my duel tank, Auto/Manual WC (using a single DOS) control idea was sparked from seeing a lot of multi-tank owners including myself, running their rodi water from the RODI unit to multi ato containers. I mean if you own multiple tanks, do you own multiple rodi units? I do not. and if I can send water to multiple locations from my rodi unit, why would this process not work when performing water changes on two tanks using one DOS.
we all have our WC process. mine was really easy and efficient but still time-consuming. it went as following ----a small return pump set up at each tank. and plumbed into an outside drain line. and plumbed top the top of my tank, I then insert a pipe (cut to length to equal XX gallons) into my display, connect it to the pump, then turn on the pump using alexa, watch it drain, turn off the pump, remove the pipe, drag my hose all the way across the house from my water mixing station, hang it in the tank, go back and turn on my water reservoir pump, go back in the house, watch the DT fill, walk back to the garage to turn off reservoir pump once DT is refilled, remove the hose from DT, wrap it up and hang the hose back in the garage, then get a towel and clean up any spills. like i said really easy and efficient but still time-consuming. if there was a remote chance that all that can be reduced to simply turning a ball valve and pressing a feed mode button on my apex and then just walk away and freeing up my day I'm all in.
the idea was this.
the new water would enter into the left DOS head as normal, then upon leaving this DOS head, the new water enters a SHARKBITE 1/4"splitter. now I have the ability to send new water to two places at once. continuing on down the new water line (s) I installed two shark bite 1/4" straight valves. these would allow me to control which tank I wanted to send the new saltwater to.
now as for the wastewater /dirty tank water plumbing, it's identical to what I just described above using the same hardware one splitter and two straight valves.
here is the final product.
one thing i was concerned about in the design was changing something in the event something breaks. the blue tubing holder you see are a bit oversized and not fully nailed down, giving me the ability to remove and inserting the rodi tubing easily without the hassle of fighting to remove or add tubing, in hindsight I could have used a wider piece of wood giving me the ability to nail them down fully. ooo well, the splitters were intentionally placed at the bottom, again giving me easier access to remove tubing if needed.
now as for the ball valve location, this block of wood is moveable (up and down) ( this may change) ( I'm wondering about the weight of the wood resting on the edge of the ball valves) the white rodi tubing holders are fully nailed down. like I said these holders are a bit oversized (even tho they are for 1/4"tubing) so if I ever need to remove one of these ball valves or tubing, I just slide the block of wood up, giving me easy access to remove something.
SO
If I want to send new saltwater (change the water) to my 15OG reef tank. I will close off the straight valves going to my 220 fowler tank and open the straight valves going to my 15OG reef tank. press feed mode A on my apex and let it run and vise versa for a WC on my 220. so there you have it i now have the ability to perform MANUAL or automatic water changes on two different tanks. WC's on the two tanks can not be done simultaneously however using one DOS. or can they? plus i need a different color for my 220 tubings what should i go with?
NOTE once I got this made I learned that the right dosing head layout on my sketch was drawn wrong. according to the setup instructions in your apex for auto / manual water changes. the wastewater lines from the tanks should be installed on the right side of the right DOS head and the wastewater line to be sent to a container, installed on the left side of the right DOS head.
we all have our WC process. mine was really easy and efficient but still time-consuming. it went as following ----a small return pump set up at each tank. and plumbed into an outside drain line. and plumbed top the top of my tank, I then insert a pipe (cut to length to equal XX gallons) into my display, connect it to the pump, then turn on the pump using alexa, watch it drain, turn off the pump, remove the pipe, drag my hose all the way across the house from my water mixing station, hang it in the tank, go back and turn on my water reservoir pump, go back in the house, watch the DT fill, walk back to the garage to turn off reservoir pump once DT is refilled, remove the hose from DT, wrap it up and hang the hose back in the garage, then get a towel and clean up any spills. like i said really easy and efficient but still time-consuming. if there was a remote chance that all that can be reduced to simply turning a ball valve and pressing a feed mode button on my apex and then just walk away and freeing up my day I'm all in.
the idea was this.
the new water would enter into the left DOS head as normal, then upon leaving this DOS head, the new water enters a SHARKBITE 1/4"splitter. now I have the ability to send new water to two places at once. continuing on down the new water line (s) I installed two shark bite 1/4" straight valves. these would allow me to control which tank I wanted to send the new saltwater to.
now as for the wastewater /dirty tank water plumbing, it's identical to what I just described above using the same hardware one splitter and two straight valves.
here is the final product.
one thing i was concerned about in the design was changing something in the event something breaks. the blue tubing holder you see are a bit oversized and not fully nailed down, giving me the ability to remove and inserting the rodi tubing easily without the hassle of fighting to remove or add tubing, in hindsight I could have used a wider piece of wood giving me the ability to nail them down fully. ooo well, the splitters were intentionally placed at the bottom, again giving me easier access to remove tubing if needed.
now as for the ball valve location, this block of wood is moveable (up and down) ( this may change) ( I'm wondering about the weight of the wood resting on the edge of the ball valves) the white rodi tubing holders are fully nailed down. like I said these holders are a bit oversized (even tho they are for 1/4"tubing) so if I ever need to remove one of these ball valves or tubing, I just slide the block of wood up, giving me easy access to remove something.
SO
If I want to send new saltwater (change the water) to my 15OG reef tank. I will close off the straight valves going to my 220 fowler tank and open the straight valves going to my 15OG reef tank. press feed mode A on my apex and let it run and vise versa for a WC on my 220. so there you have it i now have the ability to perform MANUAL or automatic water changes on two different tanks. WC's on the two tanks can not be done simultaneously however using one DOS. or can they? plus i need a different color for my 220 tubings what should i go with?
NOTE once I got this made I learned that the right dosing head layout on my sketch was drawn wrong. according to the setup instructions in your apex for auto / manual water changes. the wastewater lines from the tanks should be installed on the right side of the right DOS head and the wastewater line to be sent to a container, installed on the left side of the right DOS head.
