Mixing Station inspiration and advice

[Danny_x1]

Just wanted to see some of your guys mixing stations for some inspiration. I just got some room opened up in the basement and I think it would be a good spot for it. I was thinking about 50 gallon water containers. Also would be nice to have a pump strong enough to push water up to the first floor for water changes and filling ato container. Some pictures and maybe recommendations for containers and pumps would be great help. I’m in Michigan if anyone knows of any local spots.Thank you

 

[Dave-T]

What is your system volume? How much water do you expect to be changing per week?

 

[Danny_x1]

About 130 gallons total doing 10 % weekly

 

[Dave-T]

I have a 425 gallon system, with two 100 gallon storage tanks, one for salt water and one for RODI water. My RODI system keeps the RODI tank full. There's a single pump with valves in the plumbing to control the source and destination of where the pump pumps. So I can pump RODI into the mixing tank, the mixing tank into my system, and either RODI or mixing tank water into a spigot located next to the mixing station.

There are two large rectangular fiberglass (I think?) tanks for the water - the mixing tank sits on top of the RODI tank. So you can't get into the RODI tank, but there is an opening on top of the mixing tank for storing salt.

I have a GHL Maxi doser I use for daily auto water changes. One pump head pumps water from the mixing tank into my sump, and the other pumps out of the sump into a drain. As I said, I can also pump at a higher rate directly from the mixing tank into my sump, but I only do this if I'm doing a very large water change, which I rarely do.

This setup works well for me because I have a basement sump. It sounds like you want your mixing station in the basement and your display tank and sump are upstairs. With the right dosing pump, you might be able to do auto water changes similar to how I do it. If you want to use a larger pump in the basement to pump upstairs, you could probably remotely control the power to that pump by plugging it into a wifi controllable outlet, and also have a valve upstairs to turn the flow on and off.

 

[Dave-T]

 

[Danny_x1]

I have a 425 gallon system, with two 100 gallon storage tanks, one for salt water and one for RODI water. My RODI system keeps the RODI tank full. There's a single pump with valves in the plumbing to control the source and destination of where the pump pumps. So I can pump RODI into the mixing tank, the mixing tank into my system, and either RODI or mixing tank water into a spigot located next to the mixing station.

There are two large rectangular fiberglass (I think?) tanks for the water - the mixing tank sits on top of the RODI tank. So you can't get into the RODI tank, but there is an opening on top of the mixing tank for storing salt.

I have a GHL Maxi doser I use for daily auto water changes. One pump head pumps water from the mixing tank into my sump, and the other pumps out of the sump into a drain. As I said, I can also pump at a higher rate directly from the mixing tank into my sump, but I only do this if I'm doing a very large water change, which I rarely do.

This setup works well for me because I have a basement sump. It sounds like you want your mixing station in the basement and your display tank and sump are upstairs. With the right dosing pump, you might be able to do auto water changes similar to how I do it. If you want to use a larger pump in the basement to pump upstairs, you could probably remotely control the power to that pump by plugging it into a wifi controllable outlet, and also have a valve upstairs to turn the flow on and off.

With the auto water changes how do you avoid the change in water level that would trigger the ato? Do you have it turn off automatically during the water change?

 

[Dave-T]

I do turn it off automatically, but it doesn't really matter. I am adding and removing water at the same time.

 

[USN74NMCB]

I have a 360 gallon dt island able to walk around it and my mixing station is across the room use a kreomer X2SR for awc and it has an ato pump on it. AWC is in and out same time as i have a bulkhead in bottom of sump with a pvc pipe that comes up 1/2 from top low side of sump as an emergency overflow if something goes wrong that is also used as the drain for my AWC and skimmer cup is hooked into it as well.

 

[bob88884]

I have a 425 gallon system, with two 100 gallon storage tanks, one for salt water and one for RODI water. My RODI system keeps the RODI tank full. There's a single pump with valves in the plumbing to control the source and destination of where the pump pumps. So I can pump RODI into the mixing tank, the mixing tank into my system, and either RODI or mixing tank water into a spigot located next to the mixing station.

There are two large rectangular fiberglass (I think?) tanks for the water - the mixing tank sits on top of the RODI tank. So you can't get into the RODI tank, but there is an opening on top of the mixing tank for storing salt.

I have a GHL Maxi doser I use for daily auto water changes. One pump head pumps water from the mixing tank into my sump, and the other pumps out of the sump into a drain. As I said, I can also pump at a higher rate directly from the mixing tank into my sump, but I only do this if I'm doing a very large water change, which I rarely do.

This setup works well for me because I have a basement sump. It sounds like you want your mixing station in the basement and your display tank and sump are upstairs. With the right dosing pump, you might be able to do auto water changes similar to how I do it. If you want to use a larger pump in the basement to pump upstairs, you could probably remotely control the power to that pump by plugging it into a wifi controllable outlet, and also have a valve upstairs to turn the flow on and off.

I have my mixing station in the basement. I use Versa pumps for water change, no problem with the tank upstairs. My tank is right above the mixing station, so it is only pushing up. I am not sure how it would do if it had to go a long distance horizontally after it got up here. I debated between the Versa and the Kamoer X2SR. The Kamoer will push farther, but I understand it is loud, whereas the Versa is dead quiet. My RO/DI is in the basement; it pushes water to my ATO without any pump, straight from the RO/DI.

 

[USN74NMCB]

I have a 425 gallon system, with two 100 gallon storage tanks, one for salt water and one for RODI water. My RODI system keeps the RODI tank full. There's a single pump with valves in the plumbing to control the source and destination of where the pump pumps. So I can pump RODI into the mixing tank, the mixing tank into my system, and either RODI or mixing tank water into a spigot located next to the mixing station.

There are two large rectangular fiberglass (I think?) tanks for the water - the mixing tank sits on top of the RODI tank. So you can't get into the RODI tank, but there is an opening on top of the mixing tank for storing salt.

I have a GHL Maxi doser I use for daily auto water changes. One pump head pumps water from the mixing tank into my sump, and the other pumps out of the sump into a drain. As I said, I can also pump at a higher rate directly from the mixing tank into my sump, but I only do this if I'm doing a very large water change, which I rarely do.

This setup works well for me because I have a basement sump. It sounds like you want your mixing station in the basement and your display tank and sump are upstairs. With the right dosing pump, you might be able to do auto water changes similar to how I do it. If you want to use a larger pump in the basement to pump upstairs, you could probably remotely control the power to that pump by plugging it into a wifi controllable outlet, and also have a valve upstairs to turn the flow on and off.

I have my mixing station in the basement. I use Versa pumps for water change, no problem with the tank upstairs. My tank is right above the mixing station, so it is only pushing up. I am not sure how it would do if it had to go a long distance horizontally after it got up here. I debated between the Versa and the Kamoer X2SR. The Kamoer will push farther, but I understand it is loud, whereas the Versa is dead quiet. My RO/DI is in the basement; it pushes water to my ATO without any pump, straight from the RO/DI.

Its a little loud but i know when its running and doing the weekly 2.5% water change to do the 10% monthly which is 40 gallons on my system monthly. Its been doing very well for almost 2 years with no issues

 

[bob88884]

Its a little loud but i know when its running and doing the weekly 2.5% water change to do the 10% monthly which is 40 gallons on my system monthly. Its been doing very well for almost 2 years with no issues

At the time, I had everything nearby, and I was afraid the noise would be an issue; now that I have more options, it wouldn't be an issue. However, the Versa has performed well. I have mine set to continuously change water. I'm not sure that is the best option, but it has worked well for me. I do 10% weekly, which equates to about 3.2 gallons per day, spread over 24 hours.

 

[Danny_x1]

Just found the containers I’m going to use for my mixing station. What pump do you guys run for yours? I need it to reach 1 floor above where the tank is to avoid bucket hauling.

 

[bob88884]

Just found the containers I’m going to use for my mixing station. What pump do you guys run for yours? I need it to reach 1 floor above where the tank is to avoid bucket hauling.

I am using a Jabo 4000 that I picked up from Amazon for cheap. Pushes from my basement to the main floor DT. Probably around 50ft total, horizontal and vertical combined. If I were buying new for the task, I would get the next size up to speed up the water change, but the 4000 works just fine.