My Water Changing Station

[disaster999]

After moving to this new place, we found a good place to put my fish tank which very close to the backyard. In the backyard, the previous owner left a Rubbermaid shack which I immediately started converting it into my water changing station.

Im not quite done yet as the trash cans are filled with water and I didnt want to waste the RODI water just so I can connect the 2 cans with a pipe at the bottom. I will wait till my next water change to do that.

My idea was to use the trash cans for top off water storage and saltwater mixing. A pipe will be installed at the bottom linking to 2 trash cans together so their water level will be the same. RODI water will be stored in them and a pump is in the left can. I can open the valve in the middle and close the one on the left and get fresh RODI water whenever my tank needs top off water.

When its time to change the water, I can simply open up the valve on the right and turn on the pump to get the water circulating and mixes the salt. Once they are mixed, I can just connect a hose to the barb fitting and pump the mixed salt water to my tank.

The RODI unit will automatically refill the 2 trash cans and be ready for the next water change or top off. This will be a huge incentive to do more water changes.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Cool!

 

[redfishbluefish]

Great use of that shed. I'm assuming it's close to the house and you live in a warmer-climate state that doesn't have freezing winters? My only suggestion, owning three 7x7 Rubbermaid sheds, is that if it's not already there, add a wood or concrete deck below the shed. These guys don't take weight well if simply placed on the ground. I was storing about 150 pounds of weights in one of the sheds, and that side has now sunk down a bit causing the wall to bulge.

As an example, here's the deck I built for my generator shed:

 

[disaster999]

Paul, Thanks for the suggestion, the shed sits on a concrete plinth so Im all set there. And yes, I live in warmer climates so temps only drops down to ~10c during winter.

 

[disaster999]

Updated my water changing station, was tired of using the round trash cans so upgraded them to a 300L fresh water tank at the bottom and a 150L mixing tank on the top. The FW tank is plumbed into the mixing tank via a pump. The mixing tank has its own mixing pump which helps mixes the water and pumps it to the tank during a water change. Theres also a spigot from the FW tank so I can fill any container with FW for top off water or other uses. The whole thing is controlled with a series of valves and it can be easily taken apart via unions.

Water changes is more enjoyable now and Im looking forward to it instead of dreading it.