Salt Water Mixing Stations Let's See Them!!

[Michael Gray]

How I do a 40 gallon water change.:

Is that pump self prime. I'm looking for a pump to drain my tank on water change days. External and pump 40 ft away. But priming is the issue 40 ft is far and not sure how to prime it.
This flotec doesnt need priming and just starts sucking??

 

[Chris155hp]

A little update!!!

 

[CindyKz]

Here's the water- change station hubs and I just built. The only piece left is to get a heater onto the salt tank (bottom) . How are others doing it?

 

[siggy]

Here's the water- change station hubs and I just built. The only piece left is to get a heater onto the salt tank (bottom) . How are others doing it?

Good question, I HAD a titanium heater just suspended by the cord and during a WC became exposed....NOT pretty! I had a total melt down thankfully it wasn't in contact with the storage container. My new system will be on a auto WC daily and I will forgo heating the water

 

[JoeIII]

Good question, I HAD a titanium heater just suspended by the cord and during a WC became exposed....NOT pretty! I had a total melt down thankfully it wasn't in contact with the storage container. My new system will be on a auto WC daily and I will forgo heating the water

Use an auto top off with a float switch "Backwards" - when the water level is above a certain level turn on, and plug the heater into it instead of a pump.

My heaters are lying on the bottom of my tank, below the level of the outlet, so they stay submerged. Also, I user a power strip to turn them and the pump on with a switch, so they aren't on when there isn't water to mix.

 

[siggy]

Use an auto top off with a float switch "Backwards" - when the water level is above a certain level turn on, and plug the heater into it instead of a pump.

My heaters are lying on the bottom of my tank, below the level of the outlet, so they stay submerged. Also, I user a power strip to turn them and the pump on with a switch, so they aren't on when there isn't water to mix.

Great idea! I just upgraded my water system and it will have some basic automation..I have several styles of ultrasonic level sensors i will be trying out to warn me of low SW mix.

 

[CindyKz]

Use an auto top off with a float switch "Backwards" - when the water level is above a certain level turn on, and plug the heater into it instead of a pump.

My heaters are lying on the bottom of my tank, below the level of the outlet, so they stay submerged. Also, I user a power strip to turn them and the pump on with a switch, so they aren't on when there isn't water to mix.

Thats a great idea thank you.

What I need to know though, is how to route the heater cord out of the container. There is a hole in the top of the container with a screw on lid but if I leave the lid off and just drop the heater in water will splash out while mixing. Drilling a hole large enough for the plug will have the same result. Other people are obviously successful. How?

 

[dwest]

Thats a great idea thank you.

What I need to know though, is how to route the heater cord out of the container. There is a hole in the top of the container with a screw on lid but if I leave the lid off and just drop the heater in water will splash out while mixing. Drilling a hole large enough for the plug will have the same result. Other people are obviously successful. How?

Do you need a heater? Just throwing that out there.

I do AWC slowly every day so I don’t need one. Periodically I do 10 gallon additions to my 180 when I suck algae and detritus from my display. I don’t heat the water then either as the difference between my tank and additive water is only about 10 degrees. So my tank water only changes about half a degree when I do the change.

 

[JoshH]

Thats a great idea thank you.

What I need to know though, is how to route the heater cord out of the container. There is a hole in the top of the container with a screw on lid but if I leave the lid off and just drop the heater in water will splash out while mixing. Drilling a hole large enough for the plug will have the same result. Other people are obviously successful. How?

I think most design the outlet of there mixing pump either mid way or at the bottom of the mixing container which prevents splashing while mixing. Might be pretty difficult with your style barrel though.

Another option would be to cut a small slit in the threaded cap itself. Slide the heater cord into this slit and then caulk the slit to seal it. This will effectively create a seal around the cord itself preventing any splashing from getting out. But the cap will be semi-permanently bonded to the heater cord. You can obviously remove the cord still by cutting the caulking. But it would be a rather lengthy process. When making a cut like this into the cap you would have to be careful to clean the edges around the threading so it will be able to thread back in.

 

[CindyKz]

Do you need a heater? Just throwing that out there.

For the time being, yes. I am doing manual water changes on my two tanks upstairs while the new 180 is being set up in the basement. The basement is pretty cool - when I don't heat the water I see a couple of degree drop in my 75 gal (although tbh, I have never seen any adverse effects from it). Eventually the 180 will be on auto water changes and I won't have to worry about it.

I think most design the outlet of there mixing pump either mid way or at the bottom of the mixing container which prevents splashing while mixing. Might be pretty difficult with your style barrel though.

Another option would be to cut a small slit in the threaded cap itself. Slide the heater cord into this slit and then caulk the slit to seal it. This will effectively create a seal around the cord itself preventing any splashing from getting out. But the cap will be semi-permanently bonded to the heater cord. You can obviously remove the cord still by cutting the caulking. But it would be a rather lengthy process. When making a cut like this into the cap you would have to be careful to clean the edges around the threading so it will be able to thread back in.

Caulk might do it....I probably should have designed it the way you stated but too late now LOL.

 

[s2nhle]

Very informative thread. Thank you for sharing.

 

[CindyKz]

For now I just dropped the heater in through that hole. It isn't splashing with the container half full. We'll see how this goes.

 

[Michael Gray]

my setup for the build.

 

[Harrison Gordon]

My barrel has a lid, and the cords fit right between it and the rim very nicely. Both heater and powerhead are on the bottom (powerhead falls off the wall anyways....)

for your splashing, it looks like you could just pop in an elbow and extra PVC so that the water isn't pouring in at the tip top. Bring it down like six inches.

If your cord isn't quite long enough to reach bottom, you can always use a 1ft extension cord like me
btw SW below, FW above (for the freshwater tank, of course). AWC line is on the right in the back of the pic, not nearly as complicated as so many people believe it has to be--just SW in to double head pump in attic/basement, SW out to drain (you'll probs have one in both places), and the hardest part--connection to tank. I was lucky, only needed a half inch drill bit for the entire thing and made 3 holes in corner of my ceilings above cabinets. (save for prying back the baseboard behind the tank). Wish you luck!

 

[CindyKz]

My barrel has a lid, and the cords fit right between it and the rim very nicely. Both heater and powerhead are on the bottom (powerhead falls off the wall anyways....)

for your splashing, it looks like you could just pop in an elbow and extra PVC so that the water isn't pouring in at the tip top. Bring it down like six inches.

If your cord isn't quite long enough to reach bottom, you can always use a 1ft extension cord like me
btw SW below, FW above (for the freshwater tank, of course). AWC line is on the right in the back of the pic, not nearly as complicated as so many people believe it has to be--just SW in to double head pump in attic/basement, SW out to drain (you'll probs have one in both places), and the hardest part--connection to tank. I was lucky, only needed a half inch drill bit for the entire thing and made 3 holes in corner of my ceilings above cabinets. (save for prying back the baseboard behind the tank). Wish you luck!

I like the simplicity of your setup! Also the double headed pump idea. Can you share a photo or link?

Connection to the tank is easy, the sump is a 100 gal rubbermaid 3 feet away

 

[Harrison Gordon]

I like the simplicity of your setup! Also the double headed pump idea. Can you share a photo or link?

Connection to the tank is easy, the sump is a 100 gal rubbermaid 3 feet away

Yeah! So I was kinda tired when I did this part so its nothing fancy, because I go in the attic.......three times a year, maybe? And while im up there I check to make sure everything's good.

This is a Fischer scientific motor with two Cole parmer pump heads on it. $75. Would've liked a larger size because it takes 90 min per gallon, but what do I care it doesn't actually affect me because I only change two gal a day!
Connected it to I think a 12v power brick, one that had the barrel plug on the end. That goes into a smart outlet. Used to only turn on if above 25º outdoor temp, but Stringify is now dead....

Those last two pics are how I connected to my tank and incorporated with ATO. So there are three lines pictured: SW in, SW out, RO in. That goes to the ATO reservoir and they all go through the wall behind the baseboard to this:

Any more questions, id be happy to answer! What I love about my system is simply....well, the simplicity of it! At first I was gonna run a 1" pipe through my attic, get two $400 pumps to do it, open up the whole wall....no no no bad, I mean for me at least, other people can handle that.

--Harrison

 

[CindyKz]

This is interesting and much more cost effective than using an apex. How is it controlled/programmed?

 

[Harrison Gordon]

This is interesting and much more cost effective than using an apex. How is it controlled/programmed?

Kasa Smart WiFi Plug by TP-Link – Smart Plug, No Hub Required, Works with Alexa and Google (HS100)

Just use the app on my phone, set it for 3 hrs/day = 2 gal.

 

[beausbriggs]

 

[Ross Petersen]

Mine

What's going on in the center there with the siphon? Are you somehow using this for removing dirty water from the tank?