Saltwater Mixing Station

nycjwi

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I live in Los Angeles and looking for recommendation of someone who could build out my saltwater mixing station.
Thx
 

Chiraq

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I live in Los Angeles and looking for recommendation of someone who could build out my saltwater mixing station.
Thx
Your best bet would be a local fish store.. they should be able to build one for..
 

Dom

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I don't think a local fish store s going to build a saltwater mixing station. And if they did, they will probably charge you a fortune and give you a bunch of stuff you don't need.

I think you'd be better off finding a local reef club and making inquiries there.

Why not get guidance here and build it yourself?
 
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nycjwi

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where could I find that guidance on this site?
 

Susan Edwards

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I'm in process of building mine, or rather, my husband! I googled saltwater mixing station and also did a search here and collected tons of info. You can check the "fantasy" build in the signature to see some pics of what I'm doing. Hubby is making it a lot more elaborate and redundant than I had planned.

In fact, he's doing stuff I've not seen others do, so I'll probably do a thread once it is all done

But here is some super basic starting points. We are tied in to the water heater. Hubby ran copper pipe and added a faucet. He is designing his own shut off's and water sensors that will shut it all down if there is leaks (he is a design engineer) Told him he needs to make an ardurino app for me lol's. Waste water goes out in the pipes for the water heater and heating unit. Running hose to use waste water for lawn and plants.

I can share other pictures and see what else I have. Just pm me

6 cinder blocks with plywood base--painted to protect from water
2 65 gal water containers
1 pump
pvc pipe
RO unit
dos doser (for automatic water changes)

Basic set up
20210813_190859.jpg


20210813_190908.jpg


20210813_190912.jpg
20210813_190919.jpg
20210813_190926.jpg
20210814_223320 - Copy.jpg

Hubby added earthquake bracing and also bracing to keep joints from damage if I tripped on hose...

20210815_212348 - Copy.jpg


bracing
20210815_212950.jpg
20210815_213008.jpg
 

Saltandfresh

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whatever or however you do this, brace to wall for earthquakes!! I'm central Ca
California here too. I've been wanting to brace my two tanks to the wall. Can you please let me know how you did this? I have red sea tanks and the display isn't attached to the stand. So I'm not sure how to go about this.
 

Susan Edwards

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California here too. I've been wanting to brace my two tanks to the wall. Can you please let me know how you did this? I have red sea tanks and the display isn't attached to the stand. So I'm not sure how to go about this.
No idea how to brace a tank. That I have not done and no idea how to do so safely
 

ConectadoNZ

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I'm in process of building mine, or rather, my husband! I googled saltwater mixing station and also did a search here and collected tons of info. You can check the "fantasy" build in the signature to see some pics of what I'm doing. Hubby is making it a lot more elaborate and redundant than I had planned.

In fact, he's doing stuff I've not seen others do, so I'll probably do a thread once it is all done

But here is some super basic starting points. We are tied in to the water heater. Hubby ran copper pipe and added a faucet. He is designing his own shut off's and water sensors that will shut it all down if there is leaks (he is a design engineer) Told him he needs to make an ardurino app for me lol's. Waste water goes out in the pipes for the water heater and heating unit. Running hose to use waste water for lawn and plants.

I can share other pictures and see what else I have. Just pm me

6 cinder blocks with plywood base--painted to protect from water
2 65 gal water containers
1 pump
pvc pipe
RO unit
dos doser (for automatic water changes)

Basic set up
20210813_190859.jpg


20210813_190908.jpg


20210813_190912.jpg
20210813_190919.jpg
20210813_190926.jpg
20210814_223320 - Copy.jpg

Hubby added earthquake bracing and also bracing to keep joints from damage if I tripped on hose...

20210815_212348 - Copy.jpg


bracing
20210815_212950.jpg
20210815_213008.jpg
Would that system and others like that not mix the RO/DI with saltwater even if you do not want because some residual water will be stuck on the pipe?

What are your thoughts after sometime having it?
 

Susan Edwards

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Would that system and others like that not mix the RO/DI with saltwater even if you do not want because some residual water will be stuck on the pipe?

What are your thoughts after sometime having it?
No it doesn't mix the 2 at all. I suppose there could be a small amt of water left in the pipes, but that amt isn't going to affect the rodi. Way too diluted. I have a separate outlet for the rodi and one for the salt. If I pump the rodi to the salt, it would wash it all back anyway. But there is no leakage between them. And as I don't use the rodi for drinking or cooking, it matters little if a teeny bit of salt water mixes in. Everytime I fill, it would be so diluted.

I love the set up compared to having 2 brute cans. So far I haven't done any water changes. Will be setting up the awc within a month or so. Right now the salt tank is just water. Only had salt in it for the initial fill.

My husband is finishing up his tweaks on the ardurino power center-don't know what to call it lols. It shuts everything off if water on the floor, alarms when tanks are full etc. Redundancy up redundancy lol's. He's an engineer. What can I say!

I also have 2 20g brutes. One for my ato and one with salt water for the awc or if I need a bit of saltwater. Too leery to use those 60g's in case something goes wrong! So for daily water draws, the 20g's work. Need to have hubby calculate how much water could be added to my sump before if overflows.

Here are some pics of stuff added. Once he's satisfied with it, I'll have him write it up for me and I'll post the whole process. He'd prob. share his files too

20220201_093424.jpg

The "box" Light on says saltwater tank is full
20220109_205948.jpg

The 2 optical eyes on salt tank
20220109_205956.jpg

connections
20220109_210012.jpg

connections
20220109_210022.jpg

box
20220109_210037.jpg

potted connections
20220109_210052.jpg
20220109_210122.jpg

Awc brute and ato brute
20220201_093436.jpg


the apex DOS and ato and all lines/cables run thru pvc to box
20220201_093440.jpg

into laundry room then into my office where tank is
20220201_093449.jpg


close up of optical eyes

20220109_210136.jpg
 

Woodyman

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If I read this correctly you are feeding your RO system with hot water? Or do you just mean you added the feed for the RO to the hot water feed meaning cold water?
 

YOYOYOReefer

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mine is so much simpler, 2 containers one is RO/DI one is Saltwater, 4 cheap submersible, no intricate plumbing and a dj power strip to run each pump when its needed.

my ato ro/di topoff , and saltwater topoff both pull from the ro/di tank via ro/di tubing and litermeter pumps.
 

ConectadoNZ

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No it doesn't mix the 2 at all. I suppose there could be a small amt of water left in the pipes, but that amt isn't going to affect the rodi. Way too diluted. I have a separate outlet for the rodi and one for the salt. If I pump the rodi to the salt, it would wash it all back anyway. But there is no leakage between them. And as I don't use the rodi for drinking or cooking, it matters little if a teeny bit of salt water mixes in. Everytime I fill, it would be so diluted.

I love the set up compared to having 2 brute cans. So far I haven't done any water changes. Will be setting up the awc within a month or so. Right now the salt tank is just water. Only had salt in it for the initial fill.

My husband is finishing up his tweaks on the ardurino power center-don't know what to call it lols. It shuts everything off if water on the floor, alarms when tanks are full etc. Redundancy up redundancy lol's. He's an engineer. What can I say!

I also have 2 20g brutes. One for my ato and one with salt water for the awc or if I need a bit of saltwater. Too leery to use those 60g's in case something goes wrong! So for daily water draws, the 20g's work. Need to have hubby calculate how much water could be added to my sump before if overflows.

Here are some pics of stuff added. Once he's satisfied with it, I'll have him write it up for me and I'll post the whole process. He'd prob. share his files too

20220201_093424.jpg

The "box" Light on says saltwater tank is full
20220109_205948.jpg

The 2 optical eyes on salt tank
20220109_205956.jpg

connections
20220109_210012.jpg

connections
20220109_210022.jpg

box
20220109_210037.jpg

potted connections
20220109_210052.jpg
20220109_210122.jpg

Awc brute and ato brute
20220201_093436.jpg


the apex DOS and ato and all lines/cables run thru pvc to box
20220201_093440.jpg

into laundry room then into my office where tank is
20220201_093449.jpg


close up of optical eyes

20220109_210136.jpg
When you first add RO into the bin would you have any floating valve or just the optical eyes?
 

Susan Edwards

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If I read this correctly you are feeding your RO system with hot water? Or do you just mean you added the feed for the RO to the hot water feed meaning cold water?
If you look at the picture with the DOS where the 2 yellow lines go down, you can see the faucet my husband added so we pull cold water before it goes to the water heater. He added the copper pipe and welded the plumbing so we had that water source. So cold water.
 

Susan Edwards

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mine is so much simpler, 2 containers one is RO/DI one is Saltwater, 4 cheap submersible, no intricate plumbing and a dj power strip to run each pump when its needed.

my ato ro/di topoff , and saltwater topoff both pull from the ro/di tank via ro/di tubing and litermeter pumps.
I had that for years in the kitchen. That was fine for a 125g tank. But my new tank is 240g and I needed much larger containers. Plus it is now all in the garage, not kitchen. No more kitchen floor floods lol's
 

Susan Edwards

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When you first add RO into the bin would you have any floating valve or just the optical eyes?
when adding water into the rodi 60g container, it just has the optical eye. There is also an overflow line that takes water thru a line, down the condensation pvc pipe for the ac/heat unit and water heater and out thru the wall to out front on other side of garage wall. The RODI waste line also goes into this pvc pipe. I hooked up a hose to that outlet and water the plants in the front yard with it. No waste. If the salt water gets over full, it triggers a shut off.
 

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