Water Storage and mixing solutions

[super stooge]

hello again.

So after spending some time at the hardware store ive come up with a few ideas on how to set up my storage tanks at my mixing station. Id like your opinions on each design and some input as to whether you can see any possible problems

So here we go,
Option 1:


a 25 gallon drum seated next to 50 gallon drum connected by a pipe. Here is a simple chart of diagrams to help illustrate how the system would work.



The RO DI unit will empty into the 25 gallon fresh water reservoir. As it fills to the connecting pipe the water level will stop rising in the 25 gallon drum as the water runs through the pipe and begins to fill the 50 gallon drum. As the water level reaches 3/4 up the 50 gallon drum a float switch will be tripped turning off the RO DI unit. I can then add salt to the 50 gallon drum and pump it directly to my tank as part of a water change.

Option 2:

two 50 gallon drums, one situated above the other ontop of a bench linked by a pipe and valve.



RO DI empties into the higher container until a float switch at the top of the container turns it off. when i want to do a water change, the valve is opened emptying the first container into the second 50 gallon drum via gravity. The valve is closed and Salt is mixed in the second container as the first container begins to fill with fresh Ro Di water again.

This 3rd idea came after the other two and is a slight modification to option 1
Option 3:



a 25 gallon container raised slightly higher than a 50 gallon container with a connecting pipe. This design has the advantage over option that if the float switch fails and the second container overflows, the water will overflow from the top of the container and onto the floor without reaching up the connecting pipe and contaminating the freshwater reservoir with salt.

At this stage im leaning fairly heavily towards option 3 since it keeps the two bodies of water separate in case of failure and also keeps everything low enough to the ground making everything easy to work on.

So let me know what you guys think. any opinions/flaws/improvements anybody could offer would be greatly appreciated

[crazyyz250er]

I like option 2

[pmrossetti1]

3, safer

[moondoggy4]

I use more saltwater than freshwater so I like the option to make the saltwater and then make some RO water. So I like option 2

[HeavyWater]

I set up a salt water mixing station a couple of months ago and it has been a great time saver!

Here is what I did: I bought 2 55 gallon rain barrels and used the first for fresh water (for top off) and the second for salt. The RODI is mounted above the fresh water barrel and is controlled by a float valve that will shut off the unit when the barrel is full. I then installed a bulkhead in each of the barrels:

http://s805.photobucket.com/albums/y...t=DSC01440.jpg



I wanted to be able to easily get fresh and salt water from the barrels for top off and water changes, so I built a stand to elevate the barrels 20" off the floor (this way you can easily put a bucket underneath to pour out the water).





I then installed 4 gate valves and a mag 5 pump to circulate the salt water for mixing.





Here is the finished product:

[Orcrone]

First of all I love your diagrams.

Personally I'm not fond of options 1 and 3. I don't like the idea of not being able to transfer RO to the saltwater mixing station unless the RO container is full. There may be some unexpected emergency where you need to mix it up as quick as possible.

Here's an old pic of my mixing station. The top container contains fresh water, and the bottom two contain saltwater. I now have PVC pipe, controlled by valves going from the upper container into the two lower containers as well as a separate hose for filling a small portable contaner with RO. The valves on the mixing station allow me to circulate water in either container or transfer from one to the other. Plus I can connect a vinyl hose (remember your other thread) to the center portion and pump it to the DT.

What I generally do is pump from the container on the right to the DT. I then refill the container on the right with permixed saltwater from the left container. Finally I add more RO to the left container, add salt, adjust the salinity and let it sit there until I need to refill the right container. In this way the right container always contains premixed, aerated saltwater at the proper salinity.

[HeavyWater]

Nice looking setup!

[slief]

Definately 2 but I am not keen on that either. You will want to have a mixing pump on the salt holding tank so that when you add salt, you can mix it properly. As such, you would be just as well served having the pump connected to both tanks so that you can open a valve and pump the RODI water into the salt tank. Then you close a valve or 2 and the pump mixes the salt water. Just like in the pictures posted above.

For reference, here is my setup. The tank on the left is my RODI holding tank and the one on the right is my salt mixing tank. My ATO draws from my RODI holding tank and my automatic water changer draws from the salt water holding tank.

[moondoggy4]

HeavyWater I like your setup but I am a little concerned about the PVC sticking out it could get broken. Wondering if you could put something like golf balls on the top encase it gets broken you could drop the ball in to stop the water.

[super stooge]

Thank you for all of the replies guys. I dont know any reefers around here so its invaluable to me getting to see some of your setups. Thank you kindly gentleman .

I hope you dont mind me using yours as an example slief Just to be sure ive understood the concept behind your systems.

to circulate the water (red circles indicate closed valves, green indicates open):



To transfer water from the RODI reservoir to the saltwater reservoir:



do i have the concept?

Also, could i ask which pumps you guys have running your systems?

[super stooge]

Originally Posted by Orcrone

First of all I love your diagrams.

haha, Microsoft paint is a simple program but it gets the idea across

[Orcrone]

Dean. I believe you got it right with Slief's system. I use a Mag 9.5 to mix the water and pump it to my DT. Additionally I have a powerhead running 24/7 in each saltwater container.

[jscarlata]

i need to setup something like this only smaller, i have 2 brute 32g cans that i will use. do you need special bulkhead fittings etc for use on round bins or do you just get uniseals for the std bulkheads we use on our DT's...

[Orcrone]

Uniseals are made for curved surfaces, not to be used as std. bulkheads, so that is what you want to use.