Water changing station

[theyangman]

Farm supply stores normally have them. I know that Kent Farms has them where I am. I have yet to buy one though.

As for my water changes, I have a manifold on my return pump that I open and poor directly into a 5 gal pail, then put my fresh mixed water on a chair and siphon it into the sumps first chamber to mix well as it flows through the sump before hitting the display, also, it is so deep that it does not disturb the detritus.

I do 5 gal twice a week on my 120.  :? Should be doing more I think. Maybe when I get a new station set up. Damn summer projects are falling behind already.

I think I might go with a simple mixing station for my RODI water in one tank, and a pre mixed saltwater in the other. This way I can have a constant supply not only for water changes, but for the upcoming ATO system that I will implement next. I might sacrifice my idea of hard plumbing the salt water tank directly to the sump, as I have no way to hide the tube that would have to run along either the baseboard of one of the walls of the living room. I could simply have a fitting on the tank and then run some hose from the laundry room to the sump and then roll it all back up when I am done. It is only about 25 feet if I go around the walls, and it is on the same level so no worries about having to pump the water up from a basement or something.

I would still use my python to drain the sump, and then run the hose from my steady salt water reservoir tank to fill it back up. I am gunning for a 15 minute water change every week of about 25 - 30gallons. Roughly 10% of my total water volume in the system.

Kent farm supply you say? Their website is terribly designed and only seems to showcase large items. Got any idea Torx on the cost of the tanks?

 

[Salty Cracker]

Those tanks are AWESOME.

 

[theyangman]

I want two of them. lol.

The guy who the photo belongs too has his system to change about 7 gallons of water every day into his 375 gallon reef tank. But its not even 7 gallons all at once, it is broken down into 150 intervals every 24 hours. So it is almost completely automated.

This would be ideal for someone who has an empty room behind their tank to have the plumbing minimized, but I will take as many ideas as I can and apply them to my current home. I hope I don't move soon....

 

[AdamS]

What is the Approx cost on those? I use the BRUTE garbage cans which ARE NSF Food safe, but some people still do not trust them.  I have done a few tests but nothing scientific, I really should try.

Here is my setup
http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?topic=3835.0

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Go to TSC.  But there gonna be over 200 bucks.  Can yu take em back after 14 days if yu full it and test it?

 

[Big_Als_London]

Tony if you want I can find out where we got our 55 gallon drums.  I think they were around $100

 

[Reef Hero]

If you want square, why dont you build a 50g tank or larger out of acrylic or glass.....
Also keep in mind that the more you automate your system, the more you are at risk for failure.....and these could be failures that result in a major crash.....having 50g or more of rodi for ato and also 50g of nws on hand directly connected to tank and setup to automate by itself can be risky imo.....just letting you know as i have had automated failures before....sometimes easier and quicker is not always better imo

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

If you want square, why dont you build a 50g tank or larger out of acrylic or glass.....
Also keep in mind that the more you automate your system, the more you are at risk for failure.....and these could be failures that result in a major crash.....having 50g or more of rodi for ato and also 50g of nws on hand directly connected to tank and setup to automate by itself can be risky imo.....just letting you know as i have had automated failures before....sometimes easier and quicker is not always better imo

true. I do have a apex ad i only use a 5 gallons for ato.  My sump will hold it all even if my return pump quit  so theres no water on floor if the return pump quits amd the ato fulls up the sump

 

[Salty Cracker]

What is the Approx cost on those? I use the BRUTE garbage cans which ARE NSF Food safe, but some people still do not trust them.  I have done a few tests but nothing scientific, I really should try.

Here is my setup
http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?topic=3835.0

There have been arguments galore on the brute cans.  I know I tested phosphates off the charts off a blue brute carry tub, so I know I wouldn't trust them. 

Aaron let us know if you have a line on more of those drums.  I never had room for one before, but now...

 

[AdamS]

I will test phosphates and tds from the brute tonight.

But now that I run GFO, phosphates will be removed  thats right, i got the gfo going!

 

[Poseidon]

Here what I have going

Ro lines running to both

And then another ro line to a reservoir in my sump with 2 float valves for ato...

No work, no hassle, like I said in my post above, 25min max to do a 40g water change, and most of that is waiting for water to pump...

 

[theyangman]

Still trying to track one of these bins down...

 

[theyangman]

Still trying to track one of these bins down...

 

[Big_Als_London]

Tony, try Windsor factory supply here in London.

 

[Big_Als_London]

Tony, try Windsor factory supply here in London.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Hey poseidon....Just a thought here.

When you start up an RO/DI system, it runs high TDS for the first few minutes.  If you are using it for a straight top-up, where it runs really short periods over and over, you may be introducing things into your tank you might not want.  I mean, it's better to let the big barrel run down, then start it manually (with a float valve shut off), so that it runs a longer period at 0TDS instead of little by little with that burst of high TDS. 

I do the backwash thing and still I find the first bit of water from the RO/DI is like 50TDS for 20 seconds or so.  Not sure why but I've heard that's pretty common. 

 

[Salty Cracker]

Hey poseidon....Just a thought here.

When you start up an RO/DI system, it runs high TDS for the first few minutes.  If you are using it for a straight top-up, where it runs really short periods over and over, you may be introducing things into your tank you might not want.  I mean, it's better to let the big barrel run down, then start it manually (with a float valve shut off), so that it runs a longer period at 0TDS instead of little by little with that burst of high TDS. 

I do the backwash thing and still I find the first bit of water from the RO/DI is like 50TDS for 20 seconds or so.  Not sure why but I've heard that's pretty common. 

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Hey poseidon....Just a thought here.

When you start up an RO/DI system, it runs high TDS for the first few minutes.  If you are using it for a straight top-up, where it runs really short periods over and over, you may be introducing things into your tank you might not want.  I mean, it's better to let the big barrel run down, then start it manually (with a float valve shut off), so that it runs a longer period at 0TDS instead of little by little with that burst of high TDS. 

I do the backwash thing and still I find the first bit of water from the RO/DI is like 50TDS for 20 seconds or so.  Not sure why but I've heard that's pretty common.

i know when i start my rodi up it is high for the first minute. I watch the digital rodi then when it reads 0. I wait another minute. Of running at 0 then throw the line into the jugs

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Hey poseidon....Just a thought here.

When you start up an RO/DI system, it runs high TDS for the first few minutes.  If you are using it for a straight top-up, where it runs really short periods over and over, you may be introducing things into your tank you might not want.  I mean, it's better to let the big barrel run down, then start it manually (with a float valve shut off), so that it runs a longer period at 0TDS instead of little by little with that burst of high TDS. 

I do the backwash thing and still I find the first bit of water from the RO/DI is like 50TDS for 20 seconds or so.  Not sure why but I've heard that's pretty common.

i know when i start my rodi up it is high for the first minute. I watch the digital rodi then when it reads 0. I wait another minute. Of running at 0 then throw the line into the jugs

 

[Salty Cracker]

[quote author=Salty Cracker link=topic=5535.msg53454#msg53454 date=1370966839]
Hey poseidon....Just a thought here.

When you start up an RO/DI system, it runs high TDS for the first few minutes.  If you are using it for a straight top-up, where it runs really short periods over and over, you may be introducing things into your tank you might not want.  I mean, it's better to let the big barrel run down, then start it manually (with a float valve shut off), so that it runs a longer period at 0TDS instead of little by little with that burst of high TDS. 

I do the backwash thing and still I find the first bit of water from the RO/DI is like 50TDS for 20 seconds or so.  Not sure why but I've heard that's pretty common.

i know when i start my rodi up it is high for the first minute. I watch the digital rodi then when it reads 0. I wait another minute. Of running at 0 then throw the line into the jugs
[/quote]

I do too, it's always high, not sure if the resin releases crap or what.  I watch the inline meter until it's 0 too.