What Size Powerhead for Brute Can Mixing Station?

[AquaFrenzy]

I'm building a basic salt mixing station, what size powerhead is good to help mix the salt in a full size Brute can?

[heathlindner25]

Bigger the better. I would buy a strong pump that way you can get it out of the brute also. Mag 7

[AquaFrenzy]

I was also thinking just having a spout on it as well, a 90' with a ball valve to drain into a bucket, and eventually re plumbing down the road when I add another brute can and use a pump to recirculate the mixture

[ktownhero]

I've used an MJ1200 but I'd recommend something more powerful. The MJ needs help getting everything dissolved.

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[ReefsandGeeks]

I just have a Sun Sun 800GPH pump hanging in my mixing Brute (44gallon). It works fine, but I'd get the next size up if I were to start over. I just use a drain valve and buckets for actually moving the water. I'd love to have it all plumbed in, but don't have the spare money to spend on it for now. I never use more than 3 or 4 buckets at a time anyways, so not a big deal for me. If I had a 200+ gallon tank, I'd be very inclined to plumb in an external pump that I could use to transfer the saltwater, rather than only mixing.

[TokiHacker]

I just have a Sun Sun 800GPH pump hanging in my mixing Brute (44gallon). It works fine, but I'd get the next size up if I were to start over. I just use a drain valve and buckets for actually moving the water. I'd love to have it all plumbed in, but don't have the spare money to spend on it for now. I never use more than 3 or 4 buckets at a time anyways, so not a big deal for me. If I had a 200+ gallon tank, I'd be very inclined to plumb in an external pump that I could use to transfer the saltwater, rather than only mixing.


That's what I did... a cheap SunSun

[bobt2]

I use an mj1200 in a 30 gallon garbage pail. after mixing I use a 10ft piece of tubing on the output and pump it into the tank

[bblumberg]

I have an old mj1000 to circulate the water and a Mag5 that I plug in when I am dissolving new salt.

[AquaFrenzy]

I just have a Sun Sun 800GPH pump hanging in my mixing Brute (44gallon). It works fine, but I'd get the next size up if I were to start over. I just use a drain valve and buckets for actually moving the water. I'd love to have it all plumbed in, but don't have the spare money to spend on it for now. I never use more than 3 or 4 buckets at a time anyways, so not a big deal for me. If I had a 200+ gallon tank, I'd be very inclined to plumb in an external pump that I could use to transfer the saltwater, rather than only mixing.

Wow those are cheap!! cant see how you can go wrong with one even if it only lasts a couple years.

[homer1475]

A couple old Hydor korallia nanos in my barrels for mixing, then an external pump to pump it into my tank.

[ReefsandGeeks]

Wow those are cheap!! cant see how you can go wrong with one even if it only lasts a couple years.

Exactly. I've had one I use in my display that's been running 24/7, other than an occasional cleaning for about 4 years now and still going strong. They are the only powerheads I've used, so I really can't compare actual flowrates or quality, but so cheap it's hard to argue. They make bigger ones, or I saw one that is basically 4 of these stuck together for like $20. I'd use one of those for mixing if I were buying another. the 800 I have is a bit underpowered for a 44 gallon brute. I hang it by the wire and it sort of moves itself around by itself and keeps the bottom mixed. The bigger ones would be more convenient for mixing time, and can be put on a time to save electricity when used just to keep the saltwater circulated.

[billdogg]

I use a mag18 for mine. (55g barrel) for general circulation/salt mixing I put an old koralia 1500gph power head near the bottom pointed upwards

[hkgar]

I am using a Sicce Syncra 4.0 in a 32 gallon Brute. Does a great job!

I didn't buy it for the job, just had it around. Heck I got 3 or 4 pumps just laying around.

[Treasure Coast]

Sicce 5.0 in 1 can and a Redsea 1800 gallons per hour in the other. In my opinion I would get a bigger pump then the little power heads. Sometimes you can find one in the Amazon Warehouse section fairly cheap.

[BigDave]

I use a Mag9 on my 55 gallon drum. I also use it to pump the water to the tank for water changes.

[cody6766]

I have a 40 gal tank and use a Mag 1 for pumping out and for circulation when I mix the salt into the fresh water. I keep a Koralia K2 in there for water movement between fills/changes. It's worked well for me for several years.

[Rene Obergfell]

Mag 6 would work great

[forddna]

Those of you using pumps rather than powerheads, this might sound stupid, but are you just letting it sit on the bottom and flow wide open, or do you put something on it to spread the flow around??

Also I see a lot of people naming specific pumps and powerheads. Can anyone please tell me what you think a minimum flow rate inside a large Brute can would be, for mixing? I had this same setup several years ago, and for the life of me, I can't remember what I had in mine. :/

[hkgar]

I just set mine in the bottom and let it do whatever it wants. I leave it in about 6 hours to mix and then remove it. I use Red Sea Salt (not coral) and it doesn't need constant stirring. As far as flow - the faster the better to mix quickly and move the water. It is somewhat dependent on the size of the container. Sometimes I mix in a a gallon pitcher and my Sicce would truly be overkill. My brute is a 32 gallon that I fill to 24 gallons.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I've had two different mixing station setups over the years. Both were based on the common Brute cans. First setup had a pump that was external and PVC run back in to the Brute for mixing, with another line T'd off running up to the tank. This way, I could mix, and then just throw the valves and fill the tank.

Current setup is a lot simpler. I have a cheapo ebay Chinese prop-style powerhead sitting loose in the bottom of the Brute. I think it was rated 1800 gph but that seems optimistic. I have a uniseal with 1" PVC near the bottom of the Brute with a valve, so I can fill buckets to carry to the tank. All I have now is a nano, so a bucket is plenty for a water change and I could avoid routing hoses to it.

In terms of minimum flow - I think it really depends on how you have the pump situated. If it's well positioned to optimize the flow and not create dead spots where salt can collect, I'd think 700 or 800 gph would be more than plenty. If you don't want to worry about it and want a quick mix with no chance of salt settling out, I'd aim for twice that. If you're using the same pump to push water a long distance or height to the aquarium, then the head loss of that run of pipe will probably dictate the size of pump.

[ca1ore]

I fail to see why a large mixing pump is needed. I use a tiny powerhead in mine, and shocker, the salt dissolves just fine. I suppose if one wished to accelerate the dissolving process, a bigger pump would help, but I always let NSW 'settle' for a day or two anyhow.

[PanicBuyer]

I use a 800GPH power head, pointed clockwise, located at the base of the brute can. It seems to get enough of a vortex going to mix what settles to the bottom.

[forddna]

I definitely used to use a lot less flow than most of you guys lol

[sfdan]

I use an Eheim 1262 in my mixing station, because that is the same as the return pump in my DT. I always want to have a backup return pump around, just in case, why not also give it some light duty work in the meantime?

[lprettyman]

I use a brute 44g with a bulkhead through the bottom directly in the center, plumbed through the stand I built for them. This is plumbed to a ball valve and gravity fed. Inside of the container I have a Hydor Koralia 565gph powerhead pretty close to the bottom and pointed down to kick up anything that settles. When I get water out of it, the first bucket gets dumped back in so that the water thats been just sitting in the pipes for a week or 2 does not get used. Works perfect and the 565 is cheap and very effective. I can mix an entire container sufficiently in just a couple hours. I usually wait about 4 hours before use though.

[Potatohead]

I always use two powerheads, one pointed towards the four o'clock position and one towards the nine o'clock position. Sometimes I rotate them a bit depending on what time of day it is and whatever barometric pressure is. One powerhead is really big about 400 gph and the other is small about 2500 gph. I always add salt one scoop of salt at a time exactly seven minutes and twelve seconds apart, unless I am using a new salt where I let it go a bit longer. I then let it mix for four hours and sometimes longer depending on the cycle of the moon. I find doing this I get exactly 1.026 every time.

[hkgar]

As long as it works for you! Mine is similar but I have to make a lot at a time as it only seems to work when it is a half moon. Something to do with the indoor tidal cycle.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Something to do with the indoor tidal cycle.

Are you located in the northern hemisphere or southern?

[hkgar]

I always use two powerheads, one pointed towards the four o'clock position and one towards the nine o'clock position. Sometimes I rotate them a bit depending on what time of day it is and whatever barometric pressure is. One powerhead is really big about 400 gph and the other is small about 2500 gph. I always add salt one scoop of salt at a time exactly seven minutes and twelve seconds apart, unless I am using a new salt where I let it go a bit longer. I then let it mix for four hours and sometimes longer depending on the cycle of the moon. I find doing this I get exactly 1.026 every time.

I have found that the 4 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions move depending on where I approach from.

[hkgar]

Are you located in the northern hemisphere or southern?

Neither. I think I am in the western hemisphere, not sure.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Make sure you have left hand threads on your skimmer bearings then.

[Treasure Coast]

I have found that the 4 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions move depending on where I approach from.


I solved that problem with a compass I removed from a old ship that sunk at the equator. .

[der_wille_zur_macht]

No wonder why the poor ship sank, you removed it's compass.

[hkgar]

So this thread has turned into a real stand up routine. Comedy Central is waiting.

[ktownhero]

I use an MJ1200 with the prop and it works great. Also easy to swap to the regular pump housing when done mixing to pump to the tank

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