Show me your auto top off / holding tanks / saltwater mixing systems on large setups

[AquariumObsessed]

Please post any pics of your setup for auto topoff, saltwater mixing tubs, water holding etc on large systems. Please detail how they work and what if anything you would do different if re-designing.

thanks

[AquariumObsessed]

Anyone? I know you guys have sweet setups. I dont care how simple it is as long as it works!

[birdman204]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/38975waterstorage.jpg

This one is at home. I have a 90 there that I change ~ 10 G a week on. The fresh on hand is great for mixing kalk for my top-off reservoir. The pump for mixing my salt is not pictured above, but it rests on the shelf you see next to the tank.
The 300 at work has a fish room, so these tanks are setup in a similar fashion, except right next to the sump. The FW is converted , with another closed loop for mixing, a kalk top off reservoir.
Overall, the total cost for the one in my garage pictured was $250 with pump. The one at work requires an additional pump, as pictured below.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/38975swmixpump.jpg

[waterfaller1]

30 gal WC tank.RO/DI unit hooked directly to tank w/ 1/4" tubing...water enters tank until float valve shuts off.Choice of PH or internal pump for circulation.When ready to change water..turn on internal pump..and valve to enter tank,other valve on rt of manifold takes water from tank to sink.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/waterfaller1/wctank.jpg

manifold

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/waterfaller1/valves.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/waterfaller1/Valves_copy.jpg

[cward]

Here is my simple set up. The 55g drum is attached to my ro/di unit and shuts off with a float valve. I have a Little Giant pump for circulation/mixing, and a drain on the bottom of the drum that drains into the sump. Very simple, and it makes water changes a piece of cake.


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/586/30741Equipment_Room_1-5-05_003.jpg

[AquariumObsessed]

Awesome guys keep em comin!

Cward- Where did you buy the 55 gallon drum?

[cward]

My step dad works for a company that uses them to haul liquids in. I can get them for about $8.00 each. I think if you check around to a Coke or Pepsi plant, you might be able to get some from them. They use them to transport syrup.

[AquariumObsessed]

I was thinking of doing this..

2 x 150 gallon rubbermaid for water changes

2 x 100 gallon for top up and emergency water.

What pump is recomended for mixing saltwater?

[dgasmd]

Here you go:

*Top Off
I have my RO/DI unit plumbed to and split between my 300g storage tank for mixing salt water and the 55g drum for top off. A small valve direct the water to one of the other as needed. I just turn on the RO/DI unit by hand and turn it off when they are full. Try to automate that and you are begging for a flood or disaster at some point. My opinion at least. A litermeter pump takes the water from the 55g drum and pumps it into the kalk reactor, which overflows into the sump. Simple and reliable. It will take 3-4 days to figure out exactly how much to dial the litermeter at, but once done forget it. You could dump the entire 55g into my system and hardly change the salinity. You could dump the 55g of kalk in the system over a day and the alkalinity will increase by 3 dkh at most.

http://www.kpdg.com/alberto/750g%20tank/Top%20off/top-off.jpg

*Water changer
RO/DI unit is plumbed directly to the container. Fill and add 2 buckets of 160g of IO and one single 50g bag of IO and you have 1.026 salinity. I have a little giant 4md taking the water from a bulkhead at the bottom and returning it at the top. To fill the sump for a water change, I disconnect the hose at the top and put it in the sump.

http://www.kpdg.com/alberto/750g%20tank/water%20changer/01.jpg

[easttn]

Not a pic but a schematic. If you need anything answered please don't hesitate to ask. Its actually quite simple.

I left off the saltwater circuit to keep it "simple". Its just a repeat of the DI reservoir with no reactor between it and the sump. It Tees at the input to the RO/DI unit and is controlled by a valve.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/easttn/TopOff.jpg

[orb]

to the top.....there has to be more good ones out there

[birdman204]

Wow, And I thought mine was trick.....
I feel like mine is totally ghetto next to all those.
Thanks for ideas for future tanks people.

[Chihuahua6]

Um thanks but I'm confused. Why is it I can memorize 150 pages a day of physiological psychology (anatomy and physiology of the brain) and I can't figure out how to set up one of these systems? Does anyone have an extremely simple diagram for non-techno chicks like myself? Heck I would hire someone to come over and set one up for me but unfortunately there are no reef clubs in Hilton Head South Carolina. I'm not sure how to automate my top off water. I understand the concept of the float switch and luckily I have a drain in the floor incase of a flood, but hooking one thing up to another confuses me. Anyway hopefully someone will post a step by step detailed explanation for me so I can get the plans underway.

Amanda

[optimus prime]

http://www.alteredbeasts.net/vids/RODIresevoir.jpg

Here is my 220 mixing resevoir. It has a mag 9.5 feeding a UV sterilizer and a mag 12 for mixing/current.

[optimus prime]

The ratchet strap is temp until i can make some brackets:) I have a 1" braided cpvc line with a slip to barb that i run between the sump and the ball valve on the resevoir for water changes...

[orb]

anyone else? keep em comin!

[AquariumObsessed]

Heres the beginning stages of mine:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/aquariumobsessed/100_1785.jpg

[sarduci]

On an unrelated note there AquariumObsessed, when I went to your website and in the forum to check out your controler, this was at the top of your web page:

Defaced By Zulwarn fR0m iLLegaLTeaM [Turkish HackeR]

Yeah, you might want to go fix your web sever......

[sarduci]

But your water topoff is cool, what size RO/DI units are they?

[AquariumObsessed]

100 GPD.

Thanks about the forums. I need the time to get it taken care of.

Will

[asnatlas]

Bump... anyone else ??

Shawn

[Fudge]

Heres my 215g mixing/water change tank.

It uses a sedra 900 for mixing until i need to do a water change, then i just close off a valve and open another to feed to the sump.

The problem i had with this was, to plumb the feed line to the sump i had to bring the plumbing down under a doorway, this ended up leaving me with a line that was always filled with water.

I didnt like that idea of feeding the week old water in the line into the sump everytime i did a water change, so i added a venturi line to the intake of the sedra.

Now, after the waterchange i just open the little blue valve and it sucks all the water out of the line back into the mixing tank.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1557Mixed_equip_221.jpg

Marc.

[moonpod]

For top off relatively simple.

I use a triple redundant solenoid topoff system hooked directly to my RODI.

I am in the process of installing a 50g tank not to far from the tank. I will premix the new water in the tank. I have a drain already installed and I have marked off 50g in the sump. I blow the detritus and stuff around inside the tank, drain to the 50g mark and then add in 50g

[honey]

I like this one for water changes, it was on last month's TOTM:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/totm/index.php

http://www.weatherson.com/images/equipment/704_water_change_system_diagram.jpg

direct link for more pics and details:

http://www.weatherson.com/saltwater_mixing.htm

Honey

[kane4187]

anymore setups?

[LOTUS50GOD]

My iwaki 70 is too much for my tank so I blow off the excess to either the water changer 45 gallon tub or the refrugium.

http://members.cox.net/lotus50god/Images/Reef/Overview.JPG

There is a durso in the 45 gallon tub that keeps the water level.

http://members.cox.net/lotus50god/Images/Reef/Side.JPG

http://members.cox.net/lotus50god/Images/Reef/Sump.JPG

To do a water change I close the ball valve going to the sump, and open the ball valve for the blow off to send the excess to the refrugium instead of the water changer.

I then use a 2md to pump the water from the 45 gallon to a drain in the garage.

Next turn on the RO/ DI unit to fill the 45 gallon, then use the same 2md to mix the salt water in closed loop.

Once the salinity is right.... turn off pump.... insert durso... open ball valve to sump... .close ball valve to redirect excess back to 45 gallon tub.

[Princess Di]

I use four of the blue 55 gallon food grade barrels pictured in cward's post. You can get them at most granges or feed stores. I have two that are hooked up to RO/DI units with float valves. I use the the other two for mixing saltwater and doing water changes.

[Freed]

Where does everyone get their large white containers pictured earlier in the thread? How much do they cost? What sizes are they?

[kane4187]

I would like to know that to.

[ReeferMac]

Wow... I won't post a pic, lest I have to change my username to GhettoMac. :)
I have a DIY Kalk Rxr from 6" PVC and a rubbermaid bucket on the ground I fill up manually every few days. Dosing pump draws water from the rubbermaid and doses the Rxr every 10 minutes.

Freed, et al., I've seen those containers for sale from AquaticEcosystems and USPlastics. Laird plastics might also be able to help, and has a lot of Regional stores in the Eastern US.

- Mac

[Dave]

I got my large containers at Farm and Fleet.
Dave

[Freed]

Dave, what size containers do you have and how much did they cost?

[douglass]

Try www.lss.com I got two 55 gal drums marked in 5gal incriments.

[douglass]

Try item 47871 I got mine for $53.00 each but they have gone up since then.

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6449639#post6449639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by douglass
Try item 47871 I got mine for $53.00 each but they have gone up since then.

Doh, yea, up to $72.00 now...

[Silencer]

Here is mine. I have two 44g Brutes on a platform that sits on an unused bathtub. My RODI is on a small ledge behind them. I have a 1/4" adapter and valve on each lid that is connected to the RODI output so all I have to do is open the valve to fill that container. Easy as can be. The waste water goes to the bathtub and in the lower left I have the RO only output for drinking water containers.

I use these for mixing too and have a 200w heater and a Rio Hyperflow 12hf (750gph) for this purpose. I also use the Hyperflow to transfer water to and from my tank via a 50ft length of 1" spaflex that has the appropriate adapter glued into one end.

I all works quite well so there isn't really anything I would change with it.

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/8951/bathtubrodimixingsetup9vh.th.jpg (http://img305.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bathtubrodimixingsetup9vh.jpg)

[brandonberry]

I bought several 55g drums out in the countryside for $5/each. I've seen quite a few places that sell them. The ones I got were used to store denatured grain alcohol which is sprayed on tobacco. Others have toxic residues in them, so if you buy them, make sure that whatever was in them can be cleaned out thouroughly. My father runs a soft drink business and the drums he gets have an extremely concentrated cleaning agent in them. I would never attempt to use them. 55g drums are much cheaper and stronger than most trash cans.

[Bill Wann]

heres a pic of my ro system and raw ro water holding tank . I use the ro water to was my cars also . I built the ro myself , Has all th fetures I like . The ro syseme makes 3200 gallsom a day at an output of 0.51 TDS .
The holding tank is 300 gallons .http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/wannbill/Picture017.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/wannbill/Picture020.jpg

[Bill Wann]

Here is a pic of my DI system . Its is a recurculating type with an Iwaki rlt 100 pump . It holds 65 gallong I belive , Next to it is my kalkwasser reactor . Its made form a 50 gallon cone bottom tank and has an agitator .http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/wannbill/Picture008.jpg

[ReeferMac]

Well, yeah, sure, if I owned my own lab instrument company, I'd have something more elaborate than a bucket and a P-trap too! :rolleyes:

:eek1: Awesome Bill, just awesome. You're going to turn a lot of folks green w/ those shots.

- Mac

[Bill Wann]

I just havent posted pics of my buckets and p traps yet , Trust me Ive ot them . It all starts out this way .

[ReeferMac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6753256#post6753256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bill Wann
It all starts out this way .

Heheh, ain't that the truth.
Somewhere's back there, there's prolly a goldfish from a carnival that's really to blame. ;)

- Mac

[Mind_nl]

Wow nice setup Bill! 3200 gallons a day RO? Can you send some over my way, I don't want to wait a full week for my RO system to fill up my new tank. lol

[dgasmd]

Bill:

Can you run me through the different stages and features of your RO unit?

[TheCoralNabber]

Dude I'm green with envy with Bill's RO unit, that thing is just NUTS!

Hey Will, what ever happend to your tank? Get too busy?

[dgasmd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6821612#post6821612 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheCoralNabber
Hey Will, what ever happend to your tank? Get too busy?

Will was banned from the site a while back.:eek: :eek:

[TheCoralNabber]

Really.... well that sucks, no wonder he doesn't talk about his tank any more. Thanks man

[cmhollis]

Why was Will banned?

[jnfallon]

Bill Wann has a way of making me feel like i have a really tiny d*ck.

(good thing it's HUUUUGE)

[alien9168]

WOW!
-alien

[DirtySouth056]

any new setups?

[reefsahoy]

here is mine cheap and simple

I used a test tube and a mercury switch tied to a vertical post. This will make it impossible to mechanically fail. then i used a 24 vac transformer to turn on/off sprinkler solenoid to my ro unit. The solenoid is normally closed therefore if power or solenoid fails there will be no water flow to ro unit. when water in sump is low the mercury switch will turn on solenoid to ro unit. Ignore the mechanical sensor that is made by Kent, it is abandoned and I'm lazy to remove it. I tried using that system and didn't like it so I made my own. Note the wall plate in the last picture there is also one at the sump of my tank. that is how the water travels thru the walls and to the sump using the icemaker hose. There is no pumps on my system because i use the water pressure from the city water to the ro unit. So the needed items are
1. a 24vac transformer (home depot sprinkler unit)
2. a sprinkler solenoid ( home depot}
3. necessary amount of icemaker hose (trusty home depot)
4. mercury switch (got from web for 95 cents)
5. thin stranded wire for connections also for leveling sensor(radio shack)
6. some time and solder


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110820DSC00002.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110820DSC00001.JPG


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110820wallplate_to_ro.JPG:eek1: :eek1:

[Hainer]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8027DSCN1494__2_.JPG

[reefkeeper2]

Here's mine. Presently I have it set to change 3 gallons a day. It has a conductivity meter and adjusts the specific gravity as needed. The white container in the background contains the salt.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/3140mini-sump.JPG

[reefinmike]

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j55/reefinmike/DSC00036.jpg here is mine. a little "ghetto" but hey, im 16 and all the crap is hidden. my ro unit is in my furnace room which sends a line out to my sump. a t tees off and sends a line to the sump where i have a float valve and ball valve(dont trust the float valve) the other line goes off to the trash can. i have a hole in the sump about half way down which has a ball valve and drains into my furnace room. a bulkhead with ball valve and line leading to the sump is on the trash can.

[Bebo77]

mmmmmmmmmm code red mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[818]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7481418#post7481418 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
mmmmmmmmmm code red mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

LMAO:lol: