Auto Mix 2 water sources

[wicked1]

Hi, Ive got a question that is actually about a freshwater aquarium Ive got, but everyone here has helped a great deal w/ my saltwater projects, so maybe I can get some help w/ this too.

I am setting up a continuous drip water change system. I will be dripping about 15 gallons a day into my 200 gallon aquarium, and continuously draining it into my yard.

My issue is that I would like to mix two water sources before dripping into the tank. I mix 50/50 ro/tap to get the PH and KH I need.

I need some advice on how to automatically mix these two sources. I'm afraid that regardless of the flow, the pressure might be greater on one of the lines (probably the filtered tap water) and that would either stop the RO, or mix in much less of the RO water. I dont want to run two seperate water lines to the aquarium (new wood floors.. want to drill as few holes as possible!!)
My solution is this..

RO -- Pressure Regulator -- Valve \
................................................Tee - tube- Final valve (to set drip rate) -aquarium
Tap--Pressure Regulator -- Valve/

Does that look like it will work? Are the pressure regulators even necessary?

Thanks

[RandyStacyE]

How about something like this?
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l111/randystacye/ro-tapwaterdrip.gif

[RandyStacyE]

The drip rate can be controlled by different types of hardware:
http://www.aquaticeco.com//images/items/42115_rgb.jpg

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8330/cid/2021

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8326/cid/2053

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8333/cid/2064

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8328/cid/2108

[Fluxion]

How about having two reservoirs, one for tap and one for RO water. Both fed through a float valve. Then use a three channel peristaltic pump to pull water from each reservoir and drip it into your tank with two channels and use one channel to remove the same amount from your tank.

Here's what I would use:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AQ4551

I used use one to pull from my water change reservoir and Sump at the same time with the one from the sump going down the drain and the one from the reservoir going back into my refugium. Worked great but Now I live in an apartment and can't do that.:mad:

[Simms142]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8444788#post8444788 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RandyStacyE
How about something like this?
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l111/randystacye/ro-tapwaterdrip.gif :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[ppurcell]

Fluxion, I don't follow the logic. Pump out saltwater, pump in RODI water. How do you account for the lost salinity?

[cloudancer]

I believe he said it was for a freshwater tank ;).

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8447839#post8447839 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ppurcell
Fluxion, I don't follow the logic. Pump out saltwater, pump in RODI water. How do you account for the lost salinity?

[Zestay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8444515#post8444515 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wicked1
Hi, Ive got a question that is actually about a freshwater aquarium Ive got
Thanks

[ppurcell]

Ah, that'll teach me not to read the whole thread...

[wicked1]

I was hoping to run only one tube up to the aquarium from the basement, because I’ve got new floors. I can't go through the walls, because it’s on a foundation wall, and the way the joists are running, I can't get inside this wall from the basement. The drain will run out the wall to my yard.
However, the ease of setting up that system w/ simply dripping the two water sources into a reservoir and that into the sump may make it worth it. (To me.. but not to the wife :) Why not put another 1/4" hole in my wood floors, right? :)
The other issue is that the reservoir would drip into the sump, as I don’t want a bunch of crud on top of the aquarium. The drain is also in the sump. Maybe I could run the exit from the mixing container directly to the inlet for one of my return pumps.
I dont want the clean water to bypass the aquarium and go directly down the drain.

Thanks for your help. Sorry about the confusion of the freshwater question. It seems the freshwater people are a little less creative/DIY than the reefers! (at least in the forums I read)

[ppurcell]

I think the design proposed by RandyStacyE with a couple of modifications should work.

1. Mix RODI/Tap in a single reservoir, you have to figure out how to get the proportion you want, but the valves above look like they should work.
2. Install a float switch on the water level which will drop due to water loss or evaporation. Preferably in the sump. The switch wires will have to run to the basement too. If the switch is to be submerged, then you will want it to be DC and you will need a relay to control the AC supply to the pump. Premium Aquatics has an inexpensive kit ($30) to do just that.
3. When water drops to a set level the float switch will activate a pump which pushes the water from your mix container up to your display (at a rate which your overflow can handle and balance) until the water level in the sump rises and shuts off the pump.
4. You need to define the means to eject the 15 gallons per day from your sump. Drip siphon, timed pump, continuous pump, overflow, surge device or whatever.

[jgoodrich71]

ppurcell, I think you need to reread the post again. It is a continuous drip water change. The idea is to always have water coming into the system at the same time it is leaving it. In other words, you are always doing a water change (very popular with the discus folks).

[ppurcell]

jgoodrich, I see the problem. My solution reacts to water loss rather than preemptively adding water so that it will overflow.

There appear to be potentially incompatible requirements. The issue I see is that there is a requirement to "not have a bunch of crud" on top of the aquarium and a desire to limit the potential for the 'new' water to get immediately drained with the old water. I suppose it would be possible to install a small reservoir above the display in the canopy if there is one and do a drip into the display or possibly with a hang on type device if there is no canopy. It wouldn't be too difficult to rig an inverted U shaped PVC (or other container) where the external side is higher than the internal side and have it drain into the tank; this could probably be done in a way that is not too noticable.

You could still use the rest of the suggestion I made before, but care will have to be taken to not overrun the makeup water overflow device. And you will need to find a steady means of pushing the water from the mixing reservoir up to the overflow reservoir. A peristaltic pump might work, but I do not know if they typically will be able to push/lift over that great of a height differential.

[Donw]

You can do it easily. Its not a good idea to continously drip a rodi and water pressure for the tap will be a issue.
I'd use.
2 rubermaid trash cans w/ kent float valves
1 cheap single channel peri pump
2 solenoid valves
1 timer
1 dpdt relay

Connect one can to the rodi and the other to the tap, the valves will keep them full.
Connect the peri pump to a "t" fitting, One leg to the tap can one to the rodi can.
Put a solenoid valve on either leg of the "t"
Connect the solenoids to the dpdt relay.
Connect the relay to a timer that cycles on/off every 10 minutes.

Each time the timer cycles the relay will open the oposite solenoid go back and fourth ever ten minutes, or what ever time you set.
No pressure problems and no counting the drips.

Don

[ppurcell]

Don, if the cans are in the basement and the tank is on the first level of the house, will any old peristoltic pump be able to lift/push the water up to the tank?

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8460798#post8460798 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ppurcell
Don, if the cans are in the basement and the tank is on the first level of the house, will any old peristoltic pump be able to lift/push the water up to the tank?

I would guess so. I use a little kangaroo 324 it goes up 8ft over 20 and back down to my sump. Doses 2mlh and is still very accurate at that distance.

Don