Englishrebel's 260 Gallon System Build

[Chrisrush]

You sure you want the top tank to be saltwater and the bottom to be fresh (ro/di) water? If you reverse it, you can use gravity to feed the fresh water into the saltwater tub to make for quick water changes.

[wmilas]

Good point. The gravity feed is key. You can gravity feed MUCH faster than a large pump can pump. I gravity feed 65 gallons to my mix tank in under 30 seconds. Its a HUGE time saver.

[EnglishRebel]

Originally posted by wmilas
I post 1024x whatever, as long as the largest long size is 1024.

Thanks I will do that from here on.

[EnglishRebel]

Originally posted by Chrisrush
You sure you want the top tank to be saltwater and the bottom to be fresh (ro/di) water? If you reverse it, you can use gravity to feed the fresh water into the saltwater tub to make for quick water changes.

Chris
Yes I do and the reason is that these tanks have a 5" diameter access cap. If I used the bottom tank I only have about 10" from the fill neck to the bottom of the upper tank which is not enough room to get the salt in. With my setup I can use my 2 step stool and easily load salt in the upper tank fill port.

[EnglishRebel]

Originally posted by wmilas
Good point. The gravity feed is key. You can gravity feed MUCH faster than a large pump can pump. I gravity feed 65 gallons to my mix tank in under 30 seconds. Its a HUGE time saver.

Wilnas
I just finished plumbing the pumps and tested. The RO/DI pump pushed 5 gallons into the upper tank in about a minute. So 40 gallons will take about 8 minutes. Don't forget that I'm retired and have all the time in the world and the mechanical side of reef keeping really interests me. I love messing about with pumps and valves.
Also, you have those open top tanks so it's easier for you to get salt in. I wanted closed top for strength (the USPlastic Tamco ones need top bracing according to their web site), and to keep junk out.

[nmbeg]

dang! you've thought of everything. we thought we had caught a mistake, but we were all wrong!

of course, you could build a funnel type contraption that would hang on the side of the tanks and allow you to pour salt into the funnel and it would slide down a series of chutes into the bottom tank.

[EnglishRebel]

Originally posted by nmbeg
dang! you've thought of everything. we thought we had caught a mistake, but we were all wrong!

of course, you could build a funnel type contraption that would hang on the side of the tanks and allow you to pour salt into the funnel and it would slide down a series of chutes into the bottom tank.

I thought about that but if you read my reply to Wilmas the thought of buying, plumbing, wiring, and playing with another pump was making me drool

[wmilas]

My tanks do bulge a little bit I admit. But I get a woodie every time I dump 65 gallons in like 10 seconds

[EnglishRebel]

That must be a rush

[Chrisrush]

Originally posted by EnglishRebel
Chris
Yes I do and the reason is that these tanks have a 5" diameter access cap. If I used the bottom tank I only have about 10" from the fill neck to the bottom of the upper tank which is not enough room to get the salt in. With my setup I can use my 2 step stool and easily load salt in the upper tank fill port.

Good point. The only thing I would try to avoid would be lifting 50 lbs of salt above my head. As nmbeg suggested, I'd try and devise a way to put a funnel on the bottom tank and dump the salt in that way.

It's a moot point now that you have it all plumbed, but worth re-iterating to those following along.

Please, proceed with your build.

[EnglishRebel]

That's a good point. Maybe I could build an automated salt bucket dump system.
Seriously you make a good point. I do have the two stepper that will take me up where the top of the tank is at waist height. I do need a funnel though as it will be difficult to pour salt from a 5 gallon bucket into a 5" diameter hole, hmm, more thought needed -- anyone got any?

[EnglishRebel]

Part 10
More Plumbing (don’t you just LOVE plumbing).



Here I have started to plumb the RO/DI and saltwater circulation and transfer pumps. I’m still waiting on bulkheads but the idea is that QuietOne 1200 will transfer RO/Di water from the bottom tank to the top saltwater mix and storage tank. The reason I didn’t put the RO/DI tank on the top and use gravity to transfer water was that it’s easier to pour buckets of salt into the 5� diameter opening if there is no obstruction above (I like to make life easy particularly at my age)

The QuietOne 3000 pump will draw water from the top saltwater tank and either return it to the tank to provide circulation for mixing purposes or transfer the mixed saltwater to the sump during water changes.
In the above shot you can see the two ball valves that control where the 3000 pump sends the water. To the right it goes back to the tank and to the left it goes to the sump.

The water from the RO/DI unit will be diverted to either the aforementioned RO/DI storage tank, or to the auto top off tank. Here are the John Guest valves that control that.




This is the auto top off tank. It’s a rectangular 16 gallon and it sits on a shelf above where the sump will go so a gravity drain to a float switch avoids any pumps. Now I will not leave the RO/Di unit hooked up to this tank, I will top it up by opening the supply valve as needed. The insulated duct above is the fresh air intake to the Heat Recovery Unit.



I wired each of these switches to the receptacle in the next shot so I can control each pump. It's the same receptacle for both pumps but I cut the brass bridge between the two receptacles on the hot side so they are essentially separately fed (the neutral bridge remains intact as it's a common).



Sorry about the small photo -- I'm still learning how to resize in PhotoBucket.

That’s all for now folks. We’re catching up to where I am in the build so stay tuned for the next episode.

[WaterKeeper]

Go back to the small ones Alan. The photo's that are wider than the screen make it difficult to read the text in a post. We are getting so many posts like that that I true off the images when checking threads. Actually, it was only the pic of the line to the topoff tank that gave me a problem.

[nmbeg]

question: how does the gravity system for the ato work? how do you stop gravity by a float switch?

[nmbeg]

Originally posted by WaterKeeper
Go back to the small ones Alan. The photo's that are wider than the screen make it difficult to read the text in a post. We are getting so many posts like that that I true off the images when checking threads. Actually, it was only the pic of the line to the topoff tank that gave me a problem.

resze to 800x600. that keeps the people on little laptops happy and those of us with large screens still dont have to squint.

[GlassReef]

You've made tremendous progress, Alan. Some really great work there. I'm lovin' the wet wall. Can't wait to see all the good stuff installed on it.

[EnglishRebel]

WK
Sorry about that. I posted on RC and was advised to go with 1024x768. I will make sure the next batch is 800x600. I guess I went from one end of the spectrum to the other (and you understand spectrums don't you).
Tom
Thanks for the congrats.
nmbeg It's hooked up to a Kent float switch. You'll see that in Part 11. Thanks for the advice on picture size.

[GlassReef]

BTW - what are you using for your labeling- especially the black numbers, with transparent background, on the water tanks.

Thanks

[EnglishRebel]

Part 11
More Plumbing (does it ever end )

I am starting to install the QT tank and its associated equipment. I purchased a Pentair UV sterilizer.



A Fluval canister filter.



And a QuiteOne 1200 pump to circulate the water through the sterilizer and to provide additional circulation in the tank. The tank is acrylic and measures 24� long x 18� wide x 18� deep. It was made for me by Frank Wilson who owns Reef Concepts. Franks been making skimmers and calcium reactors for years. Here I have made a temporary set up to determine where everything goes.



After I was satisfied everything was okay I dismantled everything and painted the bottom, rear and sides with blue Krylon Fusion.



I ordered a Finnex 300 watt heater and controller Finnex Heater but that hasn't arrived yet. The water is in and circulating and apart from a small drip from the front O ring on the pump, everything is water tight. I’ve taken the front off that pump about half a dozen times and checked the O ring but it looks okay and it still leaks.
There is a certain amount of movement (very small) in the front plastic housing that the hose barb screws into (which has the aforementioned O ring) and if I put a little downwards pressure on the connection, the drip stops.
Anyone got any ideas. The other 1200 RO transfer pump and the 3000 do not leak so maybe I have a defective O ring.
In this last shot you can see the drain piping under the shelf. When the QT tank is not being used I can dump up to 20 gallons into it from a valved connection on the main tank gravity return when doing a water change. I will add some graduation marks on the front of the tank so I can see how much water I am changing. that main tank gravity return piping will be done later.

Next time I start work on the sump and associated piping, so it’s (guess what) MORE PLUMBING.

[EnglishRebel]

Originally posted by GlassReef
BTW - what are you using for your labeling- especially the black numbers, with transparent background, on the water tanks.

Thanks

I have a Brother Ptouch labeler. Here's their latest model (mine's about ten years old). Brother Ptouch It's a good deal at around $30. If you get one make sure you get one with a transformer as mine uses 6 AA batteries You can get one from Office Depot or Staples.

[wmilas]

The water is in and circulating and apart from a small drip from the front O ring on the pump, everything is water tight. I’ve taken the front off that pump about half a dozen times and checked the O ring but it looks okay and it still leaks.
There is a certain amount of movement (very small) in the front plastic housing that the hose barb screws into (which has the aforementioned O ring) and if I put a little downwards pressure on the connection, the drip stops.
Anyone got any ideas. The other 1200 RO transfer pump and the 3000 do not leak so maybe I have a defective O ring.

My only advice when everything else fails: Silicone. It sounds stupid but the stuff has been a life saver for me. It goes on easy and you can break the seal if you need to. Lots of people tell you you don't need it and something else is wrong. they are right. However after having done everything and am at my witts end I give up and use the silicone

[WaterKeeper]

That might work milas but many times a leaking gasket is because the it is over tightened. Alan try just snugging it up and then give just one extra twist.

[EnglishRebel]

WK
It's not a screw fit (the leak is not in the hose barb fitting). On this pump there is a plastic "spool" that has an O ring in a groove around the perimeter. This spool locks into the impeller chamber by engaging three tabs into slotted openings. You make a quarter turn and it locks into place. The leak is coming around the circumference between the O ring and the pump body.
The strange thing is that my heater came yesterday and I installed it. This morning the tank is at 81 degrees and guess what -- the leak has stopped.
Now if the expansion of the O ring with the temperature has fixed the problem then OK, but the pump is designed for fresh as well as saltwater applications, so it shouldn't leak (and my other 1200 isn't leaking and it's on cold water).
I think I'll email the manufacturer.

[EnglishRebel]

Originally posted by wmilas
My only advice when everything else fails: Silicone. It sounds stupid but the stuff has been a life saver for me. It goes on easy and you can break the seal if you need to. Lots of people tell you you don't need it and something else is wrong. they are right. However after having done everything and am at my witts end I give up and use the silicone

I think I read in your thread about the battle with leaks after using Teflon tape. So far all of my Teflon tape joints are not leaking but is saltwater more "leakable" (if that's the word). In other words will saltwater be more prone to leaking that tap water?
I still have to get some silicone as all the ones I see in Lowes have an anti mold agent which is not good. Where did you get yours?
Thanks and your project is coming along fine.

[WaterKeeper]

Alan, SW is somewhat self sealing if there is a leak. Salt crystals tend the form in the leak area and slowly stem the leak if it is just a drip.