Salinity probe in a vertical 150 gallon mixing tank

muttley000 · 12/30/2017, 02:47 PM

Hoping someone has an idea I can steal! I want to put my apex salinity probe in my salt mixing tank near the bottom, so no matter the level it is submerged. Easy enough I thought, I can just use a strain relief through the tank like a ph probe in a calcium reactor. Then I got to thinking about having to calibrate it and what a PITA that would be if it were near the bottom and the tank was full. So, before I put a bulkhead in the top of my tank and put a PVC section down with a strain relief at the end to hold the probe (apex probe so I need to keep the wire end of it dry) which will not be easy to deal with because the ceiling in the basement is only about a foot above the top of the tank so I can't pull 4 feet of pipe strait out, I'm seeing what ideas the community may have.
Thanks in advance!
Matt

neilp2006 · 12/30/2017, 05:53 PM

Uniseal through side at bottom, with 3/4 pvc pipe (couple inches) and a valve to a 90 pointing up. Put a cap in the 90 with a small uniseal that the probe will fit in (might need to work on this bit). Kinda like the small T fittings your rodi tds sensor fits in.

Edit- thinking about it some more, you’ll probably bust the probe trying to get it in and out of the uniseal. Should have thought it through some more before I made a suggestion.

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muttley000 · 12/31/2017, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilp2006

Uniseal through side at bottom, with 3/4 pvc pipe (couple inches) and a valve to a 90 pointing up. Put a cap in the 90 with a small uniseal that the probe will fit in (might need to work on this bit). Kinda like the small T fittings your rodi tds sensor fits in.

Edit- thinking about it some more, you’ll probably bust the probe trying to get it in and out of the uniseal. Should have thought it through some more before I made a suggestion.

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Actually you may be on to something putting it into a T. I could plumb the T in and out the strain relief fitting on the third hole. I'll digest that and see if I can fit it where I won't break something. Thank you for the suggestion.

neilp2006 · 12/31/2017, 08:26 AM

What is the ‘strain relief fitting’ you refer too? I might find it useful for my own system

Thanks

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Member No. 1 · 12/31/2017, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilp2006

What is the ‘strain relief fitting’ you refer too? I might find it useful for my own system

Thanks

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Water tight probe holder. Most commonly used on the top of a calcium reactor to hold the probe to monitor the pH in the reactor.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/probe-holder.html
This type threads in, you can search for other styles that come with a nut, or have NPT threads ( tapered pipe threads).

neilp2006 · 12/31/2017, 09:59 AM

PERFECT!!!!!

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ca1ore · 01/01/2018, 09:55 AM

Can the probe be oriented horizontally? Not sure, but if so you could just stick it through the probe holder in the side. The other option would be to plumb an external circulating mixing pump and have the probe in the pump circuit.

muttley000 · 01/01/2018, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca1ore

Can the probe be oriented horizontally? Not sure, but if so you could just stick it through the probe holder in the side. The other option would be to plumb an external circulating mixing pump and have the probe in the pump circuit.

I do have an external mixing pump and am looking at adding a tee between the true Union ball valves that isolate the pump and inserting it there.

BigDave · 01/03/2018, 03:56 PM

Mount the probe onto a piece of foam so that it floats on the top of the water column. When you need to calibrate, just pull it up out the top of the tank.

FullBoreReefer · 01/06/2018, 09:10 AM

Don't strictly rely on the correct readings. Use the probe reading to get you close, but you still gotta check with your refractometer. Just my opinion.

slief · 01/07/2018, 11:57 AM

What are you going to do about the temp probe? If your going to monitor the salinity using a the Apex, you will need a temp probe in there for proper temp compensation if you want reasonable accuracy.

muttley000 · 01/21/2018, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slief

What are you going to do about the temp probe? If your going to monitor the salinity using a the Apex, you will need a temp probe in there for proper temp compensation if you want reasonable accuracy.

Hi Scott! Temp probe is in through a bulkhead in the top of the tank, I tie wrapped it to the PVC that directs flow when mixing so it doesn't get banged up. I added a T at the output of the tank and placed the probe in a strain releif fitting at the T. No leaks and worked out well.

Thanks for the help everyone!

12/30/2017, 02:47 PM	#1
muttley000 MTS Sufferer! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,926	Salinity probe in a vertical 150 gallon mixing tank Hoping someone has an idea I can steal! I want to put my apex salinity probe in my salt mixing tank near the bottom, so no matter the level it is submerged. Easy enough I thought, I can just use a strain relief through the tank like a ph probe in a calcium reactor. Then I got to thinking about having to calibrate it and what a PITA that would be if it were near the bottom and the tank was full. So, before I put a bulkhead in the top of my tank and put a PVC section down with a strain relief at the end to hold the probe (apex probe so I need to keep the wire end of it dry) which will not be easy to deal with because the ceiling in the basement is only about a foot above the top of the tank so I can't pull 4 feet of pipe strait out, I'm seeing what ideas the community may have. Thanks in advance! Matt __________________ Next step on the system is adding A 90 gallon! Current Tank Info: 475 multitank system is now running! Several hundred gallons of additions planned!

12/30/2017, 05:53 PM	#2
neilp2006 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 312	Salinity probe in a vertical 150 gallon mixing tank Uniseal through side at bottom, with 3/4 pvc pipe (couple inches) and a valve to a 90 pointing up. Put a cap in the 90 with a small uniseal that the probe will fit in (might need to work on this bit). Kinda like the small T fittings your rodi tds sensor fits in. Edit- thinking about it some more, you’ll probably bust the probe trying to get it in and out of the uniseal. Should have thought it through some more before I made a suggestion. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Last edited by neilp2006; 12/30/2017 at 06:00 PM.

01/01/2018, 09:55 AM	#7
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Can the probe be oriented horizontally? Not sure, but if so you could just stick it through the probe holder in the side. The other option would be to plumb an external circulating mixing pump and have the probe in the pump circuit. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

01/06/2018, 09:10 AM	#10
FullBoreReefer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wooster, OH Posts: 1,862	Don't strictly rely on the correct readings. Use the probe reading to get you close, but you still gotta check with your refractometer. Just my opinion. __________________ 60x36x24 mixed reef. 40b sump. Regal 250int Varios. 4xHydra26HDs+t5s. 4xMp40wes. Apex2016.

01/07/2018, 11:57 AM	#11
slief RC Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 14,173	What are you going to do about the temp probe? If your going to monitor the salinity using a the Apex, you will need a temp probe in there for proper temp compensation if you want reasonable accuracy. __________________ Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745 Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476

12/31/2017, 08:26 AM	#4
neilp2006 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 312	What is the ‘strain relief fitting’ you refer too? I might find it useful for my own system Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12/31/2017, 09:59 AM	#6
neilp2006 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 312	PERFECT!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/03/2018, 03:56 PM	#9
BigDave Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Wylie, TX Posts: 473	Mount the probe onto a piece of foam so that it floats on the top of the water column. When you need to calibrate, just pull it up out the top of the tank.