adding 55 gal barrel for added water stability

[ensano]

Beginner question here. I have a 56 cube that is running a 40 gal sump so I'm estimating my final system will be around the 80 gal mark.

I have a spare 55 gal blue barrel that, if I can confirm is safe to use, I was thinking I'd plumb it up to the system to make a total of 135 gallons. For circulation I was thinking of teeing off my return pump since I have a bit of GPH to spare and pump the water to the bottom of the barrel and drill an overflow from the barrel back to the sump. btw I'm running a basement sump area.

I'm visualizing my system like this. 56 cube DT on first floor. 1"X3 bean drain straight down to sump. reeflow swordtail with 2" intake from sump pumping 1.5" T'd off to the 55 barrel and straight up 8 feet where it's reduced to 1" so I have a smaller hole in floor (4x 1" holes) then reduced further to the 3/4 return drilled in tank. ~4 feet from floor to tank for total of about 12 feet.

I'm estimating my return gph at about 1000 gph for 12 the feet but that's at 1.5" so less what the 1"- 3/4 takes up and the 90s, check valves, etc I still have easily a few 100 gph to send to the barrell.

I'm also considering this as a way to simplify water changes. I could easily plumb the barrel back to the pump and the pump to the drain for the house. Then plumb the mixing station to the pump and use it to refill the barrel. Theoretically I could do a 40% water change without changing the water level in the sump or DT. Also recirc, water removal, water refill, and salt mixing could all be done with the same pump. Kind of would make the $$ investment of the pump worth it.

Just to restate. This extra water wouldn't be for overstocking. Just looking for water stability.

 

[airmotive]

The blue plastic barrels are fine. Most (if not all) of the ones you see for sale on Craigslist are food-grade. The two I use originally had shipping labels on them...They were used to ship ibuprofen from India to the US. (That's a LOT of Tylenol! And the guy I bought them from had a barn stacked full of them.)
The only concern would be if the barrel had any sort of ugly history, shipping cyanide or nuclear waste... but that's unlikely.

As far as your design goes, I'll let someone else chime in.

I have a remote sump like you, and I use my barrels for ATO water and the other is saltwater for water changes. I can do a 50 gallon water change in under five minutes.
There's something to be said for making maintenance convenient.

 

[ensano]

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