Automatic Salt Dispenser

[Brasileiro561]

So I've been thinking about an automatic salt dispenser to mix my salt. i had this idea on paper but haven't had time to turn it into CAD but i came across a design identical to what i drew but this one was designed for something else. But for now ill be using this person design just to give you guys an idea and get some thoughts on it before i start to modify/create my own. Hopefully you great ppl have some input that could make this better.

Once it comes to life ill be using a high torque low rpm motor. my thinking is to run with the apex salt probe and/or apex timer ( figure out how long it takes to make 1G 5G 10G and do the math from there) and use the salt probe as a fell safe.

What do you guys think? any input would be appreciated

 

[CuzzA]

A solution looking for a problem, which will actually lead to problems. The nature of conductivity probes are not reliable enough and moisture will brick your salt reservoir.

Cool idea, but simply weighing out salt and resealing the bag takes all of a minute.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Agree it will be almost impossible to keep salt from clumping.. neat idea but probably to many hurdles to make it practical.

 

[Brasileiro561]

Well I thought about making a spring loaded door at the end or maybe putting some rubber seal around the spiral edges but I spoke to a guy that actually tried to make one of this and he kept having the same issue of getting clogged. I guess that’s why there’s nothing like this in the market

 

[reefwiser]

Looks like equipment I use to work on at the Food plant I worked at before retiring.
Yes the cleaning of the exit is the issue with this design.
My favorite way to handle salt is to measure out your amount need for the given volume of water. Then using a plastic bag and a heat sealer place the salt in a bag. Then you just open the bag into to the water and you are ready to go. Julian uses this idea in his Two Littles Fishes salt.

 

[Brasileiro561]

@reefwiser I’ve thought of that before and it’s probably what I’ll do. I just wanted to make things easier. Im in the army and gone for long periods of times. My mixing station will hold water for 1 month. Anyways it was just one less thing for my beautiful wife to worry about it and do something wrong

 

[OrionN]

As mentioned previously, salt will absorb water from the moist air and will just clog up everything.

Why do you need to dispense salt? Water change?
Why re-invent the wheel? Why not just mix salt water and use dosing pump?

 

[reefwiser]

The measured bag is really the simplest way of doing it. Just make sure the water is at Temperature and have a power head in mixing container. An a hour later you are ready to do a water change.

 

[Rick.45cal]

If you make premeasured bags like reefwiser suggests it will be easier on your wife than trying to unclog an automatic mixer. I definitely wouldn’t want to trust a conductivity probe to make any decisions about salinity of my tank especially an apex one. The best thing I ever did with my apex conductivity probe was disconnect it and throw it in the trash.

 

[Brasileiro561]

Well as mentioned before I’m in the army and gone often. I’m fixing to be gone for 1 year here shorty. I have friends that will come to the house and maintain the tank. Everything is automated. My mixing station fills up by itself stop my DOS from water change until I add salt press a button to mix for 24hrs and the it goes back to follow reschedule. The only problem is the wife. The only jobs she’ll have is clean the skimmer overflow the trident add salt and press 1 button and I bet she’ll forget
But Yea I guess will go with the bags and maybe add an alarm to the mixing station that reminder her to add salt

 

[Rick.45cal]

Well as mentioned before I’m in the army and gone often. I’m fixing to be gone for 1 year here shorty. I have friends that will come to the house and maintain the tank. Everything is automated. My mixing station fills up by itself stop my DOS from water change until I add salt press a button to mix for 24hrs and the it goes back to follow reschedule. The only problem is the wife. The only jobs she’ll have is clean the skimmer overflow the trident add salt and press 1 button and I bet she’ll forget
But Yea I guess will go with the bags and maybe add an alarm to the mixing station that reminder her to add salt

That sounds like a very solid plan!