How to make a pump powered water transfer system

[Mombo]

Hey yall,

I got the go ahead from the wife to use a closet nearby so I am going to have a saltwater mixing station about 15 feet from my tank. I also have a sink about 15 feet from my tank. What I would like is to have a pump with hoses attached to each side that I can use for different purposes.

I am thinking about 10-15 feet of hose on each side of the pump. Then I can drop the hose into the tank and drain it into the sink for water changes.

Turn it around and drop it in my saltwater tub and pump the water across the room and into the tank.

I could use it for pumping water from my RODI system into my saltmixing tub.

All kinds of stuff! I am sure someone has done this before. What kind of pump is needed? I dont need it to pump it super fast I just need it to do its thing.

Do you have to use a specific kind of pump to put hoses on both sides. Does it matter if when it starts up its dry? etc etc

 

[Big G]

I use a jebao dct-4000 to pump from my mixing station in the garage about 45' to my display tank. Here's a pic

 

[Mombo]

I like it! I def don't have the space you do and have to keep it hidden. So I'm thinking something more portable.

Literally a pump with a length of hose on each side of it that I can plug in when I need to use it and unplug and hide when I'm not.

No reason your setup wouldn't work for me though. So will that pump work fine if it starts dry? With how I'm thinking the pump would have to pump water out of whatever it's in before it has water running through it.

 

[Big G]

The Jebao came with connectors for both the in and out holes. Easy to attach a hose to both ends. This pump is also my "backup pump" for my display tank. Yes, most pumps need to be primed with water to get things moving. Lots of "mixing stations" posted here. Cheers.

 

[Dhoggs]

Here’s mine. I use a Little Giant pump which pumps water at 1100 gph. I pump RODI water to the reservoir and saltwater to the sump for larger water changes. I connect a hose via pvc union when i need water and diconnect it when not needed. My mixjng station is appx 10feet from my sump area.

 

[Mombo]

Haha so no one has made a portable pump thing im thinking about. Are there not pumps out there that can start dry?

 

[Big G]

Yes there are portable pumps. Folks use them to move water, for example from rain water storage to their gardens.
https://amazon.com/HydraPump-Mini-1...06474970&sr=8-7&keywords=portable+water+pumps
You may want to contact them to see if it is safe to pump saltwater. Corroding metals could poison your tank. This is no small concern to many who pump saltwater from mixing stations. Many, myself included, use those white hoses made for RV use, because they are made of materials that will not poison the fish. Apparently, most garden type hoses are made with materials to resist mold, mildew etc. which is fine for your garden but in fact may transmit some chemicals to your tank that could injure or kill your fish. So if the hose is a concern, so might the pump. I think that's why most use saltwater aquarium pumps instead of regular pumps. Contact the manufacturers to be sure. Cheers!

 

[Mombo]

I have been reading an ran across this pump

https://www.marinedepot.com/Lifegar...ps-Lifegard_Aquatics-RB30001-FIWPSBUF-vi.html

It mentions vents while running dry for air cooling etc.

 

[Big G]

I have been reading an ran across this pump

https://www.marinedepot.com/Lifegar...ps-Lifegard_Aquatics-RB30001-FIWPSBUF-vi.html

It mentions vents while running dry for air cooling etc.

Looks like It's a submersible pump. It runs under water.

 

[Fritzhamer]

I have something like this. I have a mag 9 that lives in my saltwater mixing barrel (also in a closet). I remove the pump and hookup my hose to it. I place the pump in my tank and pump tank water to a shower drain twenty feet away. I then place the pump in my mixing barrel and pump new saltwater to my tank 25 feet away.

When I'm done the hose goes in the closet and the pump goes back in the barrel.

 

[iLLwiLL]

I'm planning on using a python and an extension for when I do my water moving setup. Mark off the display tank inconspicuously at 5 gallon intervals and use the python hooked to a sink to drain.

Then have a simple mixing station with a quick connect on one of the pump outlets for the python for refilling. Should all store easily under my stand out if sight and allow for 10 minute waterchanges with minimal effort

 

[Mombo]

I guess it would be easy enough to just drop the pump into the water instead of have a hose on the inlet side....

 

[Big G]

I guess it would be easy enough to just drop the pump into the water instead of have a hose on the inlet side....

Yep. I use a small 120gph Tiger submerged pump to pump water out of my tank. Does about 20 gal in 10 minutes.

 

[Ocelaris]

I guess it would be easy enough to just drop the pump into the water instead of have a hose on the inlet side....

I saw a video once on YouTube which has been a long while, but basically priming the pump while dry to get water started is an entirely different pump type and gets expensive. Most pumps require some liquid to generate suction. So dropping a pump in is your best bet.