RODI system

[Ardee]

thinking about mixing my own saltwater. Can you pump rodi water into a 55 gallon plastic trash can and mix saltwater in that?

And could you store the water in the 5 gallon jugs you get from lfs? How long would it keep.

Thanks for all help.

 

[nervousmonkey]

Sure thing! Great idea, and has been done before. Here is a link to some mixing stations that people set up:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/salt-water-mixing-stations-lets-see-them.36873/

It'll keep for a long time, but you probably want to keep a lid on the station you set up to keep evap down and other contaminants out. Some people mix water up for the entire month's worth of WC's, just depends on how you do it.

 

[Ardee]

Great stuff.

One last question. Can you put a return pump in to pump water in to tank from can?

 

[nervousmonkey]

Sure. Put inside or plumbed externally. Would be easier to do it externally IMO, but that's up to you.

 

[Ardee]

I am an amateur so this might be a dumb question, but when you say plumbed external what does that mean?

 

[nervousmonkey]

Oh, nothing is a dumb question! Glad you asked. All it means is that your pump sits outside of any water and is connected to tank or container by pvc or some other tubing. It's a little easier to move pipes around if you need but isn't necessary. Something like the pic below, which I just googled to get. Don't know whose that is.

 

[jamie callard Verified Sponsor]

Mixing your own saltwater is the right thing to do. It gives toy consistency. I keep my water mixed in 5g buckets all the time. It is better to let the salt be I the water for a few days before you use it in my opinion less chance to burn

 

[AZDesertRat]

I never mix more saltwater than I need at the time. I find after a couple days it starts developing a slime and a smell. Some salt manufacturers recommend use it within a an hour or so.
I keep 50 gallons of RO/DI on hand at all times and can have a batch of salt mixed up in a matter of minutes. Once the pH, temperature and salinity are close to thectanks, on it goes.
RO/DI keeps pretty much forever as long as it is covered or sealed.