shadow1013
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone. I'm looking to see anyone's mixing stations that are 10-25 gallons. I have limited space in my laundry room and was wondering what everyone else did.
Small Mixing Stations - Lets See Them!
- Thread starter shadow1013
- Start date
- Tagged users None
MichaelReefer
2500 Club Member
Very interested in seeing peoples. I am currently renting a home with my lady so I cant really get all crazy and stuff but when we get our own home I am definitely going to try and locate my tank by a closet of some sort and make an auto water-change system and mixing station.
Mike Kearns
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2019
- Messages
- 252
- Reaction score
- 371
I don't have a pic now, but will take one when i get home. I have an 8 gallon system. 2 storage tubs, one for rodi and one for saltwater. the saltwater one sits on a cart so i can roll it out to my tanks and fill them. Tapped my rodi system into the washing machine hook-up.
Sierra_Bravo
Valuable Member
This was back a few years ago when I built it, but I tied it in with my sump plumbing and ATO reservoir. Mixing and water changes are done with the same pump and only require turning valves. The tanks are contained within an 18"x18" space.
OP
OP
shadow1013
Well-Known Member
Is that a Norwesco tank? If so do you remember which one?
This was back a few years ago when I built it, but I tied it in with my sump plumbing and ATO reservoir. Mixing and water changes are done with the same pump and only require turning valves. The tanks are contained within an 18"x18" space.
Sierra_Bravo
Valuable Member
Yes - 25 gallon. This model: VSN25 https://www.protank.com/25gallon-poly-vertical-storage-tank-p9545977
7 gallon buckets, I fill them to 5 for comfortable handling. Got the buckets at a homebrew store. The buckets are marked 7.8 gallons, but I found out they are marked wrong. For water changes I drain to a HD bucket that I marked with gallon markings. When I filled the tank back up I was always coming up short. I checked the BSG bucket and found the marking were off low (except the 1 gallon), so I marked those up.
When I fill the buckets I place them in the slope sink, in case anything goes wrong. Like forgetting that I'm making RODI. All though I solved that by getting a timer. In the photo I'm filling a gallon jug that I use to top off my ATOs or QT. I have a few of them. I also top off the jugs from the bucket. I usually have just RODI in the bucket, unless I'm planning on a water change, like I am tomorrow. I also typically only have one of the buckets full. I have a 40 gallon and 15 gallon tank. But the 15 gallon I rarely change any water, since it currently only has snails, hermits and an urchin.
In the bucket I have a pump with tubing and valve. The pump came with my Waterbox 40.2 AIO, but I replaced it with dual Sicce pumps. The heater is a old 200W I had laying around from my 55 gallon fish only I had last setup in 2001 and it is plugged into a Cobalt Neostat.
When I fill the buckets I place them in the slope sink, in case anything goes wrong. Like forgetting that I'm making RODI. All though I solved that by getting a timer. In the photo I'm filling a gallon jug that I use to top off my ATOs or QT. I have a few of them. I also top off the jugs from the bucket. I usually have just RODI in the bucket, unless I'm planning on a water change, like I am tomorrow. I also typically only have one of the buckets full. I have a 40 gallon and 15 gallon tank. But the 15 gallon I rarely change any water, since it currently only has snails, hermits and an urchin.
In the bucket I have a pump with tubing and valve. The pump came with my Waterbox 40.2 AIO, but I replaced it with dual Sicce pumps. The heater is a old 200W I had laying around from my 55 gallon fish only I had last setup in 2001 and it is plugged into a Cobalt Neostat.
fish farmer
2500 Club Member
Nothing fancy.
Freshwater get filled by RO/DI line to a float valve. I manually fill my saltwater container and have a heater and powerhead running most of the time. I only do 5 gallon WC so the chore of manually moving water isn't an issue.
Kalk solution container is on the left, dosed via dosing pump through the ceiling.
I have a drain going outside directly below the freshwater container.
Freshwater get filled by RO/DI line to a float valve. I manually fill my saltwater container and have a heater and powerhead running most of the time. I only do 5 gallon WC so the chore of manually moving water isn't an issue.
Kalk solution container is on the left, dosed via dosing pump through the ceiling.
I have a drain going outside directly below the freshwater container.
![20191208_105614[2084].jpg](https://test9.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1377/1377002-0959697ade53265a8bcc5db624486cd9.jpg?hash=CVlpet5TJl "20191208_105614[2084].jpg")
Timely thread since I'm rebuilding my not-small 10 year old garbage can setup with a smaller-ish tank setup thats automated with AWC.
Old setup, using the hose on top for filling the tank by snaking it through the house. Labels are for when someone needs to fish-sit
Start of new setup. The tanks won't go on the table (bottom of the shelf on the right) but just for illustrative purposes since the new plumbing run in the garage will simplify everything.
Old setup, using the hose on top for filling the tank by snaking it through the house. Labels are for when someone needs to fish-sit
Start of new setup. The tanks won't go on the table (bottom of the shelf on the right) but just for illustrative purposes since the new plumbing run in the garage will simplify everything.
Tastee
Valuable Member
In my house my RO station is about 10’ from the tank outside the house and I have a 1” flexible hose running inside behind the tank which is connected to a pump in the RO reservoir. I have two small barrels sitting in a furniture dolly that sit in the spare room out of the way. One barrel is for waste, the other for NSW. The waste barrel is smaller and I have a line drawn on the NSW barrel which corresponds to the volume the waste will take (27L).
On WC day I wheel the barrels over to the tank, pull out the flexible hose, turn on the pump and fill the NSW barrel to the line with RO. I then wheel it back into the spare room, add salt, a heater and mixing pump and leave it alone for a while. When the NSW is mixed and ready I take the waste barrel to the tank and siphon out water until it is full. Then I remove the heater from the NSW, disconnect the mixing pump, wheel it to the tank, stick an outlet hose in the mixing pump and reconnect it and pump it into my sump. I turn the return on and off a couple of times until the tank is full again. I then rinse out both barrels, dry them and store them away on the dolly until next time.
On WC day I wheel the barrels over to the tank, pull out the flexible hose, turn on the pump and fill the NSW barrel to the line with RO. I then wheel it back into the spare room, add salt, a heater and mixing pump and leave it alone for a while. When the NSW is mixed and ready I take the waste barrel to the tank and siphon out water until it is full. Then I remove the heater from the NSW, disconnect the mixing pump, wheel it to the tank, stick an outlet hose in the mixing pump and reconnect it and pump it into my sump. I turn the return on and off a couple of times until the tank is full again. I then rinse out both barrels, dry them and store them away on the dolly until next time.
Hugh Mann
Valuable Member
As I only do 5 gallons at a time, I fill a bucket, add salt and run a powerhead and a pair of airstones for a few hours.
At $2.50 for a fill, I buy my RO water while waiting for a proper unit to go on sale.
At $2.50 for a fill, I buy my RO water while waiting for a proper unit to go on sale.
HAMMERofGold
Community Member
My tank is pretty small so I only have to do about 5 gallons a week, but would recommend the process for other small tanks with limited space.
Firstly, I own an aquatic life 4 chamber rodi unit. Its somewhere in the $120 range and I've had it for years with. O problems. Super portable and compact, I hang it on the side of my laundry room sink. I have two buckets, (orange and blue) and a 5 gallon jug.
I only put freshwater in my blue bucket, and pour the fresh water and salt into the orange bucket for mixing saltwater. When I do, I have a heater and water pump in there to get it mixing faster and up to the right temperature.
I bring the buckets next to my tank, and use a small water pump from a nano tank to push the water from the bucket into my ATO reservoir (for fresh), or into my sump for a water change.
The reservoir is hidden under an end table, so my wife can put a tablecloth over the end table and noone even knows its there.
Firstly, I own an aquatic life 4 chamber rodi unit. Its somewhere in the $120 range and I've had it for years with. O problems. Super portable and compact, I hang it on the side of my laundry room sink. I have two buckets, (orange and blue) and a 5 gallon jug.
I only put freshwater in my blue bucket, and pour the fresh water and salt into the orange bucket for mixing saltwater. When I do, I have a heater and water pump in there to get it mixing faster and up to the right temperature.
I bring the buckets next to my tank, and use a small water pump from a nano tank to push the water from the bucket into my ATO reservoir (for fresh), or into my sump for a water change.
The reservoir is hidden under an end table, so my wife can put a tablecloth over the end table and noone even knows its there.
I am having problems priming my pump. I have a panworld 50px. Anyone that used this pump, please tell me how to prime the pump. Here is my setup:
Impeller pumps can't pull any vacuum, so the pump would need to be at the lowest point of the system. It looks more or less there, why is there air?
SeZMehK
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing there might be. I forgot to tape the in and out on the pump so I'm going to take it apart and try to pour water into the pump before turning on again.
