Starting up a 120gallon

[ReeferReefer]

Yeah, I agree. I thought about maybe batching it out over the course of a few weeks. There's still so much equipment to research, review and buy, that this tank is gonna be a marathon rather than a sprint.

I would do the batches as large as your can tolerate. Not sure what you back issues are like but making up 30 gallons in a Brute trash can and then using a 5 gallon bucket to do small trips would work well. Using a pump will keep you from lifting buckets over your head. Good for water changes as well.

 

[K7BMG]

Well I don't know where your tank is other than upstairs as you said.
I recommend purchasing a long length of 1/4 inch tubing.
Run from your RO/DI right into the tank until its filled.
From that point its a few gallons here and there for water changes.
The waste water can be ran to the grass or plants.
So its not as much of a waste as its watering vegetation as well.

 

[RobberyinCSharp1824]

I would do the batches as large as your can tolerate. Not sure what you back issues are like but making up 30 gallons in a Brute trash can and then using a 5 gallon bucket to do small trips would work well. Using a pump will keep you from lifting buckets over your head. Good for water changes as well.

The pump is a great idea! That would save me a ton of pain for my 20 gallon as well. I'm gonna look into it. One of these days I need to bite the bullet and get a 30 gallon to store DI in. I wish there was a mechanism for draining water in my basement, since the previous homeowners disconnected the washer and I've got two water lines ready to go - but nowhere to put waste water If I did, I could hook up a 30 gallon brute downstairs, make DI, and have a steady supply for mixing.

 

[RobberyinCSharp1824]

Well I don't know where your tank is other than upstairs as you said.
I recommend purchasing a long length of 1/4 inch tubing.
Run from your RO/DI right into the tank until its filled.
From that point its a few gallons here and there for water changes.
The waste water can be ran to the grass or plants.
So its not as much of a waste as its watering vegetation as well.

The tank is in my entryway, first floor. It's by a bathroom but the fitting on my RO/DI system seems to be warn down, so attaching it to the first floor bathroom (where the tank is near) causes it to spray/flood. I've gotta look into a new fitting. Filling it directly would definitely work, and I can put the drain line into my first floor shower after using some of it for gardening. I've definitely had good results using the drain water for my plants!

 

[ReeferReefer]

I use a simple pond pump from home depot for this sort of thing. Any pump will do as long as you have some decent flow.

I fill my RODI outside, hooked up to the garden hose. Then I fill up 5 gallon buckets or cubes and use those since its easier to move.

Hopefully that helps. Even if you decide to use tap water to fill, the pump will still be good for water changes like you said. On the 120 you are going to be doing over 10 gallon water changes at 10%. Way too heavy to lift even for someone without back problems lol.

 

[HCl+NaHO=]

Here is an idea for you. Call a drinking water company like Culligan (if there is one around) or some other break room water cooler company most of them produce RO and DI water. See if you can work something out with them. When I started up my 75 I just bought all the water from them.It is around $1.00 a gallon delivered where I’m at. I’m not sure what it will run you at first but just an idea.

Exactly true.

Distilled water was $1 a gallon when I had the service. Delivered.

 

[Stang67]

That's an awesome idea! I never would have thought about that. We definitely have culligans in our area, so that's worth checking out.

Hey Culligan Man!

 

[K7BMG]

The pump is a great idea! That would save me a ton of pain for my 20 gallon as well. I'm gonna look into it. One of these days I need to bite the bullet and get a 30 gallon to store DI in. I wish there was a mechanism for draining water in my basement, since the previous homeowners disconnected the washer and I've got two water lines ready to go - but nowhere to put waste water If I did, I could hook up a 30 gallon brute downstairs, make DI, and have a steady supply for mixing.

If there was a washer in the basement and the water lines remain as you say, then the drain is most likely still there and was just capped.
I does not make sense to go to the trouble of removing the drain entirely and leave behind the hot and cold water lines.
Sewer lines do have to be capped to prevent sewer gasses from entering the home, if the drain trap becomes dry.

You should also by code have a sump pump in the basement as well that you can run the waste line to.
If your water heater or other items like a basement bathroom are down there, all of those items will have a drain of some sort.
The water heaters pressure relief valve should have a line that leads to the outside if built to code.
You can tap into that just use a brass check valve to stop the hot water from getting into the 1/4 inch drain line if it vents.

I still say just extend the tubing from where ever you currently use the RO/DI unit.
You can get 100 foot long sections of tubing and if needed use a coupling or two if you need 2 or 300 feet. Run it till its full, then coil up and store the tubing and your done.
Yea the line might be running through the house and all but its just a temporary thing. Even the smallest RO/DI units can produce 40 some gallons a day. So come home from work, run the line and let it rip, might take a few nights but sounds like your not in a rush anyway.

However as you said before its to start off as a fish only. So there is no real need to use RO/DI water in the first place.
Plus the fact you will have no livestock to worry about.
So fill it with a hose from the bathroom that's near the tank. Take the bathroom aerator off and to the hardware store so you can purchase a faucet to garden hose adapter. Or just run a hose from the spigot outside into the house to the tank for the initial fill.

Add your rock, sand, or whatever bio-media of choice, add your favorite water conditioner, salt, bacteria, and ammonia source and your off to the races, no need to mix anything outside of the tank as the tank will have no livestock as its not cycled.

 

[K7BMG]

I use a simple pond pump from home depot for this sort of thing. Any pump will do as long as you have some decent flow.

I fill my RODI outside, hooked up to the garden hose. Then I fill up 5 gallon buckets or cubes and use those since its easier to move.

Hopefully that helps. Even if you decide to use tap water to fill, the pump will still be good for water changes like you said. On the 120 you are going to be doing over 10 gallon water changes at 10%. Way too heavy to lift even for someone without back problems lol.

You need to be carful on the pump you use for a Reef. I disagree with you on just any pump will do.
Most pumps have metal parts (Shafts, impellers) that come in contact with the liquid.
Yea you can get away with it the first time but after liquid or in our case saltwater sits in it, the parts start to rust and corrode and will leach undesirable heavy metals and the like. I know of three instances over the past year where the second time the pump was used it blew rusty water into the tank. Yes one of those tanks was my tank.

 

[ReeferReefer]

You need to be carful on the pump you use for a Reef. I disagree with you on just any pump will do.
Most pumps have metal parts (Shafts, impellers) that come in contact with the liquid.
Yea you can get away with it the first time but after liquid or in our case saltwater sits in it, the parts start to rust and corrode and will leach undesirable heavy metals and the like. I know of three instances over the past year where the second time the pump was used it blew rusty water into the tank. Yes one of those tanks was my tank.

Thank you for pointing this out. I will have to check my pump for any corrosion. Might replace it with a marine grade pump instead. Ive been using the same pond/fountain pump for years but I will double check it anyways. It is double duty as my mixing pump so its something to look out for.

 

[southerntnreefer]

when i setup my 125 i was using dry rock and dry sand. SO i scaped my tank, added my sand, filed with rodi over several days, cycled water in the tank to get to temp, and let my powerheads and return pumps mix my salt. Worked for me. my 220 wont be as easy, but im using existing water and rock, just an upgrade.