What is the ideal water changing station?

[mpjmeyer]

I'm setting up a 100 gallon total system and trying to decide on what I want to do for my water changing and ATO. Inhave the BRS 75 gallon per day RODI system and debating on hooking that uo so it fills a 75 gallon container like this..

And hooking up a ball valve at the bottom to fill 5 gallon buckets to mix salt water for water changes and place an ATO pump at the bottom, but container is 4ft tall.

Or...

Just get a 10 gallon reservoir for ATO with a float valve and keep a 55 gallon container on hand Incan start filling the day before doing a water change??

How do you store water for ATO and water changes??

 

[Quercus]

Just built mine. Here is a pic. Fresh water on top with float valve and salt on bottom. Gravity fed to sump for water changes and to ato container when that gets low. I have same rodi filter as you.

 

[dbl]

I happen to know someone that recently wrote an article on designing a mixing station. Take a look here.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/let’s-mix-it-up-designing-and-using-a-water-mixing-station.77/

There is also a decent thread with many examples.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/salt-water-mixing-stations-lets-see-them.36873/

 

[DanConnor]

I have a setup like Quercus. Two horizontal 50 gallon containers but I have the salt on top. My sump has a drain at the waterline going to the septic , so to make a 50 gallon water change I only need to open 2 valves.

 

[mpjmeyer]

How do you mix your salt in containers like that?

 

[Quercus]

Open top valves to drain 50 gallons if rodi water into lower tank and add a 50 gallon bag of salt. Powerhead circulates water and heater warms it.

 

[mpjmeyer]

Where did you get the water containers?

 

[pelphrey]

Free shipping on this container -

http://www.ruralking.com/ace-roto-mold-65-gallon-vertical-dome-top-vt0065-23.html

Thread I started awhile back -

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/storing-rodi-water-how-i-did-it.259491/

 

[Quercus]

Here is where I got mine.

http://www.sprayers.com

 

[Tony727]

One that adds salt, mixes, and does the water change for you lol.

 

[mpjmeyer]

Just built mine. Here is a pic. Fresh water on top with float valve and salt on bottom. Gravity fed to sump for water changes and to ato container when that gets low. I have same rodi filter as you.

What type of shelf is that? Where did you get it?

 

[Quercus]

I bought that shelf at Home Depot or Lowe's. The brand is Husky and each shelf is rated for 2,000 lbs. I have another in my garage that I bought at Costco. If I had it to do over again I would do the Costco shelf again. You can tell it is of better quality and has more cross braces.

 

[SteveSTL]

Isn't your tank in the basement? Do you have a utility room behind it? I would elevate the sump so it's more or less at the same level as the tank and put a drain in it and run that to a floor drain. Then have your salt water hard plumbed to the sump so you can just open a valve to fill it after you drain the sump.

Another large container for RODI and a smaller container for ATO (with a float switch) which can be attached to a float switch in the sump. Reasoning behind the dual float switch is that if the sump float switch gets stuck, you don't have RODI constantly entering the sump diluting the water. If the float switch hits a certain level in the ATO, it shuts down.

 

[Quercus]

Hey Steve

Your correct build is in the basement. No utility room(very small basement). My plan for water change is to siphon water from display into utility sink a few feet away. Then add water to sump via gravity from water station pictured. ATO container will be seperate of top tank and will be filled via gravity as needed(maybe float in future). ATO will be managed by a Tunze. I have used one for years with no issues. Hate to change what isn't broken.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Just got done fishing my saltwater mixing station up! All I have to do is glue all of my fittings together and it will be time to work on my RODI panel that will be installed above my mixing station. I will be running a Neptune DOS for my Automatic water changes, PinPoint Moniot for my salinity in my salt tank, PM2 Module, 50ft Aquabus cable that will run from my RODI panel to my Apex control panel that sits about 40 ft from my mixing station. 1 APEX eb8 POWER bar, Neptune Breakout box for a few float switches and a RODI booster pump. Here are a few pictures of my Ace Motto NSF Certified vertical storage container which are 25 gallons each. The best place to get these type of storage barrels is at www.ruralking.com since the shipping and handling came to like $20.00 bucks for 2 barrels unlike Plastic Depot, Tank Depot where the shipping is more the storage containers. Below is a list of everything that I bought to make my mixing station Automated. Never have to lift jug, never have to add a certain amount of water to my tank, they only thing I will have to do is pour my salt and hit the switch so my Panworld pump will come on which is also on a timer. It comes on 4 - 5 times a day for 25 minutes to mix my salt for me. You can follow me build by clicking this link:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ready-to-start-a-new-build-on-my-mixing-station.313989/

Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ready-to-start-a-new-build-on-my-mixing-station.313989/

Equipment List:
2 - Ace Moto 25 gallon Vertical Storage Barrels
6 - Cepex Ball Valves Slip x Slip
1 - Spears Check Valves Slip x Slip
2 - 58'' Blue Sch 40 Pipe
4 - TEES Slip x Slip
3 - Pipe Adapters Slip x Slip
1 - 90's Slip x Slip
4 - 90 Spigot x Street Slip x Slip
2 - True Unions Slip x Slip
1 - 3/4'' CAP
1- Male Pipe Adapters
2- ABS BulkHeads Slip x Thread
1 - Mag Drive 4 for extra circulation
1 - PanWorld PX40 water pump
1- Heater
1 - BRS 6 Stage RODI system
1- NeptuneDOS System
1- 50 ft Apex Aqua Bus cable
1- Apex PM2 Module
1- Apex Breakoutbox
4 - Float Switches
1 - 48'' pcs of plywood to mount of my RODI gear and Neptune equipment ON.

25 - GALLON VERTICAL STORAGE CONTAINERS.

FLOAT SWITCH IN MY FREISH RODI TANK

APEX CONTROL PANEL

BRS 6 STAGE RODI SYSTEM along with NEPTUNE DOS SYSTEM

RODI PANEL & NEPTUNE GEAR WILL BE INSTALLED