Let’s Mix it Up! Designing and Using a Water Mixing Station

[Rick Gaas]

The hose is a marine/rv hose that is drinking water safe. You cant use a traditional garden hose. Think I paid like $17 at Walmart. I cut the brass hose ends off when I bought the hose and replaced with plastic repair ends.
The spigots or "faucets" are pvc. I left no stone unturned lol.

Thank you for the reply! What hose are you using? I need to purchase one!

How long have you been using the hose? How about the mixing station itself?

Thanks again!

 

[Bluefish9]

Thank you for the reply! What hose are you using? I need to purchase one!

How long have you been using the hose? How about the mixing station itself?

Thanks again!

A few months now. You can find marine or rv hoses at almost any home depot or walmart.

 

[dbl]

...The spigots or "faucets" are pvc. I left no stone unturned lol.

Can you share where you purchased the PVC spigots? Those are pretty slick looking.

 

[zachxlutz]

Here's my mixing station. I still need to add drains to the bottom of the 40 gallon Brute cans to fill 5 gallon pails without having to dip them in the tank and lift them up out. It's powered by a Quiet One 5000. It pumps water in through the garage, through the kitchen and to the tank no problem. It's so easy to do water changes!

Here's a shot showing the plumbing better, before I raised the whole setup off the ground.

In hindsight, I should have put the valves on the bottom before the union. I can't disassemble without fully draining the containers.

 

[Bluefish9]

Can you share where you purchased the PVC spigots? Those are pretty slick looking.

Amazon! [emoji6]

Homewerks VHB-CEL-F4B Hose Bibb, Male Thread, Celcon, 3/4-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0046HAD0U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HgftybEF8WH1M

 

[cromag27]

Do you have a detailed build thread for this?

My frankenstation. I love it!

 

[Bluefish9]

Do you have a detailed build thread for this?

I dont, Im sorry. Its really quite simple though. I designed my system to be two completely separate systems for rodi and sw. Each tank has its own float and feed from the rodi unit, then they each have their own pump (quiet one 4000's) which are plumbed to their own spigot. The only difference is that the SW container has its plumbing T'd off to recirculate (mix) and also has a heater and small korallia inside.

Works great!

 

[Irishman]

Happy Reefing!​

Say I were to do this set up. Wouldn't I be able to add a couple more ball valves so it drains my tank water to a drain?​

 

[dbl]

Say I were to do this set up. Wouldn't I be able to add a couple more ball valves so it drains my tank water to a drain?​

@Irishman, the main issue is most pumps are not self-priming. So you have to "get it started" to pull water from the tank. Yes, placement of valves is important. If you go to post #43 of this thread, I discussed it there for another member. Take a look and see if it makes sense.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

I've got a similar design. Definitely helps make waterchanges a lot easier. Takes me maybe 10 mins tops to do one now! I figured the easier they are to do the more likely I am to keep up doing them.

@Arron209
I love your set up, mine is going to be pretty close to yours except my containers will be a little smaller but not much. How gallons do your containers hold and where did you get them from?

 

[andrew james]

Im almost certain I have the crappiest mixing station out there but I also have it setup to my Neptune APEX to automatically turn on and off and to a DOS to do auto water changes and auto top off. Basically every Saturday morning I go into the crawl space and dump in 6 cups of salt, that's it. The system does the rest changing out 21 gallons of water per week evenly spread out changing 475ml of water per hour constantly. This is about a 15% change per week and it takes me 2 minutes.

 

[Arron209]

@Arron209
I love your set up, mine is going to be pretty close to yours except my containers will be a little smaller but not much. How gallons do your containers hold and where did you get them from?

Thanks. They are 75g containers. And they were built by Norwesco. I ordered them through a company that's sorta local to me so I wouldn't have to pay shipping.

 

[lake985]

I'm working on setting up a mixing station in my basement that will feed my new Reefer XL425. This is my first time working with plumbing (or a sumped tank) so apologies for the silly question, but am I suppose to run regular tap water through the assembled plumbing to clean it of the pvc primer and glue odor and any other contaminants?

 

[andrew james]

It doesnt hurt to do it but that glue dries really quick amd doesnt leave much behind. I just hooked mine up to a pump in the bathtub before install to check for leaks but also I guess rinse it out.

 

[Bassett22]

A guy I met when I first got into the hobby had the most ingenious water change setup Ive seen, and I was to new to even understand what I was looking at and I wish I took pictures or asked more questions. He had a 300 gallon reef tank, and he had 2 200 gallon holding tanks plumbed into the system. he could turn a tank off or on with valves, One tank was always running in the system boosting the water volume. He would take his time, drain the tank that was off, fill it up, add salt, get it heated, then when he wanted to do the water change, he would just turn a valve, take 200 gallons of water out of the system, and turn the other valve, releasing 200 gallons from the new tank into the system, then drain the old water again and start over. It was brilliant and simple, and I cant figure out how he plumbed it all up.

 

[jazzmik]

I'm still working on this but it is mostly there. Inside the saltwater tank (righthand tank) there is a pipe that extends near the bottom with a 90% nozzle to create a clockwise stirring motion. I will be running 1/4-inch tubing from the RO water tank to the DT for ATO using a BRS dosing pump. The tanks are 65 gallon from Rural King (free shipping on these). I have a third 68 gallon low-profile rectangular tank that fits in the back of my SUV that I use to transport ocean water from Scripps Pier in San Diego. I'll store that in the saltwater tank for water changes or mix my own with HW Marinemix Reefer. Valves are all Cepex from BRS. Pump is Vectra M1 (overkill I know but I want DC to adjust the flow depending on what I'm doing and it has to work externally and not have leaky fittings).

What size Cepex fittings did you use?

Also for others...

What pump recommendations? I see some pan world's and iwaki's in some of the photos. Looking for specfic models,

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Just a little heads up,, Rural Kings no longer will do FREE SHIPPING on the 55 or the 65 gallon Ace Roto Mold Vertical dome tanks. I had to go with 2 40 gallon ones to qualify for the FREE shipping which equaled out to be 159.94 for 2 40 gallon tanks with shipping and tax.. Still the cheapest than any other site on the web. Here are the specs on the 40 gallon ones.

http://www.ruralking.com/ace-roto-mold-40-gallon-vertical-dome-top-tank-vt0040-18.html

• Capacity - 40 Gallons
• Weight - 17 Pounds
• Lid - 5"
• Fitting - 3/4"
• Dimensions - 18 X 43
• Specific Gravity - 2.0

 

[mckinleyw]

I love all the designs Im working on funding a mixing station, will be borrowing a lot of ideas off of here. Right now I haul 5 gallon buckets in and out with a brute to mix in. lots of work hopefully this year I will have a dedicated mixing station.

 

[jazzmik]

Just a little heads up,, Rural Kings no longer will do FREE SHIPPING on the 55 or the 65 gallon Ace Roto Mold Vertical dome tanks. I had to go with 2 40 gallon ones to qualify for the FREE shipping which equaled out to be 159.94 for 2 40 gallon tanks with shipping and tax.. Still the cheapest than any other site on the web. Here are the specs on the 40 gallon ones.

http://www.ruralking.com/ace-roto-mold-40-gallon-vertical-dome-top-tank-vt0040-18.html

• Capacity - 40 Gallons
• Weight - 17 Pounds
• Lid - 5"
• Fitting - 3/4"
• Dimensions - 18 X 43
• Specific Gravity - 2.0

I have 2 of the 40g being delivered Monday. They must have just changed because the 65g were free shipping a few days ago. I should have went with 65's since they are close in footprint.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

I am currently working on my now! Here will be some of the material I will be using.

2 40 gallon Vertical Storage tanks.
120'' red pipe Sch 40
6 - 3/4 Cepex Union Ball Valves
2 - 3/4'' Spears Gate Valves
10 - 90's
10- 45'
BRS RODI 4 Stage system
pinpoint Salinity Monitor
Cinder blocks with 1'' pcs of plywood for my stand.
2 Cam thread Lever Quick Connect Couplings.
Pan world pump 40PX - 480gph