Dream Tank DIY Pre-Build - Mixing Station - Outside Air - Waste Water Drain - And More
- Thread starter SkiCatTX
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
I ordered the wrong unions...twice...for the mixer pipes inside the containers, so I have to wait yet another week before I start the first mixing. However, the RODI is installed and working great. I ran a few gallons of water through it to test, check for leaks, and to test the Jebao 10000 circulation pump. All is working as planned.
The route and filter layout are as follows (sorry I don't have a diagram):
The route and filter layout are as follows (sorry I don't have a diagram):
- Physical ball valve on cpvc from water supply
- Neptune solenoid connected to the FMM module. This closes the water off by default when not making new water, or when the power goes out.
- T split tubing, one to RODI, the other directly into the freshwater container. This way I can bypass the RODI for cleaning water or whatever. There are also 3 1/4" ball valves, one on the bypass, one just before the high pressure pump on the RODI, and one on the output from the RODI, for servicing and for operating the bypass.
- 8800 high pressure pump
- 1 micron filter
- Carbon block #1
- Carbon block #2
- TDS sensor #1
- Pressure gauge
- RO membrane #1
- RO membrane #2 on the waste water from #1
- Combiner from RO membrane #1 and #2 output
- Auto backflow solenoid on waste water from #2 (opens for first 20 seconds or so, and every hour or so when power to the 8800 is connected to protect RO membranes)
- TDS sensor #2
- Cation DI resin
- TDS sensor #3
- Anion DI resin
- TDS sensor #4
- Mixed bed DI resin (based on BRS recommended method)
- TDS sensor #5 (why so many, I just have some left over from previous RODI units, and what the heck...)
- Back pressure cutoff sensor (turns off 8800 pump when pressure builds up due to full container
- Physical float valve inside right freshwater container.
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
Man, everything is looking really nice!
I cannot recall, how will you be dealing with heat issues in the attic?
I cannot recall, how will you be dealing with heat issues in the attic?
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Thanks!
Interestingly, it's not really that bad. I've been up there working in the mornings and checking it out. With highs in the mid 90'sF and lows in the 70's and 80's it has been similar in there so far. It rarely gets above 100' near the coast. We have ridge vents so it vents quickly and air turnover is pretty good. Certainly not much worse than in the garage where I've been mixing water for 20 years with no issues.
It might be that I have to watch the water mixing for the few hottest months, add aeration for low oxygen content, and only add in small amounts, but otherwise my only concern is mostly for the Apex gear, so I'll have to watch that.
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
Sweet! I suppose you could also add a power-vent for additional venting/circulation if you wanted it.
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Actually, it's a normal door from the second floor open play room space. From my office where the tanks are I just go up the stairs and back across the balcony and through the door. Other than needing to go up and down stairs, it's actually quite a bit closer than where my current "fish" area is in the garage on the other side of the house.
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Yeah, the builder originally wanted to do power vents, but these ridge vents are so much better. I am amazed at how well it vents. There are also vents all the way around the outside bottom, so air comes in at the eaves and travels up the underside of the roof and out the top. There can be a breeze in there sometimes, yet it's totally dry and protected, even in a hurricane. Our AC and water heaters are in similar spaces above the 2nd floor.
In fact, this morning I went upstairs where it was 77' inside and walked into this space and it was actually cooler than inside the house. It was about 74' outside already on it's way to 90 something as it's been every day for some weeks now.
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
Anything new, different or exciting going on?
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Nothing much in mid-summer. I have now made a batch of fresh and salt water. Just did my second water change today with water from the new system, and have been refilling my 10g ATO container manually.
I still have to do some Apex programming to get things automated, but I did enough to get the buttons on the attic panel working. I can make fresh water with the upper button, which opens the solenoid and turns on the high pressure RODI pump. The pump will stop when the upper water sensor in the right container is under water. The lower button turns the recirculating pump on and off. I just manually turned it on to mix salt for 48 hours or so, and then go up and turn it on for 30 minutes every couple days. I will automate this soon enough, but I want to be around to monitor it for now.
I probably won't do much more until fall, or until I start planning for my new tank.
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Not much work over the summer, I'll pick it up again in a few weeks once the temps drop a bit. Amazingly, I've measured the water temp in the containers over the summer, and which daytime highs in the 90s every day, and lows around 80, the water stays around 85-90 most days, which is warm, but not dangerously so...as long as i don't use too much at a time, or for smaller tanks, put some in containers in the office for a while before using. Not a long term solution, but for the big tank, small regular changes should be an issue.
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Painting my office this week, so I grabbed some pics of the wall with all the outlets and taps installed and painted. The mixing station is directly above this wall, the fresh air comes from the far outside wall.
lifeguard101284
Community Member
Wow very interesting and detailed setup. Keep up the great work.
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Thanks! Work will continue once it cools off in the fall. Working on getting the new tank, but that process is dragging on for weeks, going round and round with builders getting quotes takes forever...
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
It has been a while, so I figured I should give an update. Not too much has changed.
As the weather cooled off in the fall, I needed to add a heater to the salt water bin. I got one of the Bulk Reef Supply heaters with the branded Ink Bird controller and plugged it into an Apex outlet. Since I was already going to get a new Apex for the new tank build, I went ahead and reset my old Apex and moved the PM2 module with the temp and conductivity probe up to the mixing station. That way I can monitor the salinity and temperature remotely.
Clearly, the probe needs to be calibrated, but in theory I'll be able to see at a glance from the office what values are, and see if the pumps or valves are on. From the icons, left to right, RODI (off), SW Circulation Pump (on), Heater (off), and the three alarms (leak detection, temp, etc. all off)
From the Apex dashboard I can turn the heater up to 78 just before I need to do a larger water change and it takes a couple hours to warm up. I otherwise keep it set at 68 or so, which is about what it stays at in the winter anyway, but in case it gets colder, the SW won't precipitate out, assuming that's even an issue.
To hold the probes, I had an old magnetic Apex probe holder, which works quite well. For now, the heater is just laying in there. I'd like to get a magnetic heater holder as well, but they were sold out. I'll check back later and get one, perhaps when I order one for the new sump.
As the weather cooled off in the fall, I needed to add a heater to the salt water bin. I got one of the Bulk Reef Supply heaters with the branded Ink Bird controller and plugged it into an Apex outlet. Since I was already going to get a new Apex for the new tank build, I went ahead and reset my old Apex and moved the PM2 module with the temp and conductivity probe up to the mixing station. That way I can monitor the salinity and temperature remotely.
Clearly, the probe needs to be calibrated, but in theory I'll be able to see at a glance from the office what values are, and see if the pumps or valves are on. From the icons, left to right, RODI (off), SW Circulation Pump (on), Heater (off), and the three alarms (leak detection, temp, etc. all off)
From the Apex dashboard I can turn the heater up to 78 just before I need to do a larger water change and it takes a couple hours to warm up. I otherwise keep it set at 68 or so, which is about what it stays at in the winter anyway, but in case it gets colder, the SW won't precipitate out, assuming that's even an issue.
To hold the probes, I had an old magnetic Apex probe holder, which works quite well. For now, the heater is just laying in there. I'd like to get a magnetic heater holder as well, but they were sold out. I'll check back later and get one, perhaps when I order one for the new sump.
OP
OP
SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Also, cleaned up the space a bit. All the "stuff" is in boxes, on shelves, and labelled!
Lots of equipment here waiting for the new build.
It's good to have a dedicated space for all this. Anything that I need regularly, or that needs climate control is either in my office, or in the garage as appropriate. But I really like having this space.
Lots of equipment here waiting for the new build.
It's good to have a dedicated space for all this. Anything that I need regularly, or that needs climate control is either in my office, or in the garage as appropriate. But I really like having this space.
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
Also, cleaned up the space a bit. All the "stuff" is in boxes, on shelves, and labelled!
Lots of equipment here waiting for the new build.
It's good to have a dedicated space for all this. Anything that I need regularly, or that needs climate control is either in my office, or in the garage as appropriate. But I really like having this space.
Translucent bins with labels? Man, that takes all the fun out of it. When storing stuff, I prefer using opaque bins without labels and my memory. This way, when I'm looking for something, I generally find it in the last bin. After looking in the first couple of bins my blood pressure begins to rise and, by the last bin, I'm full blown ticked off with vessell-popping blood pressure. I mean, it's basically like doing a full-on sprint for about a 10k without the hassle of training, buying running gear or signing up and having to pay to race. Once I have calmed, I can usually be heard mumbling something about remembering to get clear bins and a labeling machine. Of course, about 10 minutes later, or once I see something shiny, I promptly forget everything and the process starts anew the next time I'm looking for "that thing" I stuck in one of the bins. See all the extra fun you be having too!
I like black bins, so I can see everything I own before I find what I need.Translucent bins with labels? Man, that takes all the fun out of it. When storing stuff, I prefer using opaque bins without labels and my memory. This way, when I'm looking for something, I generally find it in the last bin. After looking in the first couple of bins my blood pressure begins to rise and, by the last bin, I'm full blown ticked off with vessell-popping blood pressure. I mean, it's basically like doing a full-on sprint for about a 10k without the hassle of training, buying running gear or signing up and having to pay to race. Once I have calmed, I can usually be heard mumbling something about remembering to get clear bins and a labeling machine. Of course, about 10 minutes later, or once I see something shiny, I promptly forget everything and the process starts anew the next time I'm looking for "that thing" I stuck in one of the bins. See all the extra fun you be having too!
Great build. Nice attention to details
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