Salt Water Mixing Stations Let's See Them!!

[mcarroll]

just added the JBJ chiller. works great for a Florida garage mixing station.

You added the equivalent of an air conditioner to your mixing vat??? I know it's hot there, but I don't see how this adds up. Whatever the story, if you really need this you should really, really take steps to insulate that rubbermaid - or switch to an insulated container or large cooler. Venting the chiller outside somehow would help too, if you can do it. Right now you're "air conditioning" a plastic cup that's in an oven. Oven wins and your wallet loses (pretty big every month, I'd imagine) in your current set up.

Just out of curiosity, how hot does the garage get and how hot does your water get sitting in there without a chiller?

Holy crap you guys have some insane set ups. Thanks for posting photos, I don't think I could get away with most of them and stay married.

I don't think I could swing a tank if it had to have a chiller...let alone if my salt vat needed a chiller!!!

I think I'd have a solution something like post #86.

A 36" HDPE mixing paddle is my salt mixing station:

 

[red reef]

You added the equivalent of an air conditioner to your mixing vat??? I know it's hot there, but I don't see how this adds up. Whatever the story, if you really need this you should really, really take steps to insulate that rubbermaid - or switch to an insulated container or large cooler. Venting the chiller outside somehow would help too, if you can do it. Right now you're "air conditioning" a plastic cup that's in an oven. Oven wins and your wallet loses (pretty big every month, I'd imagine) in your current set up.

Just out of curiosity, how hot does the garage get and how hot does your water get sitting in there without a chiller?



I don't think I could swing a tank if it had to have a chiller...let alone if my salt vat needed a chiller!!!

I think I'd have a solution something like post #86.

A 36" HDPE mixing paddle is my salt mixing station:

the chiller only runs when I am going to do a water change, about an hour before I am ready I just turn it on and have it set at 78 degrees. I upgraded my chiller from 1/10 to a 1/3 hp chiller and now instead of dragging a 30 gal tub inside to acclimate for 3 days before a water change I plug the 1/10 hp chiller in and in about one hour your ready for the change. the water in the garage can get up to 82 degrees so no way can I dump 82 water into a 78 degree tank. wish I had room inside but I don't. No I would not go out and buy one for this reason but may as well use it if you have one, also serves as a back up just incase.

 

[mcarroll]

Interesting! Is the sump/tank's space ~70°F/air-conditioned?

Just in the interest of keeping things simple, you should check out that earlier post I linked. Seems like with some minor changes, like adding a fan and circulation pump in the sump, maybe you could do the something similar?

 

[mcarroll]

Oh! I forgot to add that unless you are keeping sensitive cold water species, 82°F isn't too warm. I used to keep my tank at 82.9°F day and night when I had halides. If your garage water is added to the sump and gradually mixed into the display I don't think your critters would even notice.

 

[nept2n]

just added the JBJ chiller. works great for a Florida garage mixing station.

Red Reef, I live in Miami if you look at post 89 my setup is in pool pump room at my work and my temp doesn't get that high when mixing. I did have that issue before but it was because I was using a Mag 9 to mix my batches. I got rid of the Mag and got an extra power head and that solved my problem. What pump are you using?

 

[red reef]

Red Reef, I live in Miami if you look at post 89 my setup is in pool pump room at my work and my temp doesn't get that high when mixing. I did have that issue before but it was because I was using a Mag 9 to mix my batches. I got rid of the Mag and got an extra power head and that solved my problem. What pump are you using?

I use a power head to mix my salt. The chiller and pump are only running when I do water changes. Like I said before I am just using what I have on hand. not worth selling such a small chiller. by the time I ship it the UPS cost more then a new one.

 

[mcarroll]

[....]I did have that issue before but it was because I was using a Mag 9 to mix my batches.[....]

That's another good point...if you're keeping a pump running in either your RO or saltwater vat, you can just stop completely and eliminate that many watts of heat in one fell swoop. It's just not needed.

Saltwater can be mixed by hand in about 5 minutes so that it's ready to use. After that it should be well-covered and left still until usage - which should be sooner than later. Immediate usage is probably best. Longer mixing is overkill and can even cause precipitation of calcium and alkalinity in the mixing vat.

Mixing RODI water does nothing. Just keep the container tightly sealed to keep out air-pollutants and it's fine just sitting still in between uses.

 

[mcarroll]

I use a power head to mix my salt. The chiller and pump are only running when I do water changes. Like I said before I am just using what I have on hand. not worth selling such a small chiller. by the time I ship it the UPS cost more then a new one.

I doubt the chiller is THAT worthless if it's at least functional! Even if shipping is prohibitive, it seems like someone else in your area would be in a similar hot-weather situation with their tank....try just keeping an ad running on Craigslist for a while, and/or your local reef club. It'll sell! And you'll have a EVEN SIMPLER (K.I.S.S.) salt mixing setup - you'll love it even more!

 

[Homebrwr]

Great ideas.. Following along

 

[007Bond]

Well here's mine...very simple...my system runs through 4 barrels continuous. For water changes I drain barrels 1 & 2 with the valves at their bottoms,...also I shut the DT return valve over barrel 1 off and open the valve over barrel 3 temporary redirecting the flow to barrel 3 and shut the valve between 2 & 3 so I don't get any back flow into 2. I then do a squirt out with my hose of any bottom settlement. Now ready to refill 1 & 2 .My RODI unit fills barrel 1 from a flote switch at the top...when its 1/2 filled I dump the first 50gal bag of IO. I have a batch type mixer with a ss shaft and prop that I switch on...when its almost filled I add a second bag of salt. Barrel 1 dumps into barrel 2,...when they are both filled and temp reaches DT temp...Done...return a couple valves and all 4 barrels are back on line. The hardest part is dumping the salt.

 

[red reef]

Well here's mine...very simple...my system runs through 4 barrels continuous. For water changes I drain barrels 1 & 2 with the valves at their bottoms,...also I shut the DT return valve over barrel 1 off and open the valve over barrel 3 temporary redirecting the flow to barrel 3 and shut the valve between 2 & 3 so I don't get any back flow into 2. I then do a squirt out with my hose of any bottom settlement. Now ready to refill 1 & 2 .My RODI unit fills barrel 1 from a flote switch at the top...when its 1/2 filled I dump the first 50gal bag of IO. I have a batch type mixer with a ss shaft and prop that I switch on...when its almost filled I add a second bag of salt. Barrel 1 dumps into barrel 2,...when they are both filled and temp reaches DT temp...Done...return a couple valves and all 4 barrels are back on line. The hardest part is dumping the salt.

Go Big or go home. how big is your DT

 

[007Bond]

About 650...1000 overall with refuge, sump, frag, and the 4 barrels.

 

[red reef]

About 650...1000 overall with refuge, sump, frag, and the 4 barrels.

Must be great. and nice mixing station.

 

[beadlocked450r]

Here's an update to mine

Can you give me some more info on your auto water change system

 

[red reef]

Here's an update to mine

one of the cleanest and well thought out systems I have seen. Nice job.

 

[harryball69]

I am currently looking to set up a RO/DI storage and salt mixing station in my house and I'm interested in the way other folks are doing it. So if you have any good photos of your systems don't be shy lets see them.:bigsmile:

I use the bucket my salt came in. cheep. And its worked for years.. A heater,pump & airstone.

 

[Gamma]

I have BRS ro/di 5 stage with a Smart Buddie to speed things up when filling my three 5g old salt buckets to do my weekly water change for 55g DT and 15g sump. Has worked great and got it down to about 3hrs total for entire process.

 

[Baiggann]

Here's mine

 

[red reef]

Here's mine

very nice

 

[theturk]

Wow.

Well here's mine...very simple...my system runs through 4 barrels continuous. For water changes I drain barrels 1 & 2 with the valves at their bottoms,...also I shut the DT return valve over barrel 1 off and open the valve over barrel 3 temporary redirecting the flow to barrel 3 and shut the valve between 2 & 3 so I don't get any back flow into 2. I then do a squirt out with my hose of any bottom settlement. Now ready to refill 1 & 2 .My RODI unit fills barrel 1 from a flote switch at the top...when its 1/2 filled I dump the first 50gal bag of IO. I have a batch type mixer with a ss shaft and prop that I switch on...when its almost filled I add a second bag of salt. Barrel 1 dumps into barrel 2,...when they are both filled and temp reaches DT temp...Done...return a couple valves and all 4 barrels are back on line. The hardest part is dumping the salt.