Man, that looks great! Any reason you didn't do a mini-split? Definitely not knocking what you did!!! Heck, I don't even have that!!! But, a mini split would have been tons easier to do. Especially with your skill-set.
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Fishroom Buildout (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter steveb
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OP
OP
Hind site is always 20/20. I SHOULD have done a dual mini split when we had the one installed in the sun room would have looked better and probably work better. Didn't want to pay the extra $1500 or something like that, that they wanted for it. So I opted for the $400 portable thinking I could install it myself (and could have had it not been for my shoulder). Now its a $700 install so still saving some money I suppose.
Well, that's true. 
At least you can always upgrade later on, pretty easily. I know Chris (crvz) started off the same way as you are, and wound-up going the mini-split route. Those little, rolling portables have a hard time keeping up. The newer mini-splits make chump out of Houston temps. Plus, they can heat as well.
Ah well... It's still a great build, man. I copied how you did your stand, recently. Well, sort-of. LOL! I'll get a pic of my new garage stuff a little later on.
Congrats on the recent elections, too! Thanks for stepping up!
At least you can always upgrade later on, pretty easily. I know Chris (crvz) started off the same way as you are, and wound-up going the mini-split route. Those little, rolling portables have a hard time keeping up. The newer mini-splits make chump out of Houston temps. Plus, they can heat as well.Ah well... It's still a great build, man. I copied how you did your stand, recently. Well, sort-of. LOL! I'll get a pic of my new garage stuff a little later on.
Congrats on the recent elections, too! Thanks for stepping up!
OP
OP
Thanks man. Yeah like I said if I had it to do all over again I'd go the mini split route. Hopefully this one will at least allow me to keep 78°F temps. I do have a 1/3hp chiller but that would be last resort I think. Since it will only work on one system and I am planning on keeping separate systems for SPS,LPS and softies along my with the fish breeding stuff (all long term way out there). Right now this removes a road block on my 400 build (auto water change system). So as soon as I get the drain line done this evening (maybe not wife just told me I have to go catch for pitching lesson 
) I can start the water storage/mixing system 3x75g HDPE tanks and associated plumbing and pump. Then I'll setup the spectrapure unit.
) I can start the water storage/mixing system 3x75g HDPE tanks and associated plumbing and pump. Then I'll setup the spectrapure unit.
OP
OP
Here is the hose install yeah I know real interesting....
Fresh air intake from laundry room..
Exhaust..
Both..
Fresh air intake from laundry room..
Exhaust..
Both..
flexrac
Guest
Every picture counts, no matter how interesting they may be, I look at it as a guide for future builders who want to do something similar, that's why I love my build threads, even when I don't get responses online, people tell me how they use some of my ideas and/or it answered questions they had.
OP
OP
Few updates...
Started laying out mixing setup and "epiphany"... I'm gonna have to move the outlet that is running the A/C. So off the lowes to buy an old stuff electrical box and then move the outlet....
Starting to actually plumb this sucker but ran out of daylight.. So hopefully will finish tomorrow...
Started laying out mixing setup and "epiphany"... I'm gonna have to move the outlet that is running the A/C. So off the lowes to buy an old stuff electrical box and then move the outlet....
Starting to actually plumb this sucker but ran out of daylight.. So hopefully will finish tomorrow...
OP
OP
Finished mixing station. Still need to test.
RC Head Loss Calc: Total losses are 5.37 feet of head pressure, or 2.32 PSI. with a flow rate of 1002 GPH.
Why are there two valves above the mixing tank and another valve over the saltwater tank? Well I made a boo boo and wanted to recycle most of what I had already built....
RC Head Loss Calc: Total losses are 5.37 feet of head pressure, or 2.32 PSI. with a flow rate of 1002 GPH.
Why are there two valves above the mixing tank and another valve over the saltwater tank? Well I made a boo boo and wanted to recycle most of what I had already built....
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K
kyle1284
Finished mixing station. Still need to test.
RC Head Loss Calc: Total losses are 5.37 feet of head pressure, or 2.32 PSI. with a flow rate of 1002 GPH.
Why are there two valves above the mixing tank and another valve over the saltwater tank? Well I made a boo boo and wanted to recycle most of what I had already built....
i am diggin it! looks good! so you have the automation down to mix but do you still have to lift buckets during a water change or are you going to be hooking up hoses to things?
OP
OP
Yeah I hate mixing saltwater....
I will be using a Spectrapure for top off and saltwater exchange on my 400... and those are the small hoses you see on the lower right side. One line will go to the RO/DI tank the other to the saltwater tank. The water bucket thing is an "in case I need it for some reason". In the fish room I will be using a mag 5 pump with about 20' of 1/2" hose to either drain water or pump water in from one of those tanks. I may end up adding an adapter with 1/2" hose barb later for that to the bucket filler. One of my concerns was switching between the different types of water (salt vs. ro/di) and having a bunch of waste water i.e. salt if wanted ro/di or vice versa when using the bucket filler. But I didn't want to have to go back and add if afterwards.
I will be using a Spectrapure for top off and saltwater exchange on my 400... and those are the small hoses you see on the lower right side. One line will go to the RO/DI tank the other to the saltwater tank. The water bucket thing is an "in case I need it for some reason". In the fish room I will be using a mag 5 pump with about 20' of 1/2" hose to either drain water or pump water in from one of those tanks. I may end up adding an adapter with 1/2" hose barb later for that to the bucket filler. One of my concerns was switching between the different types of water (salt vs. ro/di) and having a bunch of waste water i.e. salt if wanted ro/di or vice versa when using the bucket filler. But I didn't want to have to go back and add if afterwards.
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K
kyle1284
i am racking my brain trying to figure out how you could resolve that kind of issue... have you come up with any ideas?
OP
OP
Nope. hence dropping the mag 5 into the top of the saltwater or ro/di tank to pump out... that is the only scenario I could come up with unless you added a separate valve to each tank right at the start and used gravity or a separate pump.
that is the only scenario I could come up with unless you added a separate valve to each tank right at the start and used gravity or a separate pump.
Mark L.
Moved On
Steve, one thing I'm wondering about and it may not even be an issue. When you are mixing your saltwater tank you will have the bottom valve on the RO/DI tank and holding tank closed. You will also have the mixing tank bottom valve open. In this configuration it will leave that bottom long pipe connecting all three tanks open. Do you see this causing any issues with water circulating in the mixing tank? You may get a lot of salt settling in that pipe when you first pour it into the mixing tank. Maybe it's just me being OCD LOL. Hope that makes sense. The issue not me being OCD. Haha
Steve i have the same issue with about 6 feet of hose. Either way, i just let my hose purge into my big rubbermaid sump for a couple seconds before filling the container.
Wether it's salt water or ro/di, the amount that is in the hose is not enough to make any noticeable difference in my tank. At least in my case.
Wether it's salt water or ro/di, the amount that is in the hose is not enough to make any noticeable difference in my tank. At least in my case.
OP
OP
I hope not.... Maybe I should add another valve... I just happen to have one left
So as you noted the mixing tank is actually the one closest to the pump (to minimize pipe and hopefully increase pump pressure - other than long drain pipe).
The process (assuming 0 water in mixing, full tank of RO/DI, nearly 20g? empty saltwater tank.
Mixing and salt tank drains are closed, salt tank return (top) in closed and mixing tank return (top) is open.
Pump on would pull RO/DI water into Mixing tank. Pump off. Close RO/DI drain, open mixing tank drain. Start pump and add salt to top of tank through manhole.
after 24 hours pump off. Close mixing return (top), open saltwater tank return (top), Pump on - pumps water from mixing tank to saltwater tank. As that is going I will probably open saltwater tank drain and let everything mix for a couple of hours.
During this time RO/DI should have refilled RO/DI tank.
Pump off, Close all drains and returns. Wait until saltwater tank down to 20 gallons or so and then repeat process.
Let me know if you see any error in my logic.
Thanks. That is what I am hoping... I don't really want to dump any per say...
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Mark L.
Moved On
That sounds like a good process. Opening the saltwater tank drain for a bit like you mentioned is a good idea and will help flush out any salt that may settle in that long pipe. I just wasn't sure how the pump would act if there was air in that pipe and the water was trying to make the 90° turn towards the pump from the mixing tank. After the initial use it will most likely be filled with either saltwater or RO/DI anyway.
