what to do with water storage tank?

[Olivier]

I got 2 50 gallons storage tank ( white color). I plan to use 1 tank for fresh water and 1 tank for salt mix water. I would like to know where to mount the water pump in the tank and how to seal the hole as well. where to drill the hole as well. I also have 2 smaller size tank, 1 is 50 litters and 1 is 100 litters. Should I use these two small tank instead of large 50 gallons tank? Please let me know
thank you
Olivier

 

[JohnS_323]

I use two 50g drums the same way as you're thinking about. I have one with fresh water and one for salt water. The fresh water drum has a Kent Float Valve near the top and is tied into our RO/DI unit. The float valve keeps the drum full of RO/DI water. There is a hole cut close to the top with a 1" uni-seal and a small length of PVC in it. I have a pump sitting on the bottom of the drum with a piece of flex hose connected to a barb on the 1" PVC. I run a length of flex hose from the outside of the drum to my sump. This line is used if I ever need to get fresh water into the system (which is rarely used). I also have a length of 1/4" PE hose running to the bottom of the drum. This hose is connected to an aqua lifter which is tied into a low level sensor in the sump (from AutoTopOff.com). When the water level drops, the aqualifter turns on and runs fresh water through my Kalk Reactor to do my top-offs. There is another 1" hole at the top of the fresh water drum with a 1" uni-seal and a length of PVC pipe in it. This length goes through a uni-seal into the other drum, effectively connecting the two of them. There is another pump at the bottom of the fresh water drum that is connected to the PVC pipe. This pump is used to drain the fresh water drum into the salt water drum (the RO/DI unit automatically fills the fresh water drum back up and shuts off at the right level). The salt water drum has a hole near the top with a 1" uni-seal and a length of PVC pipe in it. There is a pump in the bottom of the salt water tank with a length of flex hose connected to the PVC. There is another length of flex hose on the outside that goes to the sump. This pump is used to pump water over for water changes.

All of the lines leading into the sump go into a "Tree" which is just a tall length of 2" PVC with inputs for the hoses that are above the level of the 50 gallon drums. This is necessary to prevent any siphoning in either direction.

There are a few pics in THIS thread. Hopefully they help!

I think that about sums it up in a nutshell. Hopefully you'll be at the holiday party. If so, we can talk about it some more there.

 

[pgordemer]

I do something similar but on a more portable scale.

My 55 gallon white drum is sitting up on cinder blocks, with the bottom part of the drum at about chest height. The drum is feed from my RODI with a Kent float switch. In the bottom of the drum as a Maxijet 1200 that is hooked to float switches controlled by Aquacontroller 3. The pump is attached to 1/2" flex tubing that goes out a small hole in the lid, up across the ceiling and back down to the sump. since the tubing is above both the drum and the sump, I don't have to worry about back siphoning. 2 inches up from the bottom of the barrell is a 1" pvc mounted through the sidewall of the drum with a buklhead and a ball valve. (think spicket)

When I want to make salt water, I roll a 42 gallon Brute can under the spicket, open the valve to fill the Brute can. I mix the salt and water in this can with a junk RIO pump lying around, then later use that same RIO pump to pump it into the sump for a water change. (My sump dumps automatically to waste sink with a throw of a few valves.) The main barrel starts refilling from the RODI and in 1/2 a day, it is full again.

The beauty of this system is I have 3 brute can's on wheels, so I can make as much salt water as I need which includes always having at least 1/2 can ready at all times. This also gives me a easy way to clean the can of sediment and debri every few months.

 

[malulu]

if you have time to stop by my house, i can show you mine. i am not good in writting in words, may be i could draw pics when i have a chance... you can get all our ideas and come up with your dream setup, then post/share it here afterward...


- in short, i use manual timer to do refill when need...
- you should stick with the drums, it is better than use small tanks. no worry about leak or accidently crack it while pushing around stuff.

thx