Mixing own salt, how do you transfer to tank?

Good call. I use a maxi jet too. Get a clamp for the hose so you can clamp it to the tank and not worry about it slipping out and getting water on the floor.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Pony-1-in-Adjust-A-Clamp-3251/202688749/

 

Any pic of the clamp in use? I'll have to order it online! Good idea!

 

No pic right now but just clamp to the glass pushing the hose against the top of the tank on the rim. I keep the end of the hose just above the top of the water line so it doesn't back siphon when you turn the pump off.

 

I only make 5G batches. Fill the bucket, add salt, heater, and powerhead (to mix), then check the salinity the next day. Lugging the 40 pounds isn't an issue and I just pour it in slowly. The tank is in my living room with hard wood floors, if I do too much there I'll screw something up or forget something and make a mess.

 

+1 ^ ^ ^ I do it the same exact way and I have a batch made up all the time. I don't always pour it, I take a glass and just scoop water out and pour it into the tank. That way I don't have to lift the bucket and only a minimal amount of water is lost and what I do lose the towel I put down catches it all. I am thinking of getting a maxi-jet, spare hose, and a clamp just to pump the water back in though.

 

Good ideas. I'm about to start making my own RO for my 300gal. Unfortunately I'll be mixing in my garage and my tank is in my Florida Room. Dollies won't work for me either. Lugging 5gal buckets is a good cheap workout though!!!

 

This is new to me because I use 5g buckets. And it sticks!!
Could someone help me by recommending a RO/DI unit that wont kill my wallet and help me understand how it works? Like the picture above if I have a 20g tank in my tank stand for new water I can pump that new mixed water into tank? Where do you guys keep your RO/DI units?

 

My Ro is under the sink in the kitchen but people keep them anywhere that has a water pipe that is accessible. Some people have them outside but I never liked the idea of it freezing in the winter.

I just use one of these



I just use a 50 gpd unit and is fast enough for me as I run water off every weekend for my water changes and one for my topup.

I am sure there are sponsors on here who sell them or there is EBay. Mine cost around $150 but to be honest it doesnt take long for it to pay for itself if you are paying for water from an lfs.

To pump the water back in from the mixing tank I just use a small tunze 106 pump obviously with a hose attached to it.


I am sure there are better more professional setups you can do but this for me was cheap and effective as I already had the little cube and the pump lying around. Just to add we have limited space so I didnt want big mixing tub as we have no where to store them

As you can see from the pic above it doesnt have to get that messy either

Hope it at least gives you some inspiration even if you decide to do it differently

 

I have 3 44 gallon brutes. One is my RO water in Laundry room(RO unit in laundry) right behind the tank in other room. I use another for mixing up new salt then transfer to the tank via pump.I use the other when vaccuming sand/sump/blow off rocks with powerhead. Could probably get away with 2 ( or even one really)but the extras makes it a little easier.
Almost every time I somehow manage to drop a hose or create some sort of water mess . Would like to build a dedicated water change station. I saw a great water making station on Youtube. He just throws in a bag of salt and turns some valves.

 

I also use 2 44g Brutes, both on casters. New RODI/Salt is mixed in one with a Mag3. Then the same Mag 3 is used to pump water out of the tank and into the empty Brute, then the processed is reversed with the pump from the new saltwater to the tank. Once that's done (10 min), I can use the old tank water in the Brute to wash/rinse filter pads, reactors, etc. Finally, the old brown trash water is wheeled over to the sink and pumped down the drain.