Your videos have helped me a lot with my reefing. From tank upgrades and now this water storage. They are somewhat more “economical” (compared to other things in this hobby) and the most practical. Thumbs up.
You did a really neat job it all looks good. The red & white PVC color is perfect. Maybe later on you can come up with a way to pump feed your tank from there so you don't have to carry those 5 pound jugs. Take care and keep up the good.
Phil Maznyk I'd love to have my system fully automated including doing WC's with a press of a button. But this is almost as good and really was an improvement over the last version AND takes up less room. Thanks Phil!
Nice gill! Doing similar. Adding an eb4 instead of dj and tying into aquabus from a DOS that I 1linked from main apex. Will be adding a breakout box to that and putting some float switches into the brutes to monitor levels.maybe even connect those to solenoid to rodi unit
very nice setup. I am looking for something to build just like this so I can stay on top of my water changes. This will make it so much easier. Thanks. Good job on this project.
Hey man, I really like this design! This is definitely something that I am going to do in the future. Thanks for posting and I will be adding this to my favorites so I can easily refer back to it in the future.
Nicely done!!! Figured you would like that Blue Line pump, love mine. Your setup is really similar to mine (except for the red paint which is a nice touch). The big difference between our setups is that I use my controller to monitor my temp/PH/Conductivity.
At least you didn't use any drain fittings like other people post on other videos. I wish I had the extra space for that here in my house . Keep Reefing
I've been wanting to make on of these forever! A bit too pricey for me if I was using the panworld or the salinity probe lol. For now I'll stick to a trashcan for holding fresh and a bucket for mixing lol. Great build
Good video! I plan to do the same setup but a little different. I want to use the same brute stack up design but I'm wanting to do a setup where the pump will circulate and pump salt/freshwater independently. I got the design but I'm ciruous...if I use bulkhead fittings on the curved part of the brutes (bottom part) will it leak or do I have to use uniseals?
you definitely inspired me to build one, not sure about the space i have available but going to take some measurements now, how many gallons are your brutes? 32gal? how far is your station from your tank? would you be able to run the lines directly to you tank so you have even less work? if possible i would use the ready mix in conjuncture with my skimmer and wet skim with a float switch and have a series of small water changes through out the week...food for thought
Hi Reefer Gil! Thanks again for another great video series. I just received my RODI - Universal 6 Plus water Saver from BRS and it's wonderful...Thanks for steering me in this direction. Also - in my communication with BRS I credited your your channel for my purchase...just wanted them to know how I came to buy from them. Be Well ! Manny
Hi Gil, looks really nice. Highly suggest you support each of the platforms with 2x4s running to the ground. Right now you just have screws. Would hate to see all that work come crashing down if the screws bend or break
Great set up. Would you be able to provide a list of what you used and how many to create this set up. Or maybe a design diagram. Just trying to get an idea of what I need to replicate this. Thanks for posting.
You did a great job on this, you will like it a lot better. Love your choice of salt too...we like salanity too. Do you keep it heated 24/7, we dont for it seems little waste on the electric but I guess that is debatable=)
Hey Gill. I built a very similar station. Was curious if you ever had any issues with the hole being direct center in the trash cans and there then being couple inches of left over water in the salt bin. Do you leave it in there for next change or do you some joe drain it ?
Center bottom or center on the side? Zero issues center bottom. I had this station for over 5 years. Some salt creep on center side. I mix my salt and have it on hand at all times. I run a pump in salt 12 hrs a day. Upgraded my salt mixing station. Its on my Instagram if you're interested.
ReeferGil center bottom. I wasn’t thinking when I drilled and built mine, since on the bottom part of the brutes around the edges is actually lower then the middle. Was wondering if I’m gonna have problems with the bit of left over salt water after a water change when I go to mix my next batch
That came out really nice bro, love the look and function, very creative indeed. My setup isn't quite so manual regarding the 5g containers but this could be easily utilized to make it even that more easy :) Awesome video.
Very nice, I'll certainly take some ideas from this! Have you considered pumping your salt mix directly to the display tank (long hose) instead of carrying 5 gallon jugs? Shutoff might be a little tricky on the timing...
David Roady Yeah, that was definitely doable had I thought of it when I first set up the tank. I'd love to make an automated water changing system to do water changes with a push of a button, but seems too complex. Still may take on the project to pump SW from downstairs into DT.
Great video very helpful! Just one question, if I'm not using all the salt water in one water change, can I leave the rest of the water in the barrel without any circulation until the next water change?
Alan Espinosa You don't need to circulate fresh RO water, but you will need to keep your stored saltwater circulated because it will go bad if it goes stagnant. Just throw a pump in the container. A heater would also be helpful in case you had to do an emergency water change, you want to avoid putting cold saltwater in your tank. If you're storing the saltwater for longer than a couple of weeks, then check the salinity level one more time as evaporation can affect your salinity levels. It's a good idea to keep enough new saltwater ready to go in case you have to do a big emergency water change. I hope this helps.
If u can plumb it directly u should put the new sump where your mixing station is...more room to work on your equipment. I'm looking to do the same thing moving tank to an in wall and everything in my garage. Mixing station with auto water change..can't wait, I hate carrying buckets into the house for water changes. Anyway great job on the mixing station...oh also where did u get that pump for so cheap?
+Gregg Bell You can ask as many question as you want, lol. No, I actually drilled like two inch holes if I recall correctly. If I remember, I started with 1" but found it not to be big enough for my application. Hope your station comes out as you had planned.
I've come up with away to add some plumbing and pumps, hook them up to my reef keeper, all i have to do is make water and my water changes will be done automatically from a timer on the pumps!
+Gregg Bell Hey Gregg, I don't recall the measurements. My blueprint was literally the Brute container. I built around it and ensured it wouldn't be too high for the area I was going to store them at. Thanks for the post.
After reviewing different saltwater mixing stations, I have decided to mimic your set up. I was wondering how difficult is it to get to the coupling underneath the bottom platform for any maintenance?
Excellent question. The hole I drilled on the wooden shelve where the coupling comes out of was cut out large enough to fit my fingers through and access the coupling. Hope that makes sense.
Quick question, how do you add the salt? You can't remove the lid since the flex tube is going through the lid? And you really can't pull the can out? Do you swivel the lid around? That's the only thing that worries me with this design, other than that, this is the perfect design. And your response will probably make my concerns go away.
***** Hey Randy. I simply pop the lid off and remove it. I don't have to turn it. The 90 elbow coming off of the bottom of the freshwater bin is NOT clued in. So I just slip it on and off as needed. Hope that helped. Thanks Randy!
I am in the process of building a similar set-up. I need to find a pump that will send water 75 ft+ horizontally to my main tank in the house. Do you have experience in pumps to tell me what brand/model is powerful enough to move water fast enough for water change that is 75+ feet away?
+sa88m It's 1/2 cup per every gallon of freshwater. I try for 1.026. It takes a while to get it right. If its too high, just add a bit more freshwater, too low add a little more salt. Theres a learning curb at first. Thanks for the post.
How much money did this cost to make not including rodi unit? Also, how does your rodi unit stop making the good water when the barrel is full (where does the water go when the float valve goes up?)
+Aiden Tolomay It was piece mealed together, so I don't know how much it all costs. The water stops flowing when the float switch inside the barrel rises.
well think I m ready to duplicate your system with a few minor adjustment! what size bulkheads did you use? And the size of the uniseal? I located the uniseal on amazon but want to make sure I select the correct one.
Alright! Very exciting! I used all 1" PVC, 1" bulkheads and 1" Uniseal. Grab at least one extra bulkhead in case you accidentally crack one. I bought my bulkheads and Uniseal from BulkReefSupply.com. Hope to see a video when you're done.
Your videos have helped me a lot with my reefing. From tank upgrades and now this water storage. They are somewhat more “economical” (compared to other things in this hobby) and the most practical. Thumbs up.
Thank you very much, really appreciate it.
You did a really neat job it all looks good. The red & white PVC color is perfect. Maybe later on you can come up with a way to pump feed your tank from there so you don't have to carry those 5 pound jugs. Take care and keep up the good.
looks great! trust me, the effort of building something like this is well worth the time and energy it will save you in the long run.
Just watched this again. Fantastic video.
Phil Maznyk I'd love to have my system fully automated including doing WC's with a press of a button. But this is almost as good and really was an improvement over the last version AND takes up less room. Thanks Phil!
Fantastic job, painting pipes, a new trend for sure
thank you for being so patient with me and for helping me build in my water station
Really helpful. I live in an apartment so this will save me a ton of space. Great video
Warren Corbin I really love the setup, makes things easier and like you said, it's a space saver!
Great job, very,very well done !
+David Harwood Thank you David, I always appreciate these posts.
Awesome video! Had to add it to my DIY playlist on my channel. Fantastic job!
Awesome design and build buddy! Good job.
Great job fella that will make your changes much easier.
Good job on the setup! I have two 32 gallon Brute's, like yourself, but switching over to a 75 gallon storage, for fresh.
Nice gill! Doing similar. Adding an eb4 instead of dj and tying into aquabus from a DOS that I 1linked from main apex. Will be adding a breakout box to that and putting some float switches into the brutes to monitor levels.maybe even connect those to solenoid to rodi unit
Nice work make. That will defo make water changes easier!
Nice work man. Loved the post
Thanks Michael!
Good build video, the end product looks great.
Awesome job looks great
Awesome job mate
very nice setup
KALZONE850 Thanks, made life a little easier.
very nice setup. I am looking for something to build just like this so I can stay on top of my water changes. This will make it so much easier. Thanks. Good job on this project.
Brian, it was one of the best things I've done. Water changes are a snap compared to the old way.
Just what I was looking for!
Right on, not sure if you have Instagram, but I post on there daily. I've upgraded my SW making stations, photos on IG.
Hey man, I really like this design! This is definitely something that I am going to do in the future. Thanks for posting and I will be adding this to my favorites so I can easily refer back to it in the future.
Nicely done!!! Figured you would like that Blue Line pump, love mine. Your setup is really similar to mine (except for the red paint which is a nice touch). The big difference between our setups is that I use my controller to monitor my temp/PH/Conductivity.
WOW pure amazing! Love the red and white 2 of my favorite colors. If I were to do a mixing station it would almost be exactly like yours. Great job!
😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😁😁😁
Wow..awesome..you certainty figured everything out..
rockstar Thanks, it really simplifies my water changes.
Nice job man! Always love watching your videos
The Elite Reef Love hearing that, thank you!
looking great man
Thanks Wayne, I'm really enjoying the new setup!
At least you didn't use any drain fittings like other people post on other videos. I wish I had the extra space for that here in my house . Keep Reefing
Yeah, I know what you mean. I also wish I had the room to have larger containers, but I'm thankful for what I was able to keep. Thanks for the post!
I've been wanting to make on of these forever! A bit too pricey for me if I was using the panworld or the salinity probe lol. For now I'll stick to a trashcan for holding fresh and a bucket for mixing lol. Great build
Good video! I plan to do the same setup but a little different. I want to use the same brute stack up design but I'm wanting to do a setup where the pump will circulate and pump salt/freshwater independently. I got the design but I'm ciruous...if I use bulkhead fittings on the curved part of the brutes (bottom part) will it leak or do I have to use uniseals?
Great video.
Thomas Brown Thanks Thomas! It really made WC less of a hassle.
Nice job Reefer Gil, only thing I would advise is the bulkheads. I recommend schedule 80, I used the standard Bulkheads and they cracked.
you definitely inspired me to build one, not sure about the space i have available but going to take some measurements now, how many gallons are your brutes? 32gal? how far is your station from your tank? would you be able to run the lines directly to you tank so you have even less work? if possible i would use the ready mix in conjuncture with my skimmer and wet skim with a float switch and have a series of small water changes through out the week...food for thought
Hi Reefer Gil! Thanks again for another great video series. I just received my RODI - Universal 6 Plus water Saver from BRS and it's wonderful...Thanks for steering me in this direction. Also - in my communication with BRS I credited your your channel for my purchase...just wanted them to know how I came to buy from them. Be Well ! Manny
That's AWESOME Manny, thank you very much!
My dream water mixing station!
LOL, if you have the room, it's not too bad to setup. I absolutely love it!
Check my vids on you tube, don't have much space. Simple set-up, with room for updates
Will-do!
Hi Gil, looks really nice. Highly suggest you support each of the platforms with 2x4s running to the ground. Right now you just have screws. Would hate to see all that work come crashing down if the screws bend or break
Great set up. Would you be able to provide a list of what you used and how many to create this set up. Or maybe a design diagram. Just trying to get an idea of what I need to replicate this. Thanks for posting.
Sorry Joel, I don't have that info.
Dang awesome as always. I wish I had the space to do the same thing. (Who the heck gives you thumbs down? Your vids are great, keep it up)
with the unseal on side of the garbage can do you use a bulkhead on that too
You did a great job on this, you will like it a lot better. Love your choice of salt too...we like salanity too. Do you keep it heated 24/7, we dont for it seems little waste on the electric but I guess that is debatable=)
Hey Gill. I built a very similar station. Was curious if you ever had any issues with the hole being direct center in the trash cans and there then being couple inches of left over water in the salt bin. Do you leave it in there for next change or do you some joe drain it ?
Center bottom or center on the side? Zero issues center bottom. I had this station for over 5 years. Some salt creep on center side. I mix my salt and have it on hand at all times. I run a pump in salt 12 hrs a day. Upgraded my salt mixing station. Its on my Instagram if you're interested.
ReeferGil center bottom. I wasn’t thinking when I drilled and built mine, since on the bottom part of the brutes around the edges is actually lower then the middle. Was wondering if I’m gonna have problems with the bit of left over salt water after a water change when I go to mix my next batch
@@IglooHockey I do weekly water changes, only use 10-15 gallons a week. Refill the container and start over. You'll have leftover, but not an issue.
That came out really nice bro, love the look and function, very creative indeed. My setup isn't quite so manual regarding the 5g containers but this could be easily utilized to make it even that more easy :) Awesome video.
Thanks James, I'm really stoked with how it came out!
Very nice, I'll certainly take some ideas from this! Have you considered pumping your salt mix directly to the display tank (long hose) instead of carrying 5 gallon jugs? Shutoff might be a little tricky on the timing...
David Roady Yeah, that was definitely doable had I thought of it when I first set up the tank. I'd love to make an automated water changing system to do water changes with a push of a button, but seems too complex. Still may take on the project to pump SW from downstairs into DT.
Great video very helpful! Just one question, if I'm not using all the salt water in one water change, can I leave the rest of the water in the barrel without any circulation until the next water change?
Alan Espinosa You don't need to circulate fresh RO water, but you will need to keep your stored saltwater circulated because it will go bad if it goes stagnant. Just throw a pump in the container. A heater would also be helpful in case you had to do an emergency water change, you want to avoid putting cold saltwater in your tank. If you're storing the saltwater for longer than a couple of weeks, then check the salinity level one more time as evaporation can affect your salinity levels. It's a good idea to keep enough new saltwater ready to go in case you have to do a big emergency water change. I hope this helps.
just finished building my stand,and it looks nice, Did you say that you used 1" PVC and on the saltwater can did you use 1-2 unseal
+Gregg Bell Yes, 1". I used Uniseals on the sides of the containers and standard bulkheads for the bottoms of the containers, all 1".
Hey i love this design! If you don't mind could i please use it?
Hi! How did you connect the 1 inch PVC to the hose/tubing?
Hi, you would need a 1" barb hose. Glue it, then slide it inside 1" pvc pipe or 1" 90.
If u can plumb it directly u should put the new sump where your mixing station is...more room to work on your equipment. I'm looking to do the same thing moving tank to an in wall and everything in my garage. Mixing station with auto water change..can't wait, I hate carrying buckets into the house for water changes. Anyway great job on the mixing station...oh also where did u get that pump for so cheap?
I will be copying a lot of this with my next setup :)
I've been using for two months or so and I LOVE it! You will too!
last question was that a 1" holes drilled in your wood
+Gregg Bell You can ask as many question as you want, lol. No, I actually drilled like two inch holes if I recall correctly. If I remember, I started with 1" but found it not to be big enough for my application. Hope your station comes out as you had planned.
Good stuff
Gil...where did you get the bulk heads?? thx!
+postunit Hey, got them from Bulk Reef Supply. They have several different sizes.
I've come up with away to add some plumbing and pumps, hook them up to my reef keeper, all i have to do is make water and my water changes will be done automatically from a timer on the pumps!
Hi nice infomacion
Question ? Do you. Run. The pump the salt water every day
6 hours?
Alejandro Ruiz Yes, I think it runs 8 or 10 hrs. Thanks for the post.
love your water station by any chance do you know or remember the measurement
+Gregg Bell Hey Gregg, I don't recall the measurements. My blueprint was literally the Brute container. I built around it and ensured it wouldn't be too high for the area I was going to store them at. Thanks for the post.
After reviewing different saltwater mixing stations, I have decided to mimic your set up. I was wondering how difficult is it to get to the coupling underneath the bottom platform for any maintenance?
Excellent question. The hole I drilled on the wooden shelve where the coupling comes out of was cut out large enough to fit my fingers through and access the coupling. Hope that makes sense.
can you provide a parts list of everything in this build?
All the parts were covered in the video. Is there anything specific I can help you out with?
hey do you have a list of materials need? plumbing and framing. That would be helpful.Thanks
I don't, wish I though ahead and did that. I get lots of requests for that info. This Water Station made my life so much easier though.
Quick question, how do you add the salt? You can't remove the lid since the flex tube is going through the lid? And you really can't pull the can out? Do you swivel the lid around? That's the only thing that worries me with this design, other than that, this is the perfect design. And your response will probably make my concerns go away.
***** Hey Randy. I simply pop the lid off and remove it. I don't have to turn it. The 90 elbow coming off of the bottom of the freshwater bin is NOT clued in. So I just slip it on and off as needed. Hope that helped. Thanks Randy!
If your system lacks flexibility you could even cut a small hole in the lid and use a funnel for salt and cap it when you’re finished.
The red and white looks like a vertex build.
I like how it came out. I just finished plumbing my new sump, but went with the sch 40 white look.
also the size of bulk head you used
+Gregg Bell Hey Gregg, I used 1" Uniseal bulkheads.
I am in the process of building a similar set-up. I need to find a pump that will send water 75 ft+ horizontally to my main tank in the house. Do you have experience in pumps to tell me what brand/model is powerful enough to move water fast enough for water change that is 75+ feet away?
I'm sorry I wouldn't know. Hopefully someone will jump in and steer you in the right direction. ANYONE?
Same company pan world go with models that don't have the X. The plain p models handle head better. So at min I would do a 150p
You can prevent putting the valve if you use a check valve on the line that feeds the pump from the bottom of the tank
CUBAN REEFER Thanks for the tip. Love this WC station. Saved me lots of time
how do you no how much salt to add?
+sa88m It's 1/2 cup per every gallon of freshwater. I try for 1.026. It takes a while to get it right. If its too high, just add a bit more freshwater, too low add a little more salt. Theres a learning curb at first. Thanks for the post.
How much money did this cost to make not including rodi unit? Also, how does your rodi unit stop making the good water when the barrel is full (where does the water go when the float valve goes up?)
+Aiden Tolomay It was piece mealed together, so I don't know how much it all costs. The water stops flowing when the float switch inside the barrel rises.
Good job,
I never do water change and my nitrates are .5 Using bio pellets
Blish k
to drill in the garbage can should it be one inch or two inch
well think I m ready to duplicate your system with a few minor adjustment! what size
bulkheads did you use? And the size of the uniseal? I located the uniseal on amazon but want to make sure I select the correct one.
Alright! Very exciting! I used all 1" PVC, 1" bulkheads and 1" Uniseal. Grab at least one extra bulkhead in case you accidentally crack one. I bought my bulkheads and Uniseal from BulkReefSupply.com. Hope to see a video when you're done.
so you use 1uniseal on the top of the saltwater can and another one on the side, so the number of uniseal you used was 2 and 2bulkhead
ok so all the holes you drilled are two inches
i need a house for this setup
Once you do get your house your tank just might be your favorite part of the house!
did you say easy? this looks like a freakin science project
HAHA, it's really not bad. Makes a whole world of difference.
your using a glass drill bit to cut through plastic go to homedepot and get a hole saw
hahaaa thanks :)
That's a serious pump loll
I don’t get it, all this hard work to make a great station just to carry buckets?
C
Chase V It makes mixing water easier and easier to fill bucks. I'm upgrading to bucketless water changes, I put out a video on it.
so you use 1uniseal on the top of the saltwater can and another one on the side, so the number of uniseal you used was 2 and 2bulkhead
so you use 1uniseal on the top of the saltwater can and another one on the side, so the number of uniseal you used was 2 and 2bulkhead