MaxiJet Usage in RO/DI and Saltwater containers.

[netpez]

Huly and I have delved into the world of making our own RO/DI and saltwater.

 

We have the following:

 

- 1x Mighty Mite RO/DI unit (thanks to Origami !)

- 1x 36 Gallon Brute Trashcan for RO/DI water

- 1x 20 Gallon Brute Trashcan for Saltwater

- 1x Aqueon Pro 250 Watt heater (for Saltwater can)

- 2x MaxiJet 1200's (1 for fresh water circulation, 1 for saltwater circulation

- 1x 1" bulkhead (to create a spout at the base of the freshwater can)

 

I also plan on getting a air stone for the saltwater tank as well.

 

My question, is what "mode" do I use these maxijets in for my freshwater and what "mode" do I use it for in the saltwater.

 

The modes include:

- Utility pump

- Laminar Flow

- Power Head

 

Anyone have experience with which mode each pump should be? Also, I know drawing water from the bottom of the can for circulation will be fine in the freshwater tank, however, in the saltwater, I have heard of leftover debris from mixing saltwater. wouldn't any of that junk go into my pumps and mess it up, and additionally, do I want to keep that circulated in my water and eventually go into my Reef tank?

 

Thanks everybody!

[zygote2k]

simple solution.

put a float valve on the r/o container.

when full, add salt and mix with powerhead or pump until similiar temperature as tank temp.

do w/c of same amount as in container.

let water fill up in container till you're ready for next w/c.

repeat.

 

no need for 2 reservoirs or multiple pumps.

KISS

[netpez]

simple solution.

put a float valve on the r/o container.

when full, add salt and mix with powerhead or pump until similiar temperature as tank temp.

do w/c of same amount as in container.

let water fill up in container till you're ready for next w/c.

repeat.

 

no need for 2 reservoirs or multiple pumps.

KISS

 

I already have the equipment

 

I want to keep a reservoir of the 2 so when I need it, I have it. Which is better for each in terms of powerhead mode, laminar flow mode or pump mode?

[zygote2k]

how hard is it to mix salt into water if you have r/o water on hand? 5 minutes of extra time or double the amount of equipment....?

the type of water has zero influence on the type of flow you're getting to mix water. you're just mixing salt into water- it doesn't matter if you use your hand, an oar, an extra dog, or a powerhead as long as the salt is mixed and the water is clear before you use it.

[netpez]

Zygote, not sure if you are understanding my questions here or not. I have 2 trashcans one for fresh and one to keep salt. they probably will not be empty at any time, because I would like to keep a reservoir of each.

 

Even though most folks say I don't need it, I would prefer to keep my freshwater circulated so it does not become stagnant at any time. The pump for saltwater, I am asking what is the best/most efficient mode of the powerhead/pump (it has 3 modes). I am trying to determine which of the 3 would be best to mix and keep mixed my saltwater, this includes factors such as a water level in the cans, which mode will cause the most maintenance headaches (cleaning/replacement) and other things, such as the so called "junk" that is leftover from salt mixes.

 

I already invested in this approach, and it is the approach I intend on proceeding with. I just need advice on these maxijets, and which configuration is the best to proceed with.

Edited March 26, 2013 by netpez

[howaboutme]

Well..not sure you're going to like this comment..but...you don't need to circulate the RODI water, just the salt.

 

I would think the correct mode is powerhead. It's definitely not utility pump. I don't have the same set up like you. I use a MJ1200 to pump water into my saltwater container and then use an extra powerhead to circulate the mix.

[sachabballi reef]

Well..not sure you're going to like this comment..but...you don't need to circulate the RODI water, just the salt.

 

I would think the correct mode is powerhead. It's definitely not utility pump. I don't have the same set up like you. I use a MJ1200 to pump water into my saltwater container and then use an extra powerhead to circulate the mix.

+1 absolutely no need on the rodi...waste of electricity and a pump

I do the same

 

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[cbatkinson]

I have a similar setup and would agree with the last post that you don't need to add a powerhead to the RODI container. However, should you choose to do so, I'd put your pumps on "powerhead" mode.

[DaveS]

Not familiar with seeing modes on the maxijets. Probably something new on the new models. You need very little circulation so if one consumes less power, choose that one. Otherwise it doesn't matter

 

Btw, i don't have a heater in my reservoir. The maxi jet keeps the water temp close enough so i can have one less potential failure point. Even a couple degrees difference won't hurt given the percentage of change.

[netpez]

Hmm... I have seen a couple places online that talked about if you store the RO/DI, you can use a powerhead/pump or airstone to keep it agitated and not get stagnant.... Is this BS? How long does everyone here keep their RO/DI around for?

 

The modes I am referring to... Maxijet allows you to assemble the pump/powerhead together 3 different ways for different effects

Edited March 26, 2013 by netpez

[netpez]

Here are the 3 modes I was referring to:

 

 

 

 

[sachabballi reef]

...don't bother with a pump in rodi...you gotta trust us on this

 

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[smallreef]

I keep 5g of Rodi water on hand at all times...never have circulation in it...12 years and no problems with it....

Now if your worried, the fact that your going to have the water trickling in will give it enough movement...I've never had water mold or anything and I use the 5g within about 2 weeks of making it...

[howaboutme]

Ah yes..those instructions look familiar. The option that looks the most like a traditional powerheard (I just use a koralia) is the laminar. Just drop it in and let it do it's job. For mine, I just use a clip (like what you would clip nori to against your tank) the cord against the container edge to hold the powerhead above the bottom of the container.

[johnnybv]

your water should always be moving / aerated, either salt or plain ro/di, I dont understand why anyone would say you dont need to circulate your r/o reservoir or at least put an airpump in it, Especially of it is not going to be used right away. As far as what mode your pumps are in, I have no idea what the different modes produce or consume, but we all know that turning a pump on and off uses more energy each time it starts up, and produces more wear and tear on the pump. I use a maxijet 1200 in each of my reserviors at home and an airpump in my top off tank, all of them have been on continuously for at least 3-4 years.

 

Im sure this will churn up some sort of controversy as usual, this input is soley based on my experience. At the shop I have reef flo darts on each of my 250 gal reservoirs, which get turned on at least once a day to either mix salt or move water, but none of my top off reservoirs have any movement in them, but that water doesnt last very long because of the constant removal of water for sales, obviously requiring constant salinity monitoring.

Edited March 26, 2013 by johnnybv

[sachabballi reef]

How much do you top off a day ?

 

 

 

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[sachabballi reef]

your water should always be moving / aerated, either salt or plain ro/do, I dont understand why anyone would say you dont need to circulate your r/o reservoir or at least put an airpump in it, Especially of it is not going to be used right away. As far as what mode your pumps are in, I have no idea what the different modes produce or consume, but we all know that turning a pump on and off uses more energy each time it starts up, and produces more wear and tear on the pump. I use a maxijet 1200 in each of my reserviors at home and an airpump in my top off tank, all of them have been on continuously for at least 3-4 years.

 

Im sure this will churn up some sort of controversy as usual, this input is soley based on my experience. At the shop I have reef flo darts on each of my 250 gal reservoirs, which get turned on at least once a day to either mix salt or move water, but none of my top off reservoirs have any movement in them, but that water doesnt last very long because of the constant removal of water for sales, obviously requiring constant salinity monitoring.

 

I

What are your reason for circulation.. does the water sit around for months at a time ? If its based on your experience you kinda imply in the first paragraph its the right way to do it but then soften it a bit and say based on your experience. I would like to understand why you feel its an absolute

 

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[zygote2k]

[johnnybv]

fish consume and live from o2 in the water, stagnant water will become anaerobic, thus the longer it sits the lower your o2 levels become. The only thing we can do for our animals is to control the environment they live in, so I will take every advantage that I can and aerate the water as much as I can at all times. I say from my experience because I have not done an experiment to provide the scientific data that would measure the dissolved O2 in both scenarios, but I have done this for 15 years and believe in it.

 

[DaveS]

Ok, those modes are ways in which you can use the maxi jet. In this context you would use water circ. the others require unnecessary plumbing. Basically drop the power head in the container and you are done.

[Marc Weaver]

your water should always be moving / aerated, either salt or plain ro/di, I dont understand why anyone would say you dont need to circulate your r/o reservoir or at least put an airpump in it, Especially of it is not going to be used right away. As far as what mode your pumps are in, I have no idea what the different modes produce or consume, but we all know that turning a pump on and off uses more energy each time it starts up, and produces more wear and tear on the pump. I use a maxijet 1200 in each of my reserviors at home and an airpump in my top off tank, all of them have been on continuously for at least 3-4 years.

 

Im sure this will churn up some sort of controversy as usual, this input is soley based on my experience. At the shop I have reef flo darts on each of my 250 gal reservoirs, which get turned on at least once a day to either mix salt or move water, but none of my top off reservoirs have any movement in them, but that water doesnt last very long because of the constant removal of water for sales, obviously requiring constant salinity monitoring.

 

In my case, I agree with you on this one. I use a latching relay/solenoid controlled RO/DI topoff reservoir (brute can) that fills back up at around 6" from the bottom and fills until 6" or so from the top (around 25 gallons at a time.) Before I started circulating with a powerhead, the water would become stagnant and smell nasty after a few weeks. The brute is tightly covered.

 

But, I also agree with Rob in the fact that storing that much RO/DI unless it is for auto-topoff is a waste of time, unless maybe for an emergency if it helps your peace of mind.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Marc Weaver

[johnnybv]

and to elaborate a little more on that, don't plumb you ro unit directly to your tank top off. I cant count how many times I have heard of something failing and an RO unit continually running and dropping the salinity in a tank, leaking water all over and killing the tank..... I like the idea of having an RO reservoir, a mixing reservoir, and a separate top off tank, so if something should go wrong with the ATO system then only the amount of the water in the top off tank could get pumped in, not an unlimited run from the RO.

[jaddc]

Boy, that escalated quickly.

 

RODI does not need circulation. It will aerate when you mix in saltwater. That said, no harm in circulating it.

 

I use a maxi jet to mix my saltwater. I use option A and just hang it over the side.

 

As for the stuff that doesn't dissolve, there shouldn't be much of it. It wont harm the pump or your tank.

[howaboutme]

Boy, that escalated quickly.

 

Yes, wow. Basically this falls into the category that you have to make your own judgment on what to do based on the suggestions of others. There are many ways to run a reef tank and I guess there are just as many ways to store RODI water.

 

Personally, threads like this are the most helpful and informative to everyone.

[Marc Weaver]

and to elaborate a little more on that, don't plumb you ro unit directly to your tank top off. I cant count how many times I have heard of something failing and an RO unit continually running and dropping the salinity in a tank, leaking water all over and killing the tank..... I like the idea of having an RO reservoir, a mixing reservoir, and a separate top off tank, so if something should go wrong with the ATO system then only the amount of the water in the top off tank could get pumped in, not an unlimited run from the RO.

 

Definitely true. I know the Osmolator from Tunze that I use will turn the pump off after 5 minutes or so and lock the system so that's all the water that will be put into the tank. Your topoff tank should be proportionate to your system volume. Don't use a 32 gallon trash can for a nano tank LOL.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Marc Weaver