Rob A February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 I finally got a pair of 40gal vertical tanks for Christmas to replace my pair of Rubbermaid cans-One for RODI and one for mixing/making salt water. It's the typical style with a single external pump, bottom of both tanks plumbed to pump inlet (with individual isolation valves) and the discharge plumbed to the top of the mixing tank only. My question is, do people leave a small power head in the mixing tank and let it run all the time (like I did with the Rubbermaid can) or do you just use the transfer pump to mix it, and if so, do you leave it off after it's mixed or leave it on all the time? I'll try and post a pic when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 In theory with the right plumbing and set of valves, you can just use transfer pump to keep the water moving. Obviously it will only work for one of the tanks since you are keeping them separate (fresh vs. salt). I do wonder however what the power consumption costs are like. Something tells me a little Maxi jet uses less power than an external pump. Given that it's running 24/7, that power savings could add up. Also, keep in mind that if you wear a Maxijet out, it's cheaper to replace than the external pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 I recently built a setup (but using two 75-gallon vertical tanks) much like you're describing. I turn the external mixing pump on for 1 hour every night and let it sit the rest of the time. I've found, however, that the single external pump does not cause enough bottom agitation to rapidly dissolve any salt mix that settles there when making up a new batch. For now, I let a Mag-7 hang in the tank near the bottom and I turn it on for a couple of hours when I mix up a new batch of salt water to make sure that it all dissolves. I've got plans to extend the top pipe down near the bottom and to somehow get both swirling at the bottom and some top-to-bottom exchange so that I can go with only one pump. I'll listen now to see if anybody else has solved this problem. It's not necessary to run the pump all of the time, though. In my experience, when I've run a pump continuously I seem to get a foam and a brown film that accumulates on the sides of my water storage bins. At least, this is what I saw when I was using 44 gallon brute trash cans. The common thinking that I saw was that the brown crud was a clay anti-caking agent used in salt mixes. I don't seem to see this now that I only mix the water once a day and for a much shorter time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpu933k February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 (edited) It's not necessary to run the pump all of the time, though. In my experience, when I've run a pump continuously I seem to get a foam and a brown film that accumulates on the sides of my water storage bins. At least, this is what I saw when I was using 44 gallon brute trash cans. The common thinking that I saw was that the brown crud was a clay anti-caking agent used in salt mixes. I don't seem to see this now that I only mix the water once a day and for a much shorter time. Tom, this is interesting. I run an MJ1200 continuosly in my brutes and I get that brown crud too. I may try running the pump for a shorter amount of time and only once per day. But I'm curious as to what makes the pump running continuously cause the anti-caking agent to precipate out? Why wouldn't it do so in our DTs where the pumps are continuosly running? Edited February 1, 2016 by cpu933k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khh27 February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 Tom, this is interesting. I run an MJ1200 continuosly in my brutes and I get that brown crud too. I may try running the pump for a shorter amount of time and only once per day. But I'm curious as to what makes the pump running continuously cause the anti-caking agent to precipate out? Why wouldn't it do so in our DTs where the pumps are continuosly running?Ditto I get this to and will try Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 I'd be really excited to find out more but I'm not sure the brown stuff is related to keeping a pump running constantly. I just mixed 80 gallons of salt last night into a big tank of freshwater. Within 20 minutes I saw the brown film on the surface of the water. Reminds me of soap scum from a bath tub... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 Tom, this is interesting. I run an MJ1200 continuosly in my brutes and I get that brown crud too. I may try running the pump for a shorter amount of time and only once per day. But I'm curious as to what makes the pump running continuously cause the anti-caking agent to precipate out? Why wouldn't it do so in our DTs where the pumps are continuosly running? Ditto I get this to and will try Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk I think that the extra motion must essentially skims out the clay (or something similar). That's my guess at least. I've been using this new mixing station for about 2 or 3 months now, so it's not a really long track record like with the Brutes. However, it seems to me that I found the idea of mixing just once or twice a day from some other post somewhere else and it made sense. Anyway, I don't see the brown scum anymore even when I mix it for several hours and with a lot of surface agitation as is the case when a fast stream is entering the tank from the top of the tank (which causes a lot of aeration). Dave, when you see it, are you mixing in a new, clean container? Or is it an old container that already had some brown scum on the sides? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 I get the brown film in my mixing Brute which I run 24/7 too, but I don't get it in the Brute at the child care center which I just give a good stir when I dump in salt and another good stir a week or two later when I come back to do the water change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 BTW, maybe Justin can weigh in here, but I think he used the same huge vertical container for years to mix his salt and when he finally cleaned it out he had 4-5 inches of the brown gunk in the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A February 1, 2016 Author Share February 1, 2016 Thanks for the feedback. I ran the pvc return line down to the bottom of the mixing tank and put an elbow on the end. I drilled an anti siphon hole up near the top. It creates a decent swirl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 Thanks for the feedback. I ran the pvc return line down to the bottom of the mixing tank and put an elbow on the end. I drilled an anti siphon hole up near the top. It creates a decent swirl. Thanks, I wanted to do the same, but was concerned that I wouldn't get as much top-to-bottom turnover. So I toyed with the idea of adding a tee at the bottom instead of an elbow, and putting an upward-pointing 45 on one side of the tee. Or maybe adding a 1-inch tee towards the top but then extending to the bottom of the container where I'd terminate with an elbow and a maybe a 3/4" adapter to create some backpressure (to increase flow at the top). Thoughts? I'm probably overthinking this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A February 1, 2016 Author Share February 1, 2016 Mixing station so far... Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A February 1, 2016 Author Share February 1, 2016 Where the return line enters the top of the mixing tank there is a slip adapter and it is only a few inches below the top. Then the piece that runs down to the bottom of the tank with the elbow is just jammed into that slip adapter. I have it aimed so that the water just goes counterclockwise in the tank . Its not glued together yet. You could do something like that and try different configurations, try one out then pull it out and try another one, etc. I'm seeing some little vortexes on the surface when I have it in mixing mode. It's like little tiny tornados swirling around the surface, but they are tiny. Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 Mixing station so far... Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk Won't all the water spill out the sides? hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS February 1, 2016 Share February 1, 2016 (edited) Dave, when you see it, are you mixing in a new, clean container? Or is it an old container that already had some brown scum on the sides? Brand new brutes, never touched salt before. Tank was recently cleaned too. The entire tank is basically a big mixing station at this point. We can monitor for a few days of continuous agitation to see if things get worse. Edited February 1, 2016 by DaveS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A February 1, 2016 Author Share February 1, 2016 Won't all the water spill out the sides? hehe Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A February 1, 2016 Author Share February 1, 2016 Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBR February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 Same here: Trash can + heater + maxijet running 24x7 ==>> getting the brown gunk. Funny, I was just contemplating a new trash can 'cuz the current one is really, really, funkified. Will try to the timer idea for it's next incarnation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilRams February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 Funny. Setting up a new tank I mixed the saltwater in the tank itself. Everything on high flow with the heater on. After awhile I came back and the filter socks had brown crud all in them in a brand new tank. I shrugged and walked away. Now it makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 Rob, do you have a pipe that runs all the way down to the bottom on the inside of the salt water tank? Or an elbow just below the top inside? I initially had an elbow just inside, but then switched to a 45 for less back pressure. I get the same swirl near the top, but I still would see undissolved salt mix settle indicating some quiet spots near the bottom. Of course, they would eventually dissolve, but I like for my salt mix to dissolve more quickly before settling out like that. That's why I stuck the Mag-7 in the tank - to keep any salt mix from settling and to make it dissolve even more quickly. Wil, filter socks are another way other hobbyists (that I've read about) have removed the clay stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A February 2, 2016 Author Share February 2, 2016 The pipe I have inside the tank goes almost all the way to the bottom, it's maybe 4 inches from touching the bottom. The piece on top of the tank is bent at an angle so the pipe inside starts at the top left where the uni-seal is and ends up at the bottom right side. Initially I tried heating up the pipe to put a gentle curve in it but I gave up and just stuck an elbow on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2016 Share February 2, 2016 The pipe I have inside the tank goes almost all the way to the bottom, it's maybe 4 inches from touching the bottom. The piece on top of the tank is bent at an angle so the pipe inside starts at the top left where the uni-seal is and ends up at the bottom right side. Initially I tried heating up the pipe to put a gentle curve in it but I gave up and just stuck an elbow on it. Thanks, that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now