I have a bunch of tanks that are designed for processing 4x5 film on hangersthat I run e-6 in. Most are the more common floating lid ones, but one I found that has a light tight lid, and only needs 1L of chemistry.
The down side of the little tank is that it will only hold 6 hangers, while the more common Kodak hard rubber ones take like 9 or more hangers at a time. The Kodak hard rubber ones take at least 1.5L to bring the level up to that of the fil in the hanger though.
I run the longer lasting chems or ones I have ample supplies of in the larger tanks; pre bleach, bleach, fix, stop(s).
The first developer, color developer and reversal bath I work though the small tank.
Sometimes I pour chemistry in with the lights out in the darkroom, and then pour out with the lights on and the tlight tight trap still in place, so as to not loose as much time in inrrtroducing solutions.
I suggest that making up a plexiglass or acrylic insert for a common 4x5 tank and siliconing it in place might be the way to go to get 1L to fil a common tanks most easily.
I know that convetional sink lines use stainless tanks and a water jacket. I don't run this rig often enough to want to dedicate that kind of space to the rig.
I store the longer lasting chems in their tanks, with floating lids, also with saran wrap over the top of a tank to cut down on evaporation.
To bring them up to temperature, I remove the flaoting lid and microwave the whole rubber tank. Take care, the ferric causes the bleach to heats much faster than the other chemical baths.
After they have been fast warmed in the microwave, then go into an oversized tray warm water bath that acts as an impromptu water bath.
