float valve

[scottflanagan]

I am new to the hobbie. i set up a 40 breeder that overflows into a 20 divided into 3 sections for a refugium. I lose about 3 gallons a week and would like to set up a top off device so that my salinity remains constant.
does anyone know if there is a float valve on the market much like what is in a toilet that i could use to release water into my tank when the section with my pump gets low? this way i could have like a 5 gallon bucket above it drilled in the battom and i would only have to add watter like 2+ time a month instead of twice a week.

[soim34]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=KENT-FLOAT&Category_Code=kentroac

[medic29]

I bought one at Farm & Fleet here in town for $7 or less. It is made for a livestock tank, but it works great.

[epon]

Dripping kalk slowly keeps up with my evap. I used a float switch in the past but switched to a steady slow drip that matches the evap rate. Just takes a little tweaking to get it to match. I turn off the kalk drip for two hours a day for the mixing and settling phase. HTH

[scottflanagan]

soim34 thaks for the recomendation i bought the float imeadiatly it was exactly what i was looking for.
i probably should have waited more than a day on this thread because the farm and fleet tip would have saved me a bit of dough. i spent $28 at salfin on the kent one.
oh well the top off is up and running and should give me some time inbetween fill up's
thanks guys

[UH_OH_5_OH]

MEDIC29..........why are you holdin' out on us brother...? You gotta pass on information like this sooner ! ! !

Was there any metal in the washers of the float or was it all synthetic......?

[scottflanagan]

i recomend a top off if you don't already have one. i only have a 5 gal bucket hooked up to my top off, but it does the job because i only have a 40 breeder up top and a 20 long for a fuge.
i lose about 4 gallons a week.
also i was reading that this is a recomended pratice if keeping a clam. as your H2O evaporates your salinity increases and then decreases when you add r/o back into the system. with a top off the salinity stays constant. i didn't do this because i keep clams, yet. I'll save that for next time i go on a spending spree