ATO how many people dont use

[chadfarmer]

how many people dont use auto top off on there tank and do it manually?

[breutus]

I do currently and wish I had it setup to do it I loose five gallons every other day

[ncox38]

I have a brand new JBJ sitting in the box, I cant bring myself to hook it up. I probably loose 2 gal a day, I run a fan to keep the tank cool and a dehumidifier.

[Spiffyguy]

i do it manually. don't trust it. I also have a funky tank though.

[levon15]

I have no auto top off, manually a couple gallons a day.

[latazyo]

I would never go manual

now is the time to set one up because those gift wrap containers are available for christmas

they are very tall and skinny and are easy to sneak behind your tank out of view to use as reservoir


dont be afraid

[mpcart]

I manually add 1 to 2 gallons per day.

-Mike

[sirreal63]

I guess I am a rebel...I equate auto topoff with auto disaster. The more complicated things are the more prone to failure. Solenoids stick in a salt environment and pumping fresh water into my tank does not give me the warm fuzzies.

I prefer to have control over what and how much of anything goes into the tank.

[twizzlerman77]

i also manually add 1 to 2 gallons per day

[latazyo]

I just control it by how high the bottom float switch is

if it somehow malfunctions it will hit the second upper safety float switch, which will turn the system off

[paulamrein]

manually, 5 gallons a week. (no intense lighting) salinity stays 1.023-1.024 range.

[MRGolfo]

i am buying one soon because i am going on vacation for 10 days during christmas. i am getting worried with the auto top off means disaster comment.

[sirreal63]

I think they only fail when no one is there. lol

The only way I would do it is with a peristaltic pump that replaced only the daily usage...and even then I would worry about it. Some people use them with no problems...some people have lost everything because of them. I could play Russian Roulette if I wanted to, I just choose not to.

[firsthesitation]

Don't now, sometimes wish I did, I loose about a gallon a day so If I'm ever gone I always worry my pump is running dry. Regardless I have an on/off switch and a bucket with a pump in it sitting near my tank at all times so it makes it easy, just step on the switch and fill.

[d.french]

manually here also, up for suggestion on a nice cheap setup diy project or something.

[scbadiver]

I have done it manually. I know it's dumb but I run the RO into the sump. I haven't had any disasters, YET. I'm hoping to put a more automated system in place soon though. Just trying to avoid Jacks "auto-disaster".

[KvcGsxr600]

I add manually as well. I trust myself, sometimes.....

[latazyo]

anything can fail

your screws could fail and dump your MH into your tank and kill it too

my ATO setup cost me $40 and I got one with dual switches and a relay so that it can handle bigger pumps (even though I only use an MJ1200)

this is the one I have http://www.aquahub.com/store/product26.html

I think one reason people have failure is by:
1. not using backup switches
2. not using a relay to handle the larger pumps
3. using gravity feed w/ solenoids that salt builds up on
4. not using snail guards on their float switches

it consists of 2 float switches (one to turn it off and one is an "emergency" shut off one, so at least it can never fill so much it over flows), wiring, etc, MJ1200, various plumbing (I use rigid for everything), and the wrapping paper reservoir (best thing ever...holds about 9 gallons), snail guards (mandatory!!!)



also if you're that worried about disaster you could just make sure to have a small amount of RO in your reservoir...that way if the setup fails (which it wont) then you will only put a little bit extra in and won't crash (this solution is obviously not viable for vacations)

but so far mine has been running for over a year without ever having a single problem

[kellyjn]

Sorry for the newbie question.

Why don't people just put a simple float valve (like Kent float valve) in the sump and than hook directly to their RO/DI water filter? Bad idea?

Latazyo..... can you post a picture of this reservior? I'm not picturing the container you are speaking of. I'd love to get some kind of system put in place in the future.

[latazyo]

here is a pic of my behind tank plumbing, but it doesnt show the container very well



and here is the exact bin I use...it is like $4.99 at walmart or home depot and is only there during the holiday season

[levon15]

Originally posted by kellyjn
Sorry for the newbie question.

Why don't people just put a simple float valve (like Kent float valve) in the sump and than hook directly to their RO/DI water filter? Bad idea?

Latazyo..... can you post a picture of this reservior? I'm not picturing the container you are speaking of. I'd love to get some kind of system put in place in the future.

If its hooked up to the ro and the switch did get stuck you would have an endless flow of water on your floor, with a reservoir its limited to flooding you with the number of gallons you have in there.

9 gallons on my floor is better than infinite gallons

[latazyo]

yeah there are arguments in favor of both methods

levon covered the reservoir

argument in favor of hooking your rodi up to it: if the reservoir method failed, it would add the entire amount of water to your tank very quickly, at least if the RODI method failed it would be very slow...however as he mentioned it could potentially go on for days (obviously only a problem if you're out of town) but the reservoir method could happen within minutes

we're really stretching it with the what-ifs here....threads like this are what lead to severe reef paranoia

[sirreal63]

Originally posted by latazyo
anything can fail

your screws could fail and dump your MH into your tank and kill it too Much less likely to happen and when I had a fixture fall in it only killed the circuit breaker

I think one reason people have failure is by:
1. not using backup switches the backup switch usually sticks first as it never moves unless the primary fails. Salt creep and buildup attacks the backup plan first.
2. not using a relay to handle the larger pumps good advice for the pumps but them not coming on is rarely a problem with disaster unless it isn't noticed for a long time.
3. using gravity feed w/ solenoids that salt builds up on salt builds up on everything, Murphy's Law
4. not using snail guards on their float switches always a good idea, snails can be a problem and sometimes they can get past a snail guard.

also if you're that worried about disaster you could just make sure to have a small amount of RO in your reservoir...that way if the setup fails (which it wont) (Until it does) then you will only put a little bit extra in and won't crash (this solution is obviously not viable for vacations)

but so far mine has been running for over a year without ever having a single problem

I believe it was Borneman lost his entire personal collection to a faulty ATO. It is still Russian Roulette any way you set it up. Of course the manual topoff can have issues as well but they aren't as severe and probably won't flood your home or drop your salinity to the point of killing livestock.

To each his own and everyone's experience will vary.

[breutus]

The biggest problem I have with a manual fill (and why I want to go to a ATO) is my sump was built that it can only loose 5 gallons before my pump runs dry and I have already burned up one mag pump by being out of the house when It did it, as well as for some reason the bubbles it shot into the tank killed a kenya tree (I know no real loss)

[Nanook]

I won't be chancing my 1000 gallon plus system to an auto-topoff...those with much smaller tanks and stakes may do well to use them, but I have read too many great tank death threads due to an auto-topoff issue. Go ahead and be cocky