ATO Pumps
 

What is everyone using for an ato pump? Gone the long weekend & my aqualifter timed out or something & I needed to add 6 gal of water to get my levels up again.

Its not the first time it has happened either. Just tired of it. I am using a JBJ ATO set-up which seems to work fine.

Give me your ideas!

Maxijet 900 mated to 1/8" line

If you can find a way to position a top off container above your sump, you can set up a gravity fed ATO through a mechanical float valve. No electricity or pump involved. My system is sumpless, not feasible to do that, so I'm using a small air pump on a timer to pressurize a glass wine carboy. The air pressure pushes the water via tubing to a mechanical float valve in the display. Not the prettiest setup, but has worked almost trouble free for years. Only issues I've had is the digital timer getting out of whack & failing to keep the pressure up. This happened randomnly a few times until I switched to a more reliable timer a few months ago. So far so good. With gravity feed top off, there are really only two failure scenarios, both of them highly unlikely. Mechanical valve stuck open or closed. Gravity will always be there, with or without electricity.

I'm running the Tunze osmolator. Nice unit but on the pricey side at $200 or so.

Gravity!

Free . . . but a pretty lame system (a 15L Canadian Tire Beverage Buddy, with 1/4" tubing, and a ball valve to adjust to flow). :lol:

I need to come up with something else. I can't get the drip quite slow enough.

JBJ ATO and Eheim Compact 1000 pump

Well since there is no room in my stand for a gravity fed system that is out. Could use the dosing pump I guess, but water use can change so much, & I would need battery back up on that so I don't lose the time setting.

I'm tossing around some ideas.. but I think it will come down to the pump that will work. I can only fit a 3gal water can in the stand. I just use a 5gal outside when I am gone for more than a couple of days.

Aqualifter AW20
http://www.aquariumsupplies.ca/aqua-...ump-p-844.html

No issues after two years, touch wood.

maxijet 1200 1/4" tubing

Been lucky.. use 2 of them.. been the issue I think, they shut off before the water is topped up.