Looking for cheap & easy auto-topoff

[StirCrazy]

jack look at the bottom of the rubbermaids.. I have foam under themand the wheels are actuly not touching the surface the lids on the 5 gal are threaded so you need a bushing to go from that size to a 1/4" pipe thread then you just use a john guess fitting to conect the hose.

Steve

[Jack]

Bingo, ok. I knew it was easy, I just couldn't see from the picture. Thanks.

[Delphinus]

Here are the pictures I promised. Sorry it took me so long. I've been away all evening and my computer crashed several times while trying to upload from the camera. Dang, I need to retire this piece of junk...

I can't add a whole lot to what Steve has already detailed in his very informative thread on the same topic.

Anyways here are some pictures from my 75g (first two) and my 72g that I'm still currently putting together. I can't take a picture of the standpipe in my 50g, it's too hard to get in there. Suffice it to say, it is kind of the same idea as Steve's white acrylic mounting bracket, although instead of a square, mine is a piece of 3" PVC, and since it's round I can't silicone it to the side of the sump -- instead I used a toilet flange as the "foot" and it is relatively stable. Only problem with the pipe is that it is a bit buoyant, and requires a weight on the top to keep it from moving around. I just have a piece of 2x4 jammed in between the pipe and the top of my aquarium stand.

My 75g uses a Kent valve drilled through an acrylic bubble baffle on the last compartment. You need a hole 5/8" for the Kent valves although you might be able to squeeze the valve through a 1/2" hole but it will be tight. The bucket has a 1/4" tubing bulkhead from a hydroponics store. Cost of the valve, about $30, the bulkhead about $5, tubing and bucket (in this case a kitty litter bucket, which I have several of, with 3 cats ), maybe another $5 to buy that stuff, so in total about $40 if you had to buy everything from scratch. Since this one is drilled through acrylic any hole saw/drill bit of the appropriate size will do.

My 72g (which as you can see doesn't yet have a reservoir, as the tank is still a work-in-progress), uses the Home Depot/Revy humidifer float valve (about $12, and I happen to have a few lying around, so not really any cost out of pocket right now). The real trick on this tank was that the hole is drilled through the glass sump wall, so you need a glass bit (the real expense). For these valves, a 1/2" hole is plenty, but since my bit is 5/8" (because I originally bought the bit for the Kent valve), the hole ends up being slightly larger than it needs to be (I just filled with silicone). So, total cost here (not looking at the cost of the drill bit, which I had anyways), is less than $20.

The one thing to take note of, you need your hole for the valve to be about 2" higher than where you want your water level to be. I forget the exact value for the Kent valve, I think it is a little bit less, but in the same ballpark. For the humidifier float valve it is exactly 2".

Anyways if anyone in Calgary wants a hole drilled through glass the offer stands, it's just a question of finding the time to get together (and me remembering to bring my tools). (Ross got tired of waiting for me, but look how much fun he had :P )