Best top off system?

[Reefer Rob]

I'm with the keep it simple group: gravity feed to a mechanical float switch. Too many gadgets, pumps and switches keeps me awake at night.

It would be interesting to hear from someone who actually had this system fail... and why.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

I'm with the keep it simple group: gravity feed to a mechanical float switch. Too many gadgets, pumps and switches keeps me awake at night.

It would be interesting to hear from someone who actually had this system fail... and why.

It failed once on me due to a leaky float valve. It filled with water and would no longer float, luckily I figured it out before anything bad happened.
Now I use floats and switches, plumbed directly into my RO.

[Reefer Rob]

Any idea what caused the float to fill with water?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

Any idea what caused the float to fill with water?

The seam separated slightly. It was quite old (Kent), but I drained it and applied silicone around the seam and used it for a few more years.
I did notice potential failures when I topped off with kalk, I would get large Ca deposits around the input, but easy enough to clean.

[mike31154]

Variation on the gravity feed that's worked flawlessly for me for better than two years. No sump, impractical for me to elevate top off container above display, so I do need to cheat a little to help gravity along.

Uses air pump on a timer, 7 gal glass wine carboy pressurized by air pump, some rigid & flexible tubing, stopper with two holes, mechanical house humidifier float valve on a DIY acrylic bracket. Takes a bit of tuning to get the timing for the air pump so that it keeps the car boy sufficiently pressurized as it slowly empties, but once done, no further adjustment required. In my case, the water level in the display needs to have a close tolerance otherwise the overflow box housing the pump feeding my HOB skimmer will cavitate. This system has been rock solid in keeping water level constant with a slow trickle. Folks with a sump will be able to get away with a bit more variation with regard to water level without any disastrous consequences.

Occasionally I'll throw some calcium, epsom salts or baked baking soda in the top off if I find any of the pertinent parameters are getting a little too far out of the ballpark. I will use gravity fed once I get a new setup with basement sump. The fewer components you use, the less can go wrong. You can throw all the money you wish at backups & failsafes, but every component you add will also add the possibility of another thing that can go wrong. I'll take a guess and say that I may have spent 50 bucks on all the components. Several I already had kicking around & I don't have to go back to a specific manufacturer to replace any one of them.

I've posted these photos of my ATO setup a number of times now, some of you are probably getting sick up & fed of seeing them, but for the benefit of those that haven't....

Glass wine carboy, 7 gal, give or take. Sits on a stand next to display & keeps it topped up for 7 days. Short tube is air in, long one water out to mechanical float valve. The timer kicks in for a few minutes every hour to keep the carboy pressurized. Even if there's a power failure, there will still be residual air pressure to continue topping off for some time if required.



Mechanical float valve. Not a sealed unit, but open chambers at bottom that trap air to lift it, so will not ever get water logged. It has a wheel on the top that allows for additional water level adjustment. I've recently shortened it by cutting one chamber off the end for a smaller in tank footprint. Still works like a charm. Very slow trickle into the display due to relatively low air pressure provided by the small air pump. You'd really have to be out to lunch for a few days for this to screw up & either over fill or not fill. It has never clogged even though I've mixed kalk, alk & mag into the carboy top off water.

[frizzo1983]

Originally Posted by RGS88

I'm also leaning heavily towards Tunze ATO, but out of curiosity, has anyone seen or used the "Storm" ATO system from Genesis Reef Systems? It looks like a nicely equipped unit for about the same price as the Tunze. The "Renew" auto-water-change system also looks pretty cool.

If you read on page one I use this system and it is the only system that will ever be setup on any tank I own.

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

It failed once on me due to a leaky float valve. It filled with water and would no longer float, luckily I figured it out before anything bad happened.
Now I use floats and switches, plumbed directly into my RO.

see mindy another smart one plumbing it straight to your RO line is so much eaier and safer. IMo and IME the float valve cant fail its full of air.

[fishytime]

ATO to RO is a disaster waiting to happen.....never plumb an ATO to an unending water source, or a reservoir big enough to cause a drastic salinity swing......RO membranes function best when they have water running through them for more than just a few seconds.....short run times, like when you have it plumbed to an ATO will shorten the lifespan on the membrane....

[Hustler]

Ok went with the tunez lol....
i have wayyyyy too many things to worry about right now with this setup..... peace of mind isnt cheap... but Ill take it anyways

[Hustler]

Now I have to try and find a good reservoire that isnt too ugly LOL.... Or a way to get it set up in another room and run to the tank?
anyone have a large capacity thinner and taller kind of setup?
Also do you have a powerhead in there too to prevent stagnent water?
It looks like im loosing about 4 gallons a day.......... So it will have to hold a fair bit.