Max S-650 - anyone replace the ATO with a Tunze ATO?

[Salty150]

Max S-650 - anyone replace the ATO with a Tunze ATO and use the S-650's ATO water chamber with it?

 

[DaveK]

I can't speak for what comes with the Max S-650, but I do use the Tunze ATO on my reef.

I've been impressed with it because it has a fail safe float switch to prevent the sump from being overfilled, and if it can't bring the water level up to normal in about 15 min it will turn the pump off to prevent it from running dry. In either case an alarm sounds, and the ATO turns off.

These features can be a little bit of a problem if you do anything that increases the water level in the sump, for example cleaning the tank's overflow so a little less water is in the tank.

You can set up the Tunze so that it uses a large container of RO/DI water for it's supply, so you can go for weeks with out worrying about it.

 

[Salty150]

Oh, you don't have to sell me on the Tunze - I want to use it on the S-650.

And wondering if anyone here did the "upgrade".

And if it is possible to use the Tunze with the S-650's built in ATO water chamber somehow.

 

[DaveK]

As I recall, the ATO tank on the S-650 is small, and only holds a couple of days of top off water. Using that kind of defeats the whole reason for going with the Tunze. With a large container and the Tunze ATO, you can "set it and forget it" for several weeks.

 

[Salty150]

As I recall, the ATO tank on the S-650 is small, and only holds a couple of days of top off water. Using that kind of defeats the whole reason for going with the Tunze. With a large container and the Tunze ATO, you can "set it and forget it" for several weeks.

The S-650 has a 10 gallon ATO tank - and with the new LED lights, that should last at least 5-7 days?

I am not sure this reef (expensive) hobby is conducive to anything being "set it and forget it"...lol

 

[Sooren]

I have the S-500 and installed the tunze from day one. I keep a 5 gallon drum beside the tank for fresh water which my wife has hidden with a bunch of plastic flowers in a large vase.
Never been any trouble. The feed is plumbed to the top of the tank where I have glued a clip to hold it in place. You need to remember that if you unplug it of have a power cut it will run for ten seconds to prime the system. I get round this by unhooking the return pipe to the top of the tank and let it return to the water drum, when its finished running just hook it back onto the tank.

 

[Salty150]

I have the S-500 and installed the tunze from day one. I keep a 5 gallon drum beside the tank for fresh water which my wife has hidden with a bunch of plastic flowers in a large vase.
Never been any trouble. The feed is plumbed to the top of the tank where I have glued a clip to hold it in place. You need to remember that if you unplug it of have a power cut it will run for ten seconds to prime the system. I get round this by unhooking the return pipe to the top of the tank and let it return to the water drum, when its finished running just hook it back onto the tank.

Why not just use the S-500's ATO reservoir?

 

[Salty150]

If you didn't use the under tank sump and didn't want to monitor and output the water from the ATO to the under tank sump - where else would you monitor and output it to?

The rear sump, the display tank itself?

 

[Sooren]

Why not just use the S-500's ATO reservoir?

Its a one trick pony with no seconsary sensor, also easier to fill and holds more water

 

[Sooren]

If you didn't use the under tank sump and didn't want to monitor and output the water from the ATO to the under tank sump - where else would you monitor and output it to?

The rear sump, the display tank itself?

The two tunze sensors still are mounted in the sump and it takes the level from the sump.

 

[Salty150]

Its a one trick pony with no seconsary sensor, also easier to fill and holds more water

No, I might not have been clear

You could put the Tunze ATO pump right in the S-500's water reservoir.

And I believe the S-500 has a 7.5 gallon reservoir.

 

[Mdk16]

I'm running it on my 650 and I'm using the stock reservoir. The tunze pump is in the reservoir, I'm running hose to the upper right top part of the tank because when I fed it to the sump directly it created a siphon and kept filling after the pump shut off. The sensors are in the sump. I kept the stock float valve for redundancy with the original setup. Works flawless. Have not posted here in a while but you can see pics of the install somewhere on my tank thread.