Diy Ato...

yungreefer2410 · 09-16-2008, 11:08 PM

i need/want a ato for my 29 gal tank. it will get a 175 watt mh this weekend so evaporation will be much more. any ideas how. only needs to hold 5-10 gallons of water

yungreefer2410 · 09-17-2008, 09:56 PM

jnohs · 09-17-2008, 10:10 PM

i got an idea.....

wait.......

wait..........

got it buy an ato......?

sorry dont mean to be wise. i usally find thay diy stuff isnt as nice as purchased equipment. but i use a half gallon jug from my old cb teck 2 part buffer that i now drip kalk from but my tank is just in a spot that has a nice hiding spot in a window near it and a half galoon is enough for me for now.. but that is the only diy i have. i am moving mytank in 2 months and up grading size to a 90 or 120.then i will be getting an ato. so sorry for being rude i just thought it was funny.

yungreefer2410 · 09-18-2008, 05:39 PM

it wasn't funny... i guess you misread the title which is DIY ATO. not lets go buy one. so if you have any ideas i would like to know.

cbrownfish · 09-18-2008, 05:52 PM

To build one properly, you will need to buy dual switchs for redundancy. I find that you can get a used one for 30-40 bucks.

Otherwise, a gravity drip at the rate of evaporation is a cheap option. All you would need is a 5 gallon bucket or container, airline tubing, drip valve and water. The downside is that the reservoir would need to be above sump/tank level to work.

cbrownfish · 09-18-2008, 05:54 PM

You can go here to find ideas, parts, etc --

http://www.autotopoff.com/

yungreefer2410 · 09-18-2008, 07:21 PM

thanks cbrownfish thats what i was looking. i'll ask around here for a used one or i will diy one

BEELZEBOB · 09-18-2008, 07:34 PM

why dont you google DIY ATO?

or use the SEARCH FUNCTION?

yungreefer2410 · 09-18-2008, 08:06 PM

prob work better than this thread...

cbrownfish · 09-18-2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BEELZEBOB

why dont you google DIY ATO?

or use the SEARCH FUNCTION?

But that would take all the fun out of it!

surfzone · 09-18-2008, 11:30 PM

here's a link to the plans that i used for my ATO

Melevsreef.com - Automatic Top Off System

yungreefer2410 · 09-19-2008, 12:00 AM

thanks that really helpful i will do that

yungreefer2410 · 09-23-2008, 11:33 PM

i am going to do it melevs reef way but what float switch should i use i was think the $6.39 but there are a lot i want to be sure to get the right/good one. here is the link
Aquahub Homepage

jnohs · 09-24-2008, 09:19 PM

just soo you know i think that is a little dangerouse looking to my. i read the melsreef artical about the diy top off. at the end of reading it i said to my self that it dosnt seem very safe with the 120 volt going to the float switch then with those wire nuts and plastic bags even when i do diy i like it to look and act like a profesional product. i thought it could use a relay for better safty. then at the end of the artical mentioned a way to wire it with a relay for added safty. so to me that would mean that the writer of that artical though it wasnt very safe also. so now that brings me to the relay witch should be some where from 50 to 75 dollars plus the float switch plus the power head. looking at 125-150 dollars.

plus with that system i do not think it is sensetive enought i think it would turn on and dump a gallon in and finally shut off and it could foul up and cause a flood. mostly because those float switches are notorious for fouling. and on top of it the electrical problem that i dont like to much. now if your were to get a doser and just set it to dose every coulpe of minuites out of a 5 gallon jugs. your chances of fouling would be much less do to no float switch. and also it would be much better for keeping a constent salinity. as it wouls dose a little constantly and not a lot at a time like mels reef system. i do belive that for a larger reeef tank the sensetativety issue would not be as important. but since an ato is to keep salinty levels in check that a dosing pump would be better for the application.

also i was just kidding about the rude joke that i made earlyer.

another i dea maybe is to just sit a five gallon bucket next to your sump make the water level the same hight in the bucket as the water in your sump and just connect the 2 of them with a hose filled with water. for every inch of water missing in you sump will actually now 2 inches missing with one inch replaced. i wonder if any one does it like that. it is not a compleat top off system but it get you halfe way there.

yungreefer2410 · 09-24-2008, 09:35 PM

its worth a try i do not have a sump as i set this up a year ago and was a complete noob. i'll see hoy it goes and then i might actually buy one or modify it in some way

09-17-2008, 10:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
jnohs Neon dottyback Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: copiague long island Posts: 699 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Diy Ato... i got an idea..... wait....... wait.......... got it buy an ato......? sorry dont mean to be wise. i usally find thay diy stuff isnt as nice as purchased equipment. but i use a half gallon jug from my old cb teck 2 part buffer that i now drip kalk from but my tank is just in a spot that has a nice hiding spot in a window near it and a half galoon is enough for me for now.. but that is the only diy i have. i am moving mytank in 2 months and up grading size to a 90 or 120.then i will be getting an ato. so sorry for being rude i just thought it was funny. __________________ GO SLOW

09-18-2008, 05:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
cbrownfish Reef Lobster Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,626 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Diy Ato... To build one properly, you will need to buy dual switchs for redundancy. I find that you can get a used one for 30-40 bucks. Otherwise, a gravity drip at the rate of evaporation is a cheap option. All you would need is a 5 gallon bucket or container, airline tubing, drip valve and water. The downside is that the reservoir would need to be above sump/tank level to work. __________________ *Confucius Say: "best way to save face, is to keep lower part of face shut".* CURRENT SET UP -- 90 gallon display, 30 gallon refugium, 6 gallon pod breeder, 100 gallon sump (complete with frag rack), 2X250 MH 14K DE HQI, Vortech MP40w and Koralia #4 for flow, 2X Tunze 9010 Skimmers, Sequence Dart return, 2X Ranco Controllers w/Titanium Heaters, 150 lb LR (90 in display, 60 in sump), 5" DSB, Mixed reef - Softies, LPS, SPS, Clams.

09-18-2008, 05:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
cbrownfish Reef Lobster Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,626 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Diy Ato... You can go here to find ideas, parts, etc -- http://www.autotopoff.com/ __________________ *Confucius Say: "best way to save face, is to keep lower part of face shut".* CURRENT SET UP -- 90 gallon display, 30 gallon refugium, 6 gallon pod breeder, 100 gallon sump (complete with frag rack), 2X250 MH 14K DE HQI, Vortech MP40w and Koralia #4 for flow, 2X Tunze 9010 Skimmers, Sequence Dart return, 2X Ranco Controllers w/Titanium Heaters, 150 lb LR (90 in display, 60 in sump), 5" DSB, Mixed reef - Softies, LPS, SPS, Clams.

09-18-2008, 07:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
BEELZEBOB -CHAUVINIST PIG- Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Boulder Colorado Posts: 4,851 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Diy Ato... why dont you google DIY ATO? or use the SEARCH FUNCTION? __________________ 18Gal Mantis Tank 28lbs LR 22lbs Black Sand D&D Typhoone Skimmer96W CL PC (10K + AC) 2 Rio 90 P.H., 1 Nano Korilla Bane the Mantis Shrimp (G.Smithii) LIFE LESSON 8/8/08: Dont Poke Squirrells... LIFE LESSON 8/12/08: Chicks dont dig comic books... LIFE LESSON 8/26/2008: Pain is relative... LIFE LESSON 9/13/2008: Sometimes you just gotta pee in the sink... LIFE LESSON 10/1/2008: Her eyes say more than her mouth... LIFE LESSON 10/1 B: In retrospect, the shooting range was a bad first date idea... LIFE LESSON 10/19/2008: Bleach doesn't work well with out DETERGENT... But with it, WOW! LIFE LESSON 10/25/2008: "You're Such a Man," isnt necessarily a compliment... LIFE LESSON 10/28/2008: RC Helicopters are not Bob Proof... LIFE LESSON 10/29/2008: Dont ** where you eat, UNLESS, you are the company pooper scooper... BARB FREGGIN RULES**

09-18-2008, 11:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
surfzone Sea Pen Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Charleston, S. Carolina Posts: 341 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Diy Ato... here's a link to the plans that i used for my ATO Melevsreef.com - Automatic Top Off System __________________ My Tank and its Happenings Surfzone's 120 Cube - Reef Sanctuaryhttp://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...-120-cube.html

09-24-2008, 09:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
jnohs Neon dottyback Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: copiague long island Posts: 699 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Diy Ato... just soo you know i think that is a little dangerouse looking to my. i read the melsreef artical about the diy top off. at the end of reading it i said to my self that it dosnt seem very safe with the 120 volt going to the float switch then with those wire nuts and plastic bags even when i do diy i like it to look and act like a profesional product. i thought it could use a relay for better safty. then at the end of the artical mentioned a way to wire it with a relay for added safty. so to me that would mean that the writer of that artical though it wasnt very safe also. so now that brings me to the relay witch should be some where from 50 to 75 dollars plus the float switch plus the power head. looking at 125-150 dollars. plus with that system i do not think it is sensetive enought i think it would turn on and dump a gallon in and finally shut off and it could foul up and cause a flood. mostly because those float switches are notorious for fouling. and on top of it the electrical problem that i dont like to much. now if your were to get a doser and just set it to dose every coulpe of minuites out of a 5 gallon jugs. your chances of fouling would be much less do to no float switch. and also it would be much better for keeping a constent salinity. as it wouls dose a little constantly and not a lot at a time like mels reef system. i do belive that for a larger reeef tank the sensetativety issue would not be as important. but since an ato is to keep salinty levels in check that a dosing pump would be better for the application. also i was just kidding about the rude joke that i made earlyer. another i dea maybe is to just sit a five gallon bucket next to your sump make the water level the same hight in the bucket as the water in your sump and just connect the 2 of them with a hose filled with water. for every inch of water missing in you sump will actually now 2 inches missing with one inch replaced. i wonder if any one does it like that. it is not a compleat top off system but it get you halfe way there. __________________ GO SLOW

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