Adding top off water

[Payne Train]

Quick question - I add a half gallon scoop of RODI water every day, sometimes a little more.
Is that alright to add that much in at a time instead of having a typical top off piece of equipment ?

Really hoping that it is alright - 1. Since its what I have been doing and 2. Because I am not interested in spending a bunch of money on a top off applicator lol
I just want to make sure I am not doing more harm than good

 

[dwest]

It’s not alright in a 1 gallon tank, but perfectly fine in a 400 gallon tank. What size is yours? Either way, an ATO will provide you with freedom and tank stability.

 

[Payne Train]

It’s not alright in a 1 gallon tank, but perfectly fine in a 400 gallon tank. What size is yours? Either way, an ATO will provide you with freedom and tank stability.

I have an 80 gallon tank --- probably about 60 gallons after you take substrate and rock into account

 

[MTBake]

That amount is most likely fine to add at once on your system.

Really recommend getting an ato so you don't have to add water daily. It really does become a chore after a while, imo.

 

[User]

If 1/2 gallon is all you need a day, and you add it to a high flow area so it mixes fast (right into the return chamber for example) then that’s fine. Kinda ties you to the tank though, and the once per day aspect can cause salinity swings

but if your adding back 1/2 gallon, and your evaporation is actually 0.6 gallons, your going to accumulate a net loss of water and an increases in salinity.
Best practice is to mark a line in your sump where the ‘working volume and salinity’ is known. Then top back up to the line with freshwater 2-3 times a day.
Short term, that’s great. Long term, people get bored with it and try to push it out to 1 per day or once every 1.5 days. That causes too much of a swing to maintain corals long term

 

[Dr. Phil]

I highly recommend an ato system. There are some affordable setups on the market.

 

[homer1475]

Likely fine given your water volume. As above though, best to mark a "fill" line on your tank, and just fill to that line.

Even a 100$ is a lot of money to some people right now.

 

[Hugh Mann]

I just glug it from a jug into the tank, probably about the same volume in a 55gal.
FowLR, so it's much less touchy than a reef system.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

I did the same for many years...then I purchased an ATO and love it. Should have done that sooner and was easy to set up.

 

[windemerejack]

The key to success imo is stability, your tank will not be stable doing it this way, an ato is a very important piece of kit if you want to keep corals.
Why wont you get one?

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

The key to success imo is stability, your tank will not be stable doing it this way, an ato is a very important piece of kit if you want to keep corals.
Why wont you get one?

It's definitely possible to maintain stability like this (I've been doing it for about 8 months for my coral QT tank now) but its definitely more of a grind, although since everyone is going to be at home for a while its less of an issue. With that said my DT has an ATO and I will certainly be getting one for my coral QT eventually because it does make life easier.

 

[ReefGrammie]

I was the "human" ATO on my 46-gallon tank for 5 years. I was getting really tired of that and invested in an ATO when I upgraded to my 90-gallon tank 6 years ago. It's definitely a worthwhile investment, especially over the long haul!

 

[Payne Train]

The $100 - $200 price doesn't really scare me off --- I just had thought I could justify buying a calcium reactor or a protein skimmer instead in the near future... Makes life easier to ask the wife for permission for one thing at a time when you just spent a few thousand on a new setup ;Blackeye ;Dead

As of right now, my RODI container is about 10 feet from the tank. So right now me and the wife were planning on trying to keep it at a determined line in the sump area .... But it sounds like a ATO is a pretty likable option.

I've been testing my salinity twice a day and it stays right around 1.023 - 1.024 ... But mostly closer to 1.024

 

[Payne Train]

Oh and thanks for all the quick replies !

 

[CincyFin]

I have a 75 gallon and add like once a week or so. Usually add about 2 gallons.

 

[dwest]

The $100 - $200 price doesn't really scare me off --- I just had thought I could justify buying a calcium reactor or a protein skimmer instead in the near future... Makes life easier to ask the wife for permission for one thing at a time when you just spent a few thousand on a new setup ;Blackeye ;Dead

As of right now, my RODI container is about 10 feet from the tank. So right now me and the wife were planning on trying to keep it at a determined line in the sump area .... But it sounds like a ATO is a pretty likable option.

I've been testing my salinity twice a day and it stays right around 1.023 - 1.024 ... But mostly closer to 1.024

Fathers Day: ATO
Birthday: Skimmer
Christmas: calcium reactor

Hint: Be sure give an amazing Mother’s Day gift on Sunday to get the ball rollin’.