Alternatives to an ATO?

[Reef.]

Anyone choose not to run an ATO? If so how to you handle topups?

When my filter floss starts to get dirty it slows down my flow, enough so the ato kicks in, even tho I change my floss daily (I feed frozen) my salinity drops to around 1.025, I try and run the tank at 1.0264, thinking of either doing manual topups or using a doser with rodi to at least top up the minimum amount daily.

Anyone do the same for similar reasons?

 

[Grill]

Simple ATO

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I've had my brand new ATO sitting on my coffee table since February, I have been the alternative solution, and will be as long as I am working from home. Sooner or later though, I guess I will have to back to the office, or I at least want to go on vacation, so eventually I will have to rely on the ATO.

 

[Reef.]

Simple ATO

Not sure that solves my issue tho as that would trigger with a drop in water just as the ato would when the floss gets blocked.

 

[bmeily]

Could setup a container with a valve to drip water in. How ever much per day or two you need.
dosing the amount you need per day is a good idea to, checking it often and making minor corrections.
With any manual method you should have some sort of float switch to shut off return pump if the sump gets to low.

 

[Reef.]

I've had my brand new ATO sitting on my coffee table since February, I have been the alternative solution, and will be as long as I am working from home. Sooner or later though, I guess I will have to back to the office, or I at least want to go on vacation, so eventually I will have to rely on the ATO.

They are a great bit of kit, if I didn't use floss I wouldn't have an issue using one, with a bigger tank too the effect of blocked floss would not alter the salinity to any great degree.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Following along since I have a similar problem with my nano. The filter area is so small that it can clog up very randomly and next thing you know the return chamber is running dry and an ATO would have made the issue worse. My only thought is to pull the filter floss if I'm going to be away from the tank for any length of time.

 

[Reef.]

Following along since I have a similar problem with my nano. The filter area is so small that it can clog up very randomly and next thing you know the return chamber is running dry and an ATO would have made the issue worse. My only thought is to pull the filter floss if I'm going to be away from the tank for any length of time.

pulling the floss would probably be a good option in your case, as I would think leaving the floss in the tank for any prolonged period would not be exporting the nutrients anyway, they would just be breaking down in the floss as opposed to in the tank.
So removing the floss would at least stop a salinity drop., with the ato working overtime.

 

[Midrats]

I use a Litermeter that I have dialed in to my evaporation rate. No floats or sensors to get triggered, it just adds three liters over a 24 hour period.

 

[iMi]

Glass or plexiglass cover with a small hole for feeding would dramatically reduce evaporation. Top off manually every week or two.

 

[Montiman]

I might simply only run the ATO for an hour a day. If you clean the floss at close to the same time then you can have the ATO run at the same time and then turn off.

 

[Reef.]

Glass or plexiglass cover with a small hole for feeding would dramatically reduce evaporation. Top off manually every week or two.

good option but I would worry about gas exchange as I don't use a skimmer.

 

[Reef.]

I might simply only run the ATO for an hour a day. If you clean the floss at close to the same time then you can have the ATO run at the same time and then turn off.

That sort of is my plan until I find a better option.

I've left the ato in place but turned off, when I remove the floss to change, I'll turn the ato on, then add the new floss, then turn the ato back off.

 

[Montiman]

If you have an ATO with a secondary sensor like a tunze you could put the secondary in the floss section so that if the water in the floss section rose the ATO would not run. The ATO would only run when the floss was fresh.

 

[Reef.]

I use a Litermeter that I have dialed in to my evaporation rate. No floats or sensors to get triggered, it just adds three liters over a 24 hour period.

any particular reason why a Litermater?

My worry with a doser is, are they designed to dose up to a litre of fluid every day?

 

[Midrats]

any particular reason why a Litermater?

My worry with a doser is, are they designed to dose up to a litre of fluid every day?

They are extremely reliable. I've been using them since the Nineties and never once had one fail. They will pump less than a liter to hundreds of liters if you wish.

 

[Reef.]

They are extremely reliable. I've been using them since the Nineties and never once had one fail. They will pump less than a liter to hundreds of liters if you wish.

Think this is probably going to be the best option, I'm about to buy a doser to dose All For Reef, I guess I could dilute the AFR in rodi, so I would be topping up and dosing at the same time? Any issues with this option? Or do both separately?

 

[coralfishreef]

If you want to use your current ATO, try using less floss or purposely leave some space for water to bypass the floss.

I’m currently manually topping off my 30g frag tank. The rest of the tanks have an ATO. I pour in RODI water twice a day, when I wake up in the morning and right before going to sleep.

For short vacations I used to invert bottles with RODI water and use a lid or plexiglass

 

[Midrats]

That will work perfectly according to Lou of Tropic Marin as I asked him about replacing my kalkwasser with AFR.

 

[Reef.]

That will work perfectly according to Lou of Tropic Marin as I asked him about replacing my kalkwasser with AFR.

Great thanks for that, good to know straight from the manufacturer's s mouth!

Now I just wish I was better at maths as working out the dilution rate is going to be tough