Anybody got idea for top off

goodoleboyz250 · Mar 15, 2013

I was thinking of just useing a container with a valve and just doing the drip method..any other ideas..also if I do this what containers would I be able to use due to chemicals..should it be colored so my tank light don't cuase algae in it or is that no worry..also what valve is best to use..and last what would be a good starting point for drips..I have a 10 gal fowlr right now but will have corals later..the lighting is a power compact 40w.. and a hob filter

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moreef · Mar 15, 2013

For a 10g I would suggest a tunze nano osmalator or even the full size version. I have the " regular ", think its called universal osmolator on my 16g nuvo and it is awesome. It has a dial that you can turn down for nano tanks and then you have the ability to use it when you get a bigger tank. BRS has a 10% sale right now and I think it's $185. With small tank's we have less margin for error so this would be a very wise buy imo. I have a 5 or 6 gallon blue jug that looks like a gas can but is for camping or water storage I think. Got it at kmart for around $15 I think. On my 120g I used an aqualifter pump on a timer that wasn't real accurate but was still better than me doing it everyday. Just be sure that your tube is always above the water level or it will continue to siphon water from your container and cause a flood. I hate to push certain products but the tunze has it's own pump and redundency built in to prevent floods and was the best investment I ever made. Good luck with your tank.

cymaster007 · Mar 15, 2013

Ive used an aqualifter a five gallon jug and a timer. It works well on my office tank

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kchristensen8064 · Mar 15, 2013

I made a DIY out of an extension cord, and float switch and I just plug the pump into the extension cord. Works flawlessly!

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LukeG · Mar 20, 2013

I used a 2 gallon food grade bucket (free), a John Guest bulk head fitting, John guest tubing and a float valve. It's fed directly to the return section of my fuge. Low tech but works great.

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ronnie · Mar 21, 2013

I'm with Luke. I use a 10g with a John guest bulkhead drilled in the bottom and then a simple float valve attached to a baffle in the return section.

For the ATO, I'm planning to go somewhat more high tech and tie a couple float switches into my apex lite. I will still manually fill the ato. But I will have safety features to keep from flooding my floors (alarms and I will still turn off when not using - text from apex will remind me).

mainereefer · Mar 21, 2013

aqualifter and float switch with a 5g bucket bust $25 I ever spent

coolfish5 · Mar 21, 2013

Are you using the Aqualifter with 120v running through the float switch or using a relay to only expose the switch to low voltage? I had started to look at using a setup similar to that but worried about the thin insulation on the switch I got from Aquahub, and figured it would be best operated with a relay. I haven't got mine setup yet though. Any thoughts on the durability of different pumps when used with kalk? I know peristaltic would be best, but they do cost a bit more.

Rikerbear · Mar 21, 2013

This is most interesting to me as I have an issue of no space left in my AIO sump areas for a float switch, so was thinkingm of doing the drip method as well.

fragmatic · Mar 21, 2013

My ATO container is a 2 gallon water jug like goes in drinking water office coolers. The bulkhead is the bottom portion of a toilet fill kit. Not many realize it but the portion that is connected to the water supply and screws into the bottom of the toilet tank is a small bulkhead connector. You simply saw off everything above the inside flange. Then I use a float switch inside the sump pump compartment, and another float switch inside the RODI tank to turn the RODI off and on. So... my tank (actually the sump) is ATO gravity feed from my 2 gallon RODI tank, and my 2 gallon RODI tank is ATO from the RODI system ... My float switches are DIY and use micro-switches out of a cannibalized copy machine. They turn on and off 1/4" pipe servo valves intended for air systems (air systems are wet so they do fine and are cheaper). You can get those from McMasterCarr.

Many of us have an old toilet fill valve in a junk box, .. well.. drum roll.. you have a small bulkhead connector and didn't even know it... wink.. and it will pressure fit lots of small sized tubes at the input side.

The float switches are made of 1/4" thick acrylic sheet cut and heat formed with pill bottle floats. One arm of acrylic hinges on another piece that has the micro-switch and as it reaches the fill mark contacts the normal closed contacts to kill power to the servo. It takes two micro-switches per float so you have both, a full turn off the water level, and a low start to fill level. If you don't do that your servo will chatter because it will turn on and off constantly, plus that will short cycle your membrane and not be giving you the best water. We want as little of the "first start" membrane water as is reasonable.

You better know what you are doing... you can flood your house when you are gone a few days... (being a retired machine design engineer has it's perks).