ATO - Which one do I get?

[schooncw]

I have been in this hobby forever but never had an ATO. I just never really had the need for one and IMO, it was just something else that could possibly cause a flood.
I recently set up a 120 and have decided to get an ATO but am paranoid about water leaks in my condo. Any recommendations or advice is appreciated!

 

[Crabs McJones]

I have been in this hobby forever but never had an ATO. I just never really had the need for one and IMO, it was just something else that could possibly cause a flood.
I recently set up a 120 and have decided to get an ATO but am paranoid about water leaks in my condo. Any recommendations or advice is appreciated!

I use the Smart ATO and love it. No floats or switches, it uses sensors to detect your water level and fills accordingly.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/autoaqua-smart-ato-auto-top-off-system.html

 

[schooncw]

Thank you for your reply. My LFS has the Hydor. Are you confident that it will not leak/flood?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Thank you for your reply. My LFS has the Hydor. Are you confident that it will not leak/flood?

I've read mixed reviews about the hydor. but it seems like a good system.

 

[Greybeard]

Tunze osmolator. Optical water level sensor, backed up by a (normally dry) mechanical switch, and a timer preventing a failure from running more than 10 minutes. It's about as safe as you can get.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

Nothing in this hobby is bullet proof. you can try to make it but when things happen they will happen. With that said, a LOT of people use Tunze. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/tunze-osmolator-universal-3155-auto-top-off.html

 

[schooncw]

I have much experience with the "nothing is bulletproof" part of the hobby but patience and the best equipment helps! Tunze is a brand that I have confidence in.
Thank you for your reply.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Nothing in this hobby is bullet proof. you can try to make it but when things happen they will happen. With that said, a LOT of people use Tunze. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/tunze-osmolator-universal-3155-auto-top-off.html

|Nothing in this hobby is bullet proof.
Truer words have never been spoken!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I made my own for around $20. I set it up to run on a timer instead of using a float switch. It's not as precise as using a float switch or other level sensor, but then again, it never sticks on like a float switch. I used a peristaltic pump to move the water, and a cheap timer relay to turn the pump on and off. Add a simple 12V power supply and that's all you need. The timer adds a little bit of water every hour, and it works great. Every once in a while I have to tweak how much the ATO is dosing, but that's only once a year or so. Other than that, I have had trouble-free operation.

 

[Whyteboy]

I use the smart ATO micro and I've never had an issue with it. It has a nice audible alarm when your reservoir runs dry and it wont burn the pump out. Setup was easy and it keeps my tank very consistent. Plus the price was on the cheaper side which was nice. (this is not a paid ad lol)

 

[bo0sted2g]

I have the Tunze Osmolator, I too was paranoid about flooding but this unit has never let me down and has great features. I chose this one because it has the Optical eye backed up by the mechanical float switch, and the time out if they both fail. It also has an audible alarm if the water level in your sump gets too high. Depending on how big your sump is and how much water you need to top off at a time there is an adjustment screw to adjust the flow rate for smaller or larger tanks. Having only a 30G with 10G sump the stock setting was moving too much water and I had to turn it down. Now it works perfectly. I figured with these features it was better not to skimp on the ATO. sure there are other options for half the price but the peace of mind at night and when I am on vacation was well worth the extra $100 for a piece of equipment I can trust. Also one other thing I found helpful as to guarantee a flood free setup is to only use a top off container that is the volume of extra water that your sump can hold without dumping out on to the floor. I have a 10g sump and use a 2.5G top off jug.

 

[Even Further]

Spectrapure has a sweet ATO. No mechanical switch, dual pressure switch, and adjustable peristaltic pump.

 

[schooncw]

Thank you for your reply and tips! $$ is not a consideration, I just want the best possible option as flooding my sump would be a disaster for me.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

I have the Tunze Osmolator, I too was paranoid about flooding but this unit has never let me down and has great features. I chose this one because it has the Optical eye backed up by the mechanical float switch, and the time out if they both fail. It also has an audible alarm if the water level in your sump gets too high. Depending on how big your sump is and how much water you need to top off at a time there is an adjustment screw to adjust the flow rate for smaller or larger tanks. Having only a 30G with 10G sump the stock setting was moving too much water and I had to turn it down. Now it works perfectly. I figured with these features it was better not to skimp on the ATO. sure there are other options for half the price but the peace of mind at night and when I am on vacation was well worth the extra $100 for a piece of equipment I can trust. Also one other thing I found helpful as to guarantee a flood free setup is to only use a top off container that is the volume of extra water that your sump can hold without dumping out on to the floor. I have a 10g sump and use a 2.5G top off jug.

I agree I would also just get a ATO container that can only hold enough water to fill your sump.

 

[schooncw]

That's a good point but unfortunately, will have to put more water in the ATO container for my upcoming 5 day trip!

 

[schooncw]

...and so far, it seems the Tunze has the best reviews.

 

[lilchris_357]

APEX has an ATO system. It can be set up as a stand alone system so you don't need an apex controller. If you have an Apex controller, it will give you more redundancy as far as preventing flooding by setting timers, sending emails, texts, shutting down the system (or turning on other pumps) if a leak is detected or your sump starts to flood etc. That is a possibility. Also if you have an apex, you can use a breakout box and hook up an ATO system to that. The one comes to mind with a breakout box is the AVAST Marine ATO, this will give you more redundancy than the Tunze. I have a Tunze, I like it but I'm thinking of switching so I can have more control over it using my APEX. Their are many options out their. The last one is the old school JBJ ATO, its proven itself over the years as a good option. I think it boils down to what you want it to do. Good Luck.

 

[schooncw]

Thanks for the reply. Another contender is the Coral Box A100. Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[solitude127]

I've been happy with my Avast ATO. If it ever goes out, I'll probably try the Spectrapure.

 

[Flameback Pair]

I have the Tunze 3155, like it, but going to replace it with the Apex for three reasons: (1) the Tunze will become a backup in case the Apex fails, (2) the Tunze uses a metric size hose that won't fit my kalk reactor, and (3) in a strange rare case that the Apex ATO floods, the Apex Advance Leak Detection module will detect water on the floor, shut off the appropriate equipment, and notify me about it.