Auto top-off: Where do you put your water?

[Aaron Smith]

Here is my set up. Gravity feed from my desk to a 12v solenoid valve controlled by a float. 1 container of ro/di, the other with saltwater.[emoji41]

 

[Steve McGlamery]

I have an eshopp 10 gal tank hat is gravity feed into my eshopp sump. I have a small hose with a float valve that I can attach to my RO/DI unit to fill the ATO tank. Works great. Never had a problem

 

[n2585722]

My Auto top off tank is in the garage. That is about 35ft from the tank. I ran 1/4" tubing like that used in RODI system through conduit in the attic and inside the wall to a wall plate next to the tank. I also store fresh saltwater in the garage for auto water change. The ATO pump and two auto water change pumps are also in the garage. The waste from the auto water change is connected to the kitchen sink drain which is another 20ft from the garage. The tubing is again run through conduit. The conduit in both cases is insulated.

 

[cgdcinc]

5 gallon jug in a nice wicker basket beside the tank with a wicker lid. Looks like a decoration next to the tank.

 

[skyjacker07]

I have a smaller tank, a jbj all in one, so I have a 2.5g tank in my stand that can't be see, lasts a little over a week.

 

[michael.cser20]

ignore the arrows. I keep mine in a 8 gallon salinity bucket. It last a week till I fill it back up.

 

[Bonaire in a box]

I've never had an auto top-off before, but over the last decade I have started so many aquariums that I'd really love to have an auto top-off system for my tanks, especially my saltwater since the sump running low on water results in the pump running dry and dumping fresh RO/DI water can be a shock to some of the inhabitants. I spend each day, about 3 times a day, hand pouring small amounts of water (maybe 1 or 2 cups) to keep the water level up. I'd rather a system just do this on it's own.

I've done some research on setting up an auto top-off but the designs are absolutely hideous. I mean...you got people duct-taping water bottles, upside down, on their tanks; people setting up 55 gallon drums next to their tanks or trash cans full of water; 5 gallon water jugs on stands...I don't want any of that (no offense if that's how you do it).

These tanks are in the heart of my house where everyone sees them and I don't want some ugly water container next to the tank - and neither does my girlfriend or the rest of my family.

So...how do guys do it? Is anyone in a similar position and has worked out an aesthetic solution?

I have no room under my tank, as it is completely taken up by the sump. So putting water there isn't an option.

Thanks!

I'm in the same boat space wise. I'm thinking a storage bench next to tank and keeping a 10g in there. Seems logical, functional and esthetically pleasing to me. We will see