Auto Top Stuck On! FLOOD......

rcillig · Nov 17, 2020

I got a 40b with Auto Aqua AWC/ATO and this is the 2nd time for whatever reason it has stuck on during the Auto Top off Stage. The first time I was here and caught it and thought maybe I had it set up wrong. It was when I first got it. Today I got home and found out that it stuck open and overfilled my tank. I got a 2, 50g Brute's that I use for AWC and ATO. Well, the ATO can was empty and I filled it last Sunday. It usually lasts over a month. 50g of freshwater drove my salinity from 1.026 to 1.015... No fish died but a few corals look in real bad shape, a few acros are already all white, a few others are about half and half... guess I just wanted to vent as it sucks. Of the 40-50 or so gallons of water on the floor, it only got about 10 feet of the carpet before it used the slope of the concrete to find the floor drain in by the furnace and washer machine. I'm more ticked or saddened about the corals that the flooded floor. I had just got this green one to start taking off, for the last 6 months it had only grown about a 1/4 of an inch then this last month or so it had tripled in size... god I love and hate this hobby at the same time.

MERKEY · Nov 17, 2020

So sorry to hear about this

JGT · Nov 17, 2020

rcillig said:
I got a 40b with Auto Aqua AWC/ATO and this is the 2nd time for whatever reason it has stuck on during the Auto Top off Stage. The first time I was here and caught it and thought maybe I had it set up wrong. It was when I first got it. Today I got home and found out that it stuck open and overfilled my tank. I got a 2, 50g Brute's that I use for AWC and ATO. Well, the ATO can was empty and I filled it last Sunday. It usually lasts over a month. 50g of freshwater drove my salinity from 1.026 to 1.015... No fish died but a few corals look in real bad shape, a few acros are already all white, a few others are about half and half... guess I just wanted to vent as it sucks. Of the 40-50 or so gallons of water on the floor, it only got about 10 feet of the carpet before it used the slope of the concrete to find the floor drain in by the furnace and washer machine. I'm more ticked or saddened about the corals that the flooded floor. I had just got this green one to start taking off, for the last 6 months it had only grown about a 1/4 of an inch then this last month or so it had tripled in size... god I love and hate this hobby at the same time.

Wondering if why this product has been discontinued?

Flippers4pups · Nov 17, 2020

Have you cleaned the optical sensor?

With that shear amount of water in the reservoir, I'm not sure if i'd use that ATO system, but that's me. Respectfully.

I use a Autotoff.com unit that's got a redundant float that would shut off the pump if it stuck on. In five years it's never failed, knock on wood.

rcillig · Nov 17, 2020

JGT said:
Wondering if why this product has been discontinued?

no idea but its a very good question.... I didn't even know it was discontinued till a few hrs ago.

borillion · Nov 17, 2020

Concerning. I have one of these too.

JGT · Nov 17, 2020

rcillig said:
no idea but its a very good question.... I didn't even know it was discontinued till a few hrs ago.

Yep seems like AutoAqua has a lot of products you can no longer get or have been discontinued. Thinking they may be having financial troubles. Product seems like a good idea but maybe needs better quality parts.

rcillig · Nov 17, 2020

Flippers4pups said:
Have you cleaned the optical sensor?

With that shear amount of water in the reservoir, I'm not sure if i'd use that ATO system, but that's me. Respectfully.

I use a Autotoff.com unit that's got a redundant float that would shut off the pump if it stuck on. In five years it's never failed, knock on wood.

oh ill be changing it out for sure, got it set to manual right now.

rcillig · Nov 17, 2020

so after draining it to the correct water lev and doing a 10g wc. I'm sitting at 1.019, I'm afraid if I do anymore right now I may shock stuff.... so thinking ill do another 10g tomorrow nite and see where I stand then.

Cabinetman · Nov 17, 2020

I doubt going up
Slow will do you any good. It’s not like you acclimated things to that salinity. I’d be bringing it up immediately

rcillig · Nov 17, 2020

Cabinetman said:
I doubt going up
Slow will do you any good. It’s not like you acclimated things to that salinity. I’d be bringing it up immediately

you don't think sudden down then back up a few hrs later won't shock them... I pulled all coral not glued and put them into another tank. Just don't want to kill a fish honestly.

Cabinetman · Nov 17, 2020

I was thinking more for coral but I can’t see it affecting fish either. It was hours not days. I’d think the big drop that fast and leaving them there would hurt more. But hopefully others will chime in. I just know you need to be careful with really freshly mixed salt water.

rcillig · Nov 17, 2020

Cabinetman said:
I was thinking more for coral but I can’t see it affecting fish either. It was hours not days. I’d think the big drop that fast and leaving them there would hurt more. But hopefully others will chime in. I just know you need to be careful with really freshly mixed salt water.

oh I got almost 50G of mixed on hand, it was done up on Sunday a week ago, so been mixing and heating since then.