Auto topoff system needed

Dunnman39 · Feb 23, 2016

I am looking for an effective but cheap auto topoff system for my 55 gallon tank. Any suggestions are much appreciated

RMAS0934 · Feb 23, 2016

The Hydor Smart Level is around 80 w/o the pump as is the JBJ. I ended up getting a Tunze Nano since it was for my sump not my DT, it came with everything and it was around 96. I've heard good things about those three (being in that price range). I haven't used my tunze yet, just got it in the mail...

redfishbluefish · Feb 23, 2016

The Aquahub Premium kit is about $40, and the Tom's Aqualifter pump another approximately $15. If you're very DIY handy and wish to wait for the parts to come in from China, you can do a similar thing to the Aquahub for less than half the price.

TaylorPilot · Feb 23, 2016

http://autotopoff.com/Double/index.html

They have been making these for years. They use to be allot more popular, but have become less as the optical ones have come on the scene. I have one I bought 15 years ago that has been on 4 different tanks and I am still using today. I even dropped the plastic box in water once, and it is still working great. I have it attached to a simple Tom's Aqualifter. I actually have two, because I have another one on my RODI system in the garage. That one is attached to an actuated switch. They aren't fancy but I haven't had a single issue with either of the two I have been running for over a decade.

Dunnman39 · Feb 23, 2016

Thank you for all the options. I fo have a question but may seem kind of dumb. Can I keep the topoff water on a stand next to the tank? If so what type of pump will I need?

TaylorPilot · Feb 23, 2016

Tom's Aqualifter. They are a super simple diaphragm pump that works the same way an air pump does. The cool part is they are self priming. Meaning that if there isn't any water in the line, it can suck up up out of the top off container. That is really nice when you run your tank dry and when you fill it back up, it automatically re-primes and keeps running. I've had one for about 12 years that has been running on and off for about 7-8 years. I have never used the pre-filter they sale though. Considering it only pumps RODI water from a clean tank, I don't really see the need.

hybridazn · Feb 23, 2016

I use 2 different systems for ato. On my main display I use a tunze 3155 and I love it. My only complaint is if your resevoir level is higher than your level in your sump you'll get gravity fed, which is a bummer for me. I had to get creative with my ato output tube to my sump.

On my frag tank I run this

The WR Genie. I was most excited about it because it has a solenoid that will prevent siphoning like the issue I have with my tunze. It's very quiet but the ato feed pump is rather small. So it will work on smaller systems, not sure how I would feel using it on my 180

Dunnman39 · Feb 23, 2016

hybridazn said:
I use 2 different systems for ato. On my main display I use a tunze 3155 and I love it. My only complaint is if your resevoir level is higher than your level in your sump you'll get gravity fed, which is a bummer for me. I had to get creative with my ato output tube to my sump.

On my frag tank I run this

The WR Genie. I was most excited about it because it has a solenoid that will prevent siphoning like the issue I have with my tunze. It's very quiet but the ato feed pump is rather small. So it will work on smaller systems, not sure how I would feel using it on my 180

I do not have sump

TaylorPilot · Feb 23, 2016

Picking the size of your top off tank is an important process. It ensures that even in a system failure (pump sticking on), your tank won't overflow. Basically, get your system up and running at the water level you want. Shut off your return pump. When everything stops draining, measure how much more room you have in your sump. Multiply the L x W x H in inches. Then divide that number by 231. That will give you the amount of additional water your sump will hold before it overflows. That is the max size your ATO can be. In the worse case scenario, you just filled up the container. 1 minutes later it sticks on and dumps that whole tank into your aquarium. Then 1 minute after that, your return pump breaks. You should still not have a flood. Although you may have issues with a salinity drop, but it won't have overflowed!

Dunnman39 · Feb 23, 2016

TaylorPilot said:
Picking the size of your top off tank is an important process. It ensures that even in a system failure (pump sticking on), your tank won't overflow. Basically, get your system up and running at the water level you want. Shut off your return pump. When everything stops draining, measure how much more room you have in your sump. Multiply the L x W x H in inches. Then divide that number by 231. That will give you the amount of additional water your sump will hold before it overflows. That is the max size your ATO can be. In the worse case scenario, you just filled up the container. 1 minutes later it sticks on and dumps that whole tank into your aquarium. Then 1 minute after that, your return pump breaks. You should still not have a flood. Although you may have issues with a salinity drop, but it won't have overflowed!

What's an appropriate size container? I do not have a lot of room at all.

hybridazn · Feb 23, 2016

That is another nice failsafe the tunze has. It uses 2 sensors to fill. The main sensor is a optical sensor that keeps it level. But if that ever fails it has a float valve that if triggered it will shut the ato off and sound a alarm to let you know that something is wrong

TaylorPilot · Feb 23, 2016

hybridazn said:
That is another nice failsafe the tunze has. It uses 2 sensors to fill. The main sensor is a optical sensor that keeps it level. But if that ever fails it has a float valve that if triggered it will shut the ato off and sound a alarm to let you know that something is wrong

That is how the one I posted works also. It uses two float switches. One comes on an off to adjust the water level. The 2nd one is a fail safe. It it gets activated, it knows the water level is too high and shuts off the system.