Considering new ATO....whats your favorite

Dextereef · Sep 16, 2015

djbetterly said:
Not doing kalk. Love the puratek and spectrapure but they are quite costly. Thinking about hydor or tunze. Anyone have any pros and cons to mention?

I run the hydor on one tank and the smart ato on another. I had to replace the smart ato sensor because of faulty sensor. Service sent one out free of charge. I like the smart ATO precision. The hydor lets a lot of water evap before it kicks on. It caused problems when I was dosing from the ATO. If you are not dosing then it should fit the bill. What type of tank will it go on? mixed, lps, sps, softies?

djbetterly · Sep 16, 2015

Mixed tank. So far I'm liking the avast marine and the spectrapure. At least with the avast I can integrate into apex and use an extra peristaltic pump I have at home. That would keep the cost around $100

Dextereef · Sep 16, 2015

djbetterly said:
Mixed tank. So far I'm liking the avast marine and the spectrapure. At least with the avast I can integrate into apex and use an extra peristaltic pump I have at home. That would keep the cost around $100

Thats a good price point. You're under a $100 on the hydro but no apex function and the controller is pretty clunky. I think you will have a good experience with any on your list...which makes it tough to make a decision!

djbetterly · Sep 17, 2015

Ordered the avast. Looks like a good time...excited to use it with my new sump.

Jlobes · Sep 17, 2015

AZDesertRat said:
Yes the Spectrapure uses suction cups for the small sensor but they recommend putting a small dab of silicone on the cups before installing them and they stay put after that.
The Spectrapure would be great for a display only tank with no sump. The sensor is pretty small and clear so will not be a nuisance to the eye or take up much room. If you don't want to install the second or back up float switch as an emergency you don't have to, it works fine without it. I have used mine both with and without and it has been very reliable without it. Another advantage is the adjustable sensitivity so you can let the display level fill of drop as much as you want before refilling. You can also adjust not only the amount it drops but also how fast it refills too.
http://spectrapure.com/manuals/UPLC-II-PF-REV-A.pdf

AZ: possible to replace the suction cups with magnets? I havent seen the unit in person, so im unsure the setup/design, and if it would interfere with operation.

markalan · Sep 18, 2015

I wish they had magnets also I would feel much better about the unit.

Harold Green · Sep 18, 2015

Not owning a controller I went with a simple pair of float switches. One switch handles the ato and the other switch is simply a backup if the first one fails. Remote ato reservoir with a half inch line running into the sump. Relay powering a cheap pump in the reservoir. Also can switch feed over to a salt water tank so I can do water changes and top up the tank automatically with new water as I remove old. Been running for over a year now with no issues.

AZDesertRat · Sep 18, 2015

Yes, the suction cups could be removed and the bracket glued to a small cleaning magnet or similar. I thought about doing this but honestly have never had a problem with the cups in the 7+ years I have owned it.
Harold if you are using float switches make darn sure you are using a relay with low voltage DC going to the switches and not 120v AC. Micro float switches don't like high voltage as it arcs and eventually burns the switches up.

shred5 · Sep 18, 2015

Tunze is my fave but my second is Hydor Smart Level..

I would love to try the Puratek Auto level controller.

Harold Green · Sep 19, 2015

AZDesertRat said:
Yes, the suction cups could be removed and the bracket glued to a small cleaning magnet or similar. I thought about doing this but honestly have never had a problem with the cups in the 7+ years I have owned it.
Harold if you are using float switches make darn sure you are using a relay with low voltage DC going to the switches and not 120v AC. Micro float switches don't like high voltage as it arcs and eventually burns the switches up.

I'm a retired electrician and yes the relay is fed by low voltage. I bought a kit with two float switches, relay, box, transformer, ato bracket.