Eshopps float valve options???

[SeymourDuncan]

Planning an ATO for the basement sump finally. I like gravity a lot more than electricity any chance possible, so I am looking at float valves that hook to waterlines rather than a water pump. Not to mention the cost difference is enough to consider this route.

Aquarium Maintenance & Plumbing: Eshopps Auto Top Off Float Valve
This guy ^^^
Is there a way to hook this to a reservoir so I do not have to go straight to the RO unit????

Another semi related question: If i can use a reservoir with this...as far as storing the freshwater..do i need an air bubbler or power head keeping the water from becoming stagnant??? I drop about 1-2 gallons a day. Normally I just fill a jug with an airstone blasting bubbles until its full than its generally ready for top off.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

anyone use these things???

 

[Wildman926]

Yes, I do. I use them on both sumps on a 110g, and 150g. They work great. I have had to clean the once per year. If they stick (why I had to clean it), they will stick closed as that is their normal position. I like using the float valve as it keeps the sump at a constant level as I don't have baffles.

110g

150g

 

[SeymourDuncan]

cool, I ended up hooking the feed line to the bottom of a 5g jug and my ro is plumbed straight to the top to fill it manually. I have the jug suspended above the sump for gravity feed. Just hooked it up...so I dont know how well this way will work.

How is yours attached?? Straight to water supply or from a reservoir?

 

[Wildman926]

I have a 6g container to the side of the aquariums. It is basically an Eclipse 6 acrylic tank on a homemade stand. Here are some pics of each of them. I just took these, and as you can see, it is almost time to fill them. I fill them once a week.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

ok, thats exactly what I set up,, only with a 5g jug. locally those flipping waterline fittings are outrageously priced so I just did the threaded 1/4 inch quick connects and superglued them in place after melting the hole slightly before I screwed them in. Water tight so far. It sits on a ledge above my sump, so the water drops about 2 feet to the float valve.

Overnight it used 1 gallon, but that is in 100 gallons total water volume. It never seemed to stop dripping, which wasnt too big of an issue since I purposely let the salt get a little high and set the float to where i wanted the water to be. It still drips at a slow constant rate. I know that the water evaporates pretty quick so I assume this will be fine. I am checking the salt periodically and it did not drastically drop at all so far.

When I remove rocks from my tank it is going to spray freshwater of course...so I probably should install a valve on the water line to turn it off.
I also though of this:
Install a 2nd float switch at the lowest water level the pump can be in and have the feed line be much thicker so that when the water drops the fat line will feed saltwater from another reservoir that has a few air bubblers to keep it from being stangnant...

I am guessing these get salt build up on them?? I was thinking about putting a small fan down there to blow away any evap and prevent salt creep??? I also have mangroves...so I think when i mist them I will also mist the Float Valve. I think the reason they stay so clean is the hungry water coming out of it will absorb most things that could normally build up on a water line that is not so "hungry."

 

[Wildman926]

You can cheap out on your stuff, as long as it works. You need a valve on it for various reasons.

Why are you removing rocks from your tank? Is your tank open, or do you have glass tops?

I only go through 5-6 gallons per tank per week. That is why I went with the reservoir I have. That is with 110g & 150g, both with 30g sumps as you see in the pics above. But I have glass tops, with the plastic edge seals on the back.

There is no salt build up on these. It will get crud on the output, but since the float is normally closed, so if it sticks, it will stick closed. Mine did that after about a year of service.

No offense, but I feel you are "over thinking" this. You use an ATO to keep the water level constant. If you change the volume makeup of the tank by removing rocks, make up the difference with sw.

What do you have in your tanks? My 110g is a softie, and my 150g is a LPS.

110g

150g

 

[SeymourDuncan]

I trade live Live rock to people sometimes for equipment or corals and I have some hefty pieces lol.
I guess you are righton over thinking. I am getting a valve as soon as i make it to menards. I wasnt trying to pay 20 bucks at ace for 2 valves. It works perfectly so far as is as far as keeping up with evap. THe RO is in a jusg with a hole in the lid so air can escape..i didnt know if pressure build up would be good on the thing.

In my tank I have Rics, a new Blasto, 4 types of zoas, cinnamon grandis, purple sea whip, green and red palys, some type of agave, finger and cabbage leather, a very nice 7 head duncan and a busted piece of one that has a tentacle growing out of it ...a kenya tree, and a crazy coralimorph of some type that spits up ribbony cauliflower...

Most of these are still frags that I got as even smaller frags and are all growing as rapidly as they can I think. the rics are huge MY water pre ATO fluctuated about .002 on a hydrometer and I think that Is why I had an acro for less than 2 months just melt. Other than that the stuff has been multiplying and I have been successfully splitting the frags out as they grow. Just about every month I have something that is ready to glue onto another frag plug. This tank is basically maturing my water, growing my coraline and frags, and allowing my one clownfish to grow large enough for the flow I intend in the 125 I have on standby until I have my lighting schemed out and plumbing to the existing basement sump. That is going to replace the 55g that all of this is in.

(I moved to a new house at the prime of my tank and had to start over, which is more awesome than I thought as I am doing this with a plan for once :clap2: )