Good Morning!

[Peace River]

Good morning everyone!

You gotta love Saturdays when you don't have to just guzzle your coffee and you can take the time to just stare at it longingly!



On the other hand....

 

[Crabs McJones]

Good morning everyone!

You gotta love Saturdays when you don't have to just guzzle your coffee and you can take the time to just stare at it longingly!



On the other hand....

thats......thats creepy

 

[Peace River]

Good morning.
My ATO failed, again. So I just ordered a new one. I put 10k bulbs in the metal halides yesterday and cleaned the glass and intake filters. Hoping to rev things up a bit. Several things just aren't growing. It looks quite a bit different but I think I will like it. Now I need to change the T-5s to something bluer.

How did your ATO fail? I ask the question to try to learn from others opportunities.

 

[Dsnakes]

thats......thats creepy

I concur

 

[WVNed]

How did your ATO fail? I ask the question to try to learn from others opportunities.

I am using an Innovative Marine Aqua Gadget Titanium. It has 2 sensors that are small dual prongs. The controller is supposed to read if water is present by passing electricity between the prongs. They have started reading that water is there when it isn't and you have to wash them in RODI to get them to work again. Salt film seems to be enough to trick the sensors. It was great while it worked for 6 months.
I ordered a new system from AutoTopoff.com this morning that uses dual magnetic float sensors. I will just plug the old pump into the new sensor setup.
It's a little disappointing. So much of this hobby is an expensive version of live and learn.

Time to scrape some ugly tanks

 

[Peace River]

I am using an Innovative Marine Aqua Gadget Titanium. It has 2 sensors that are small dual prongs. The controller is supposed to read if water is present by passing electricity between the prongs. They have started reading that water is there when it isn't and you have to wash them in RODI to get them to work again. Salt film seems to be enough to trick the sensors. It was great while it worked for 6 months.
I ordered a new system from AutoTtopoff.com this morning that uses dual magnetic float sensors. I will just plug the old pump into the new sensor setup.
It's a little disappointing. So much of this hobby is an expensive version of live and learn.

Wow - I hate that for you and have to agree with your comments. I am tentatively optimistic about the Smart ATO that I just got and setup this week.

 

[Dsnakes]

I am using an Innovative Marine Aqua Gadget Titanium. It has 2 sensors that are small dual prongs. The controller is supposed to read if water is present by passing electricity between the prongs. They have started reading that water is there when it isn't and you have to wash them in RODI to get them to work again. Salt film seems to be enough to trick the sensors. It was great while it worked for 6 months.
I ordered a new system from AutoTopoff.com this morning that uses dual magnetic float sensors. I will just plug the old pump into the new sensor setup.
It's a little disappointing. So much of this hobby is an expensive version of live and learn.

Time to scrape some ugly tanks

I had two of those ATOs fail. I ended up getting a Tunze and had no issues at all.

 

[Peace River]

A Good Frosty Morning today, going to put the yard away until spring. Also time to service all the yard equipment, snow machines and Generators. I should have gone to work. IF i get things done I might start installing my controller or get my radions programmed......I should get the lights first, special guests arriving next week Good day all!

I've noticed a weather change here as well because I now only have to mow every other week!

 

[LadyMac]

Morning! Filling my RODI jugs today. Almost halfway done.

 

[WVNed]

10k
no more funny colors in the pics and the fish look nice. Yellow fish are now yellow.

Cleaned up nice

Hairy Scary Crab is out.

Louie is playing with his featherfish
Not tiny anymore. Time to get him fixed.

 

[Dsnakes]

10k
no more funny colors in the pics and the fish look nice. Yellow fish are now yellow.

Cleaned up nice

Hairy Scary Crab is out.

Louie is playing with his featherfish
Not tiny anymore. Time to get him fixed.

The tank looks great! Best to keep Louie playing with dry fish

 

[WVNed]

If you get him to hold still and brush his fur the right way it says BOO on his right side.
almost impossible to do and keep your skin intact.

 

[WiscoFishNut]

Well its past morning, but hey Picked up a few things at the LFS this morning - coral beauty angelfish, female emerald crab(Coral tank algae control?), a cool orange/red golf ball sized zoa colony, and a random gonipora.

@Peace River - learned a cheap lesson about the ATO we have just now. In my infinite wisdom I decided to use the sole hose clamp to keep the hose "right" on the reservoir side.. Poor decision, I just watched it dump 2 gallons on the floor when the unsecured hose came loose. Thankfully I was in the room when it happened and got it cleaned up before the wife saw lol. Borrowed a clamp from a spare in the closet to make sure that doesn't happen again. Coulda been 5 gallons at 3am lol

 

[WiscoFishNut]

10k
no more funny colors in the pics and the fish look nice. Yellow fish are now yellow.

Cleaned up nice

Hairy Scary Crab is out.

Louie is playing with his featherfish
Not tiny anymore. Time to get him fixed.

Beautiful tank man!

 

[ndrwater]

I had two of those ATOs fail. I ended up getting a Tunze and had no issues at all.

I have the Tunze as well. It just works. After hearing more than a few stories of other brands failures, I decided it was worth the extra $ for the piece of mind.
I have both the 3155 and the nano version. If I were to re-do anything, it'd be to skip the nano. It doesn't have the redundancy the 3155 has and subsequently more room for error. One of the cooler features that some may not know about is the adjustment knob inside the controll box itself allowing you to fine tune for larger it smaller tanks. Basically it adjusts the run time of the ATO pump for less or more fresh water during the "on" cycle.

 

[Peace River]

Well its past morning, but hey Picked up a few things at the LFS this morning - coral beauty angelfish, female emerald crab(Coral tank algae control?), a cool orange/red golf ball sized zoa colony, and a random gonipora.

@Peace River - learned a cheap lesson about the ATO we have just now. In my infinite wisdom I decided to use the sole hose clamp to keep the hose "right" on the reservoir side.. Poor decision, I just watched it dump 2 gallons on the floor when the unsecured hose came loose. Thankfully I was in the room when it happened and got it cleaned up before the wife saw lol. Borrowed a clamp from a spare in the closet to make sure that doesn't happen again. Coulda been 5 gallons at 3am lol

Congrats on all of the new stuff from the LFS and thanks for the tip! I agree that the hose clamp is a weak link in the Smart ATO package. All sumps are a little different and with the way the lip is on my Reef Octopus sump I have the clamp "C" around a horizontal piece so the hose guide is also horizontal and then added a suction cup with the adapter for a 1/4" air line (not perfect but it works) that is stuck to the sump wall down inside the return chamber. As a side note, the RO sump has an freshwater chamber for the ATO. There may be a better way to configure this, but this is how it is set up for now and it seems to be at least functional.

 

[WVNed]

Congrats on all of the new stuff from the LFS and thanks for the tip! I agree that the hose clamp is a weak link in the Smart ATO package. All sumps are a little different and with the way the lip is on my Reef Octopus sump I have the clamp "C" around a horizontal piece so the hose guide is also horizontal and then added a suction cup with the adapter for a 1/4" air line (not perfect but it works) that is stuck to the sump wall down inside the return chamber. As a side note, the RO sump has an freshwater chamber for the ATO. There may be a better way to configure this, but this is how it is set up for now and it seems to be at least functional.

Just a friendly reminder. The end of the ATO discharge hose should always be higher than the water levels of the sump AND the ATO reservoir at all times. The pump should always have to push water uphill. This keeps water from siphoning out even though the pump is off.

 

[Peace River]

Just a friendly reminder. The end of the ATO discharge hose should always be higher than the water levels of the sump AND the ATO reservoir at all times. The pump should always have to push water uphill. This keeps water from siphoning out even though the pump is off.

Good tip! The kit does come with a reverse siphon break, but I agree that this is definitely best practice. After @WiscoFishNut 's earlier comment I have looked at the way I am routing the hose again and am still tweaking it with siphon in mind. Additionally while I was working to clean up the wiring I realize how easily the sensor can slide up due to any accidental tug on the sensor's connecting wire so one more thing that I will need to secure more effectively. Thanks to both of you!

 

[WVNed]

Good tip! The kit does come with a reverse siphon break, but I agree that this is definitely best practice. After @WiscoFishNut 's earlier comment I have looked at the way I am routing the hose again and am still tweaking it with siphon in mind. Additionally while I was working to clean up the wiring I realize how easily the sensor can slide up due to any accidental tug on the sensor's connecting wire so one more thing that I will need to secure more effectively. Thanks to both of you!

I use these on a smooth surface and then cable tie the stuff. You get these at Home Depot or somewhere like that. peel and stick

 

[Crabs McJones]

Good tip! The kit does come with a reverse siphon break, but I agree that this is definitely best practice. After @WiscoFishNut 's earlier comment I have looked at the way I am routing the hose again and am still tweaking it with siphon in mind. Additionally while I was working to clean up the wiring I realize how easily the sensor can slide up due to any accidental tug on the sensor's connecting wire so one more thing that I will need to secure more effectively. Thanks to both of you!

Something that I've found to help stop back siphon is to drill a small hole in the line before it exits your reservoir. Some water will get pumped back into the reservoir, but when the pump stops the hole will allow in air and break the siphon