The most reliable ATO in the world

[Harold999]

It's running for a day now and didn't need to make any adjustments at all, my initial guess of how many droprate was right, waterlevel stays 100% the same.

Here it is in action. This is definitely a keeper.

 

[Harold999]

Another good thing about this is that there is no salinity swing at all. With sensor based ATO's there is.

 

[DaneGer21]

I would still recommend a float valve on this.

 

[Valhalla Reefer]

My electronic ATO failed, luckily i was at home and heard that the pump was filling way longer than normal. Don't want this to happen again and i feel that ALL electronic sensor based systems will fail sooner or later. It can take 3 months or 3 years, one day it will happen.

Now we all know the system on the picture. Downsides are that you can only screw a small bottle on it and it stands on top of your tank, so a no go for most of us.

But what if you have a room behind your tank, drill a small hole in the wall and connect it to a large jerrycan or something which you place high up the wall in the other room?
Wouldn't we have the most reliable ATO system in the world then? Also, the water drips almost continuesly in your tank (because the border between filling and not filling is very very small, way smaller than normal ATO's), so no salinity swings at all.

Is this the most reliable system or can it fail too?

I use Avast Marine’s ATO and imo is one of the most reliable ATOs available because it work using a very simple ‘pressure switch’. It works by sensing the pressure difference created changing water height. There’s no mechanical parts to fail/get stuck or optical eye to become dirty.
It’s as reliable as the pump you choose to use with it. I use Avast’s diaphragm pump with it and the combo has been rock solid for me. I’ve never heard of a single failure and it can also be used with a float switch if desired, but I don’t see the need.

Anyways- I thought I’d share. Cheers

 

[elysics]

Dripping at an adjustable rate works until the moment it doesn't, when you leave for a few weeks and the evaporation decides to change just in that moment.

And i don't think those airvalves are particularly safeguarded against turning on their own from vibrations

 

[Greybeard]

I used to use the Tunze ATO... Main sensor is optical, when that fails, there's a high level sensor that is mechanical, and, the pump only runs x minutes before it times out. Seems reasonable.

There's a few problems with it, from my perspective. 1st, I despise optical sensors. Too much maintenance. A little bio film, and it's gonna fail. 2nd, their alarm is not very loud. In my sump closet, I never could hear it. Add in EXPENSIVE... and the additional RO/DI solenoid is a piece of junk. I sold mine off years ago.

A good, solid ATO system isn't that hard to design. As with any electro/mechanical system, you have to PLAN FOR FAILURE, because it will, eventually, fail. Everything does, eventually. Count on it, plan for it, and fail gracefully. Our aquariums are important to us... redundancy is critical. 1st sensor or valve fails, you've got to have a 2nd layer. Quite possibly, a 3rd. Is it safe during a power failure? Will you notice an alarm?

 

[TheDuude]

Dripping at an adjustable rate works until the moment it doesn't, when you leave for a few weeks and the evaporation decides to change just in that moment.

And i don't think those airvalves are particularly safeguarded against turning on their own from vibrations

+1 evaporation rate varies significantly in my tank based on the level of humidity in the house. Winter months I go through around 2 gallons a day and in summer use maybe 30% of that.

 

[Harold999]

Dripping at an adjustable rate works until the moment it doesn't, when you leave for a few weeks and the evaporation decides to change just in that moment.

And i don't think those airvalves are particularly safeguarded against turning on their own from vibrations

The knob doesn't turn lightly, i'm sure it won't turn on it's own.
About evaporation rate changes. In my case during for example the summer period the evaporation is always more or less the same over a longer period. There can be some small daily fluctuations but in the end, let's say over a three or four week period, my water use is always more or less the same.
I don't think that this system will overflow your tank or let the sump dry out when you're gone for a while.

 

[Harold999]

+1 evaporation rate varies significantly in my tank based on the level of humidity in the house. Winter months I go through around 2 gallons a day and in summer use maybe 30% of that.

Between seasons yes, within one season over a longer period not so much.
Yes you will need to adjust the droprate a couple of times each year, but not within a season.
It's not a big deal that the waterlevel rises a tiny bit over a week or so followed by a week of lowering, because this happens with an electronic ATO daily. At least on my nano it does.
As far as i can see now the drop system delivers a way more stable waterlevel than my electronic ATO did.

 

[Ozreefer]

CADE tanks work on this principle.
Large ATO’s built in behind the display and gravity fed into the sump.
I have the 1800 S2

 

[blueridgereef]

Not that they aren't already cheap enough, but if you take special pleasure in bargain hunting like I do, you can get those on AliExpress for under $5 - Gravity ATO

 

[elysics]

Not that they aren't already cheap enough, but if you take special pleasure in bargain hunting like I do, you can get those on AliExpress for under $5 - Gravity ATO

I mean the only part that costs $5 there is the holder for the rim of the tank, which OP doesn't need. The actual mechanism is just two tubes going into an airtight container.

Its better suited for a baffled chamber with small volume though, that system needs a bit of a change in waterlevel between when it kicks off and on

 

[moreef]

I use Avast Marine’s ATO and imo is one of the most reliable ATOs available because it work using a very simple ‘pressure switch’. It works by sensing the pressure difference created changing water height. There’s no mechanical parts to fail/get stuck or optical eye to become dirty.
It’s as reliable as the pump you choose to use with it. I use Avast’s diaphragm pump with it and the combo has been rock solid for me. I’ve never heard of a single failure and it can also be used with a float switch if desired, but I don’t see the need.

Anyways- I thought I’d share. Cheers

Thanks Im going to try this. It has worked flawlessly on my skimate locker and didnt think they had ato. My Tunze has worked ok for years but several times it has failed to turn on, just this morning infact lol.