Ato

[PufferGuy]

Since ive taken the glass top off my tank i have to add a LOT of water to keep up with evaporation so since i have a spare maxijet 900 and a 5 gal bucket.. i was thinking about making my own ATO unit. I know i need a float switch but after that i have no idea how to connect the switch to the powerhead and how to set it up. Anyone care to give me a quick rundown on the system im talking about? And let me know if its safe.

P.S. it would be in sump

 

[d2mini]

I have the double ato unit from AutoTopoff.com
It's been working flawlessly for about 6 months.
I have a separate 12 gallon container with a small sicce pump inside. The ato switches the pump power on when the water level gets too low. It runs for about 20 seconds and then turns off. I have a john guest valve installed in the sump and in my top off container to easily connect the water line.

 

[PufferGuy]

well i kinda wanted to do it cheap haha.. thats why i didnt really wanna buy one because i read online about people making ATOs with powerheads and a floatvalve

 

[dcantucson]

I have a float valve but it's hooked up to a water line from a RODI unit. That's the only way I know those things work.

 

[Bifferwine]

I used a plastic toilet float that I got at Ace, hooked up to a reservoir by some tubing. All in all, everything was less than $15.

 

[PufferGuy]

could you take a picture of this Biff? it would help me understand the set up a lot better

 

[puttycat]

a plastic float valve a bucket and tubing would work. put the bucket above sump. gravity will refill the sump. That is what I have on my qt tank

 

[project5k]

thats basically what i'm doing as well, cept mine is the float valve from an automatic pet watering traugh....
container above the sump, and taadaa! no electronics to fail, no power head to cause problems, simple, cheap, and easy, just like me!

 

[dcantucson]

You said it. What a set-up! Just too easy.

 

[Wes888]

I have a float valve but it's hooked up to a water line from a RODI unit. That's the only way I know those things work.

That's how I have as well.

 

[Bifferwine]

could you take a picture of this Biff? it would help me understand the set up a lot better

Sorry, it's not set up anymore and I don't believe I have pics of it. It's basically a gravity fed ATO. The reservoir has to sit up higher than the sump. And the toilet float is attached to the tubing to the reservoir, and attached to the inside of the sump. When the water level drops below the float, water from the reservoir comes out of the tube. When the water level rises, the float stays shut.

 

[PufferGuy]

is it a siphon? or purely gravity? reason im asking is because if its gravity i would have to drill a hole on the bottom of a 5gal bucket

 

[dcantucson]

I believe that way of doing it is gravity feed PufferGuy.

 

[project5k]

is it a siphon? or purely gravity? reason im asking is because if its gravity i would have to drill a hole on the bottom of a 5gal bucket

ok, i'll spare the lecture of how a syphon is gravity in action....

actually you can do a "gravity" feed by using a syphon, just gotta make sure that the bottom of the bucket is higher than the water level in the sump.

then just drop a tube into the 5gal, suck the other end, start the syphon, and then attach to the float valve in the sump.

comprende?

 

[puttycat]

+1 project5k

 

[daugherty]

this is my ato it is hooked to my ro unit and pressure tank

 

[project5k]

must be nice to be able to go through the floor like that.

i would have to go up and over into the attick, or cut a trench into my slab...

 

[daugherty]

it would work as long as you had a pressure tank

 

[dcantucson]

must be nice to be able to go through the floor like that.

i would have to go up and over into the attick, or cut a trench into my slab...

I have run a 1/4" line along my base board along the living room, and then threw the wall of the house outside to where a RODI unit it set up on the patio connected on the water facet. It works for me because it only freezes here 2-3 times in the winter and usually pretty lightly. If something happens and I have to manually top off the aquarium, I have to do it in the morning and at night or it gets low and bubbles shoot out the returns. It takes 5-10 gallons a day for top offs.