DIY auto top off

[NewbReefer]

Has Anyone tried Melev's DIY auto top off units?

See it here

[reeffreak]

I haven't.He's a smart dude,give it a shot.

[NewbReefer]

I will and i'll post here how it goes

[fatman]

The light weight float valves as shown are intended for use with low voltge systems (12 volt) not house hold line voltage. There is a plastic dip that is sold at hardware stores to coat tool handles, it would work much better than a plastic bag to cover the wire splices. I would also use crimp connecors not wire nuts. Most quality ATO systems use a 12 volt peristallic pump instead of a circulation pump. First it is more exact. Second its pumping capacity is small so even if the float is sunk by a hernit crab or a couple snails only a few gallons of water will be pumped in a day not your full container of top off water. Third a low volatage system is much safer to use in a water environment. A peristalic pump by itself wiould probably cost at least a hundred dollars. Mel's system will work, but it is something that requires particular things as noted in his writeup. Plus it is a system that would warrant a vigilant watch on its performance. It would be cheap though. I. myself, would not risk a tank full of corals on a cheap system such as this though. I would not risk even a few corals on Mel's DIY ATO set up.

[NewbReefer]

They do have an article for building one with a relay so that instead of pulling full houshold volts your pulling 9-12 volts so that if you do get a short it's not gonna hurt much of anything, atleast not in one hit. A peristalic pump would be nice but to much for a simple auto top of. i could also build in a second flow switch higher up on the sump so if the lower one gets stuck on and continues to dump in water it will hit tha second switch at the top of the sump and break the ciruit to the pump. but all in all i will only be using a 5 gallon container for my top off water incase something does happen. my sump could hold most, if not all of that.

thanks for the tip on the plastic dip i'll have to look for it while im at home depot, wire nuts are definetly not a good idea for this project. Im more of a solder/crimp and shrink tubing kind of guy.

[fatman]

Five gallons into 60 gallons (72 - rock - sand = 60) would lower your salinity by 8.33 percent (5 / 60) x 100% = 8.333... %. A peristalic pump is standard with quality ATO systems but it is expensive. The second float valve would be very cheap insurance against the possible loss of the entire contents of a reef tank. As far as the electrical aspect; if you consider that Resistance = (Voltage / current), which means Resistance x Current = Voltage it simply shows if you lower your Voltage your Current decreases and if you lower your Current your Voltage decreases meaning you do not melt the light weight wiring and switch in the float switch, so a low voltage system is a good idea also.

[NewbReefer]

i also have a 30g sump and add about 20g for the refugium im adding on very soon. but all in all yes i will probably need to look into a peristalic pump once i recover from the spending spree i just went on with MarineDepot today

[fatman]

Originally Posted by NewbReefer

i also have a 30g sump and add about 20g for the refugium im adding on very soon. but all in all yes i will probably need to look into a peristalic pump once i recover from the spending spree i just went on with MarineDepot today

I just got a Marine Depot offering 25% off on all books.
That was enough to break my will power. I ordered more books. The sad thing is, I haven't got enough books shelves for all the books I already have. I have stacks and stacks of text books, reference books, manuals, and boxes full of note books and binders, but not a novel or short story in the place.

[NewbReefer]

thats one thing i haven't spent money on yet, but i would like a some good books about the different kinds of corals and fish.

[fatman]

Originally Posted by NewbReefer

thats one thing i haven't spent money on yet, but i would like a some good books about the different kinds of corals and fish.

I ordered the Julian Sprung, Corals: A Quick Reference Guide, the 3 volume Corals of the World encyclopedia set and the Calfro Book of Coral Propagation. They are not getting here fast enough! I did only order them on Friday though. Nothing on fish.
I will let you know what I think of the cost versus the content.