davidryder
Claris or Elliot?
An auto top-off was an essential item for me.
Items:
5 gallon water cooler bottle
1/4" electrical grommets
16' airline tubing
Medium-duty air pump
Airline check-valve
Airline regulator
Air diffuser
Optional - Ultralife float switch
There are several configurations, so I will just share mine.
<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/586/9039430mar0502.jpg">
<BR><BR>
Basically one airline is used to pump air into the bottle and pressurize it. The other side is the side that expels water into the sump or aquarium. You can either put a regulator on the line with the water to control the drip or you can use a float swith to automatically operate the air pump. The latter is much easier.
I drilled two holes at the top slightly smaller than 1/4" so the electrical grommets had a snug fit. I drilled them at the top so leaks would not be an issue. You might have to play with the hole to get it right. One side of the air tubing will be inserted into the hole about 1" or less. This will be the side the air pump is connected to.
The other hole is for the air tubing that will go to the aquarium/sump. You have two options here:
1) You can buy some rigid airline to go to the bottom of the bottle or
2) You can just use the flex tubing (this is what i did, i had a hard time finding the rigid tubing)
The check valve goes on the side that is going to the aquarium. This is used as a disconnect and safety measure.
I ran into two problems.
1) using the float swith was residual pressure. Once the pump shut off back pressure dumped about 3-4 more minutes of water into my sump. I just added a 2-way regulator and a diffuser to the pump side to relieve back-pressure once the pump shut off. This is something that will have to be calibrated the way you want.
2) getting a tight fit with the grommets. I used a very small screwdriver to get them in. It is very important that you have a good seal here. It doesn't have to be watertight, but it does have to be able to hold some pressure.
The float swith was the most expensive ($60). The pump was $20 and everything else was less than $15 together.
Once I observed how long it took to dump the whole 5 gallons, I was able to calculate how much kalkwasser and iodide to add to the bottle. I have a 125 + 20 gallon sump and this lasts a little over a week.
This is especially helpful in the warmer months when I have a fan blowing on the water to help cool the system.
Anyway, if you have any questions, or ideas, feel free! I can get more photos also if anyone wants them. Good luck!
Items:
5 gallon water cooler bottle
1/4" electrical grommets
16' airline tubing
Medium-duty air pump
Airline check-valve
Airline regulator
Air diffuser
Optional - Ultralife float switch
There are several configurations, so I will just share mine.
<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/586/9039430mar0502.jpg">
<BR><BR>
Basically one airline is used to pump air into the bottle and pressurize it. The other side is the side that expels water into the sump or aquarium. You can either put a regulator on the line with the water to control the drip or you can use a float swith to automatically operate the air pump. The latter is much easier.
I drilled two holes at the top slightly smaller than 1/4" so the electrical grommets had a snug fit. I drilled them at the top so leaks would not be an issue. You might have to play with the hole to get it right. One side of the air tubing will be inserted into the hole about 1" or less. This will be the side the air pump is connected to.
The other hole is for the air tubing that will go to the aquarium/sump. You have two options here:
1) You can buy some rigid airline to go to the bottom of the bottle or
2) You can just use the flex tubing (this is what i did, i had a hard time finding the rigid tubing)
The check valve goes on the side that is going to the aquarium. This is used as a disconnect and safety measure.
I ran into two problems.
1) using the float swith was residual pressure. Once the pump shut off back pressure dumped about 3-4 more minutes of water into my sump. I just added a 2-way regulator and a diffuser to the pump side to relieve back-pressure once the pump shut off. This is something that will have to be calibrated the way you want.
2) getting a tight fit with the grommets. I used a very small screwdriver to get them in. It is very important that you have a good seal here. It doesn't have to be watertight, but it does have to be able to hold some pressure.
The float swith was the most expensive ($60). The pump was $20 and everything else was less than $15 together.
Once I observed how long it took to dump the whole 5 gallons, I was able to calculate how much kalkwasser and iodide to add to the bottle. I have a 125 + 20 gallon sump and this lasts a little over a week.
This is especially helpful in the warmer months when I have a fan blowing on the water to help cool the system.
Anyway, if you have any questions, or ideas, feel free! I can get more photos also if anyone wants them. Good luck!
