Apex and ATO

[Deep Reef]

Just received an Apex with lab probe for the holidays. Currently using a JBJ auto top off system. Does it make sense to add the ATO to the apex or just keep it simple and maybe just add a leak detector in the stand for peace of mind?

 

[McGee10]

I don't like to keep all my egg in the same basket. I use the Apex to control my JBJ ATO then if it fails the Apex will shut it down (using a BOB and a float switch) and yet should the Apex fail I would just move the JBJ ATO to a power strip and keep going.

 

[Deep Reef]

Thanks for the input

 

[JuJuMan16]

On the flipside, I use 3 floats on a breakout box in my apex for ATO. One for the regular water level, one as a failsafe, and one in my reservoir to prevent ATO pump from burning out and letting me know when to refill it.

If you go with an ATO and not use the apex, you can still power it with the apex, go an extra step and use floats on a breakout box to power off the ATO unit in case it malfunctions.

 

[Coelli]

I have my ATO hooked up to my Apex. I'll eventually add float switches to the BOB for overfilling failsafe, but for now I have it programmed to turn on every 15 minutes for only up to 15 seconds at a time (it rarely runs that long). Even if it somehow malfunctioned in the On position it would take hours to overflow the sump. I also use kalkwasser in my ATO reservoir so this spreads out the dosing and keeps everything stable. If the pH goes too high for some reason (like the skimmer overflowing and sending too much water into the collection container, thus pulling a bunch of kalk from the reservoir and driving the pH up) the Apex will shut it down and send an alert. So to answer your question, yes, it can be useful to have it connected.

 

[Deep Reef]

All great info...thanks