ATO placement in a AIO nano tank

[BeachVacationer]

I have the Fluval Spec 16 and thinking of getting the ice cap ATO. I've seen vids of people putting the sensor in the back chamber. I was thinking of putting it in the display. Does it make any difference? Is it more reliable in a particular location?

 

[mcgyvr]

In a rear chamber it would be more protected from animals....Thats about it..

 

[Uncle99]

If it uses an IR sensor, best suited where the water is calm.

 

[mcgyvr]

If it uses an IR sensor, best suited where the water is calm.

Same can apply to floats.. I typically put a "snail guard" around my floats which not only protects from a snail hanging on them but also helps dampen any "waves" in the surrounding water from powerheads/pumps,etc...

Many of the nicer ATO systems have enough hysteresis built in where "waves" aren't an issue but some will just click on/off with each passing wave..

 

[Crooked Reef]

Isn’t the rear chamber sectioned off into two areas on that tank, a media area and a return? Do both rear chambers stay the same water level? It seems like the return area would have a lower water level to account for water leveling out in the event of a power outage. If so I would put the sensor in the return area.

 

[LQT]

You definitely want the ATO sensor in the return chamber. In AIO tanks, the display and other chambers maintain a constant water level due to the weir and baffles. It’s the return section that fluctuates it’s water level due to evaporation, so that’s where your ATO sensor must be.

 

[BeachVacationer]

Ok, sounds like the return section is the best location. Thanks guys!