ATO pump

[gmlee]

Hmmm

 

[homer1475]

With the tunze, you dont use a breakout box. You don't have to program it in your apex at all for the float switches. It has a small brain box that does it for you. All you do is plug it into one of the outlets on your EB8 then program the outlet.

My apex programming for my tunze ATO is very basic. All I need it to do is stay off after my return turns back on and water level equalizes. FeedA and FeedB are fish and coral feed modes, and FeedC is my maintenance cycle.

Fallback ON
Set ON
If FeedA 005 Then OFF
If FeedB 005 Then OFF
If FeedC 005 Then OFF

 

[m1k3]

When I set up my ATO originally I got the diy kit from BRS and the tunze osmolator pump. My wife let that pump run dry for a full day and it still runs like a champ. I have since modified my ATO for low reservoir shut off and a red led to let you know it's low. I like the fact that mine isn't computerized, however I would really like the alerts you can get from an apex...

 

[gmlee]

with the tunze, you dont use a breakout box. You don't have to program it in your apex at all for the float switches. It has a small brain box that does it for you. All you do is plug it into one of the outlets on your eb8 then program the outlet.

My apex programming for my tunze ato is very basic. All i need it to do is stay off after my return turns back on and water level equalizes. Feeda and feedb are fish and coral feed modes, and feedc is my maintenance cycle.

Fallback on
set on
if feeda 005 then off
if feedb 005 then off
if feedc 005 then off

i don't have a sump so within just one simple tank when i plug into the apex what am i programming the outlet for?

 

[gmlee]

i don't have a sump so within just one simple tank when i plug into the apex what am i programming the outlet for?

 

[homer1475]

I don't have a sump either(in the traditional sump way), I have a biocube which has separate section at the back of the display, which has 3 separate compartments that can be used as a makeshift sump.

All I program mine for is to shut off while I feed, and an additional 5 minutes for the "sump" to normalize. In your case, you wouldn't need it to shut off at all. So all your programming would be to set the switch to on, and for the fallback to be on, and possibly a feed mode setup as a maintenance(water change) cycle that shuts it off during this time.

 

[gmlee]

Thanks for the help. Leaning towards the tunze .........

 

[homer1475]

With all that said, my next build will have a traditional sump configured with high and low float switches tied to a breakout box and more complex apex programming(just better redundancies on a larger tank). I'll also use the breakout box for door switches to turn lights on when you open the cabinet doors.

The osmolator is a tried and true piece of equipment that's well worth the money. Something very hard to find in this hobby. They all fail at some point, but the tunze probably fails the least.

 

[gmlee]

One last stupid question. With the tunze or any ATO can you use it for replacing your fresh saltwater mix when doing water changes?