ATO recommendations

[arentspowell]

I use a ReefKepper Lite with the float switches and an aqualifter pump. Works great for adding kalk too. Plus if the pump craps out its only like $10.00 to replace the pump.

 

[wbdevers]

I use kalk in my ATO and use a simple pump from autotopoff.com. For the amount I paid for it, if it craps out, I'll just get another one. It works like a charm.

 

[dylan87]

Would ou be able to use the coralife floatvalve and just place the resevoir higher than the sump any see any problems with that the kit is like 25$ ill have to drill another hole in my sump but i have to empty it to move it into the new stand any way the kit comes with a 1/4 in bullkead

 

[doctorgori]

Apex with float switches hooked to a Toms aqualifter. Works great.

I'm waiting to get my pm1 and might have to pm you about the setup if you don't mind

 

[Hextall]

I am about over carrying 5 gallon buckets of RODI water for top off every other day or so. It's time for me to invest in an auto top off. Give me some recommendations please!

I'm new to this and am building a 29g biocube, and started looking at ATO systems a few weeks ago. However, I realized that buying a controller that also had the capacity to introduce a lot more automation with my tank was going to be more enjoyable (not sure about cost effective though).

So I decided instead of the JBJ ATO system (which is what I had tabbed to buy), I decided to buy an apex lite. and couple it with a few float switches from aquahub and a aqualifter pump. You also need a breakout box to connect the float switches to (and then to the apex). You could build your own breakout box and probably save about $20 or so off the $40 price tag from Neptune.

It's a significant amount more than buying the JBJ system (maybe 4x the cost?), but I think that the additional automation (including email warnings and web access) is worth it in the long run.

 

[Dr. Reef]

i would agree with HEXTALL. amount of money you will spend over time into different products will be greater than if u were to buy a controller.

 

[Hextall]

I think you can set up an ATO with the Reefkeeper lite much cheaper than buying the apex. I just bought the apex because it satisfied the internal nerd in me to a much higher degree.

However making the reefkeeper lite as fully functional as the apex lite would cost more in the long run.

It's all about the moneys now or later.

 

[Fizz71]

I've done buckets, I've done pumps on remotes, I've built my own float setup and used pre-made floats and switches but by far my favorite setup is the one I have now....A tank of water ABOVE my sump water level and an Eshopps Float Valve. ZERO electricity, near ZERO chance of failure if you keep up on maintenance (keep it clean). It's all gravity fed which means it only works if you can keep your feed source above your sump water line. It's only failed on me once when I didn't clean out the algea and it was a fail-SAFE meaning the water level in the sump just got low..it didn't dump 50 gallons of RO into my system or anything like that, it just made my pump suck air which I noticed immediately and fixed in 2 minutes...I've only had to do that once and it's been running almost 3 years.

I still have some redundancy just in case because the feed tank is hooked directly to the RO, but it's a real "hands off" setup.