Clubbinaz
New member
Just wanted to update as to the status of my AUTO TOP OFF 150G Mixed Reef Tank. I wanted to get a auto top off system and large water self-refilling storage system in place for my display tank to always have RO/DI water on hand and get rid of the 15 gallon fresh water reservoir underneath my display tank.
Water Barrel : $100.00 Delivered
Click Here To See Product
Spectrapure 90 GPD Max Cap Ro/DI System : $279.99
Click Here To See Product
Spectrapure Dual float Solenoid Valve Controller : $164.99
Click Here To See Product
Spectrapure Ultra Precise Level Controller II : $199.99
Click To See Product
1/4" tubing from Ace Hardware 100 Feet: $40.00
1" Spade Bit From Ace Hardware
TOTAL COST OF BUILD: $800.00 +-
In the end this large up front cost is totally squashed when you take into consideration your labor associated with a years worth of refilling your resorvoir under your tank.
I have finally decided to move forward and design a simple water fill that doesn't require me to run a line from under a sink into my 15G fresh water reservoir every 3 days.
I started with a 50 Gallon food grade plastic barrel with breather lid from Baytec containers. These UN rated plastic barrels are safe for water storage and won't leach any chemicals into the water which is key for this set.
I needed a way to fill my barrel so I picked up a 90GPD RO/DI Max Cap system with new 99 percent rejection membrane from Spectrapure and hooked it up under my bar sink in the same room as my display tank.
From there I ran the line through the wall and into a closet in the same room where I can keep my 50 gallon water barrel.
Now that line runs to a dual float auto fill from Spectrapure which I then installed the high and low float. The nice thing about this top off system is that the RO/DI doesn't refill the water barrel until the level reaches the low float switch to keep the unit from constantly topping off and will greatly extend the life of my RO/DI cartridges.
This solenoid turns on when the water reaches the low float and shuts off when the water hits the high float. *Note: The state of the solenoid is inherently in the off position which will reduce the chance of an overfill. It takes power to open the solenoid. You can also see that I ran two water fill lines through the attic to the display sump. I only currently use 1 of the two lines but it seemed silly not to run an extra just in case.
To move the water from the RO/DI barrel to the display sump I chose to use the Spectrapure Ultra Precise Level Control peristaltic pump. I wired up the pressure based level control and emergency stop sensor in my 30 gallon sump.
After leaving the attic and entering the wall I fished the line out of the wall up high by the lighting as you can see in this picture.
Now that it's running I have a constant self re-filling supply of fresh RO/DI water and plenty of water available all the time for water changes with a precise control top off system running straight into my sump from the barrel across the large living room.
Pretty Cool...
Darren
PARTS USED FOR BUILD
Water Barrel : $100.00 Delivered
Click Here To See Product
Spectrapure 90 GPD Max Cap Ro/DI System : $279.99
Click Here To See Product
Spectrapure Dual float Solenoid Valve Controller : $164.99
Click Here To See Product
Spectrapure Ultra Precise Level Controller II : $199.99
Click To See Product
1/4" tubing from Ace Hardware 100 Feet: $40.00
1" Spade Bit From Ace Hardware
TOTAL COST OF BUILD: $800.00 +-
In the end this large up front cost is totally squashed when you take into consideration your labor associated with a years worth of refilling your resorvoir under your tank.
I have finally decided to move forward and design a simple water fill that doesn't require me to run a line from under a sink into my 15G fresh water reservoir every 3 days.
I started with a 50 Gallon food grade plastic barrel with breather lid from Baytec containers. These UN rated plastic barrels are safe for water storage and won't leach any chemicals into the water which is key for this set.
I needed a way to fill my barrel so I picked up a 90GPD RO/DI Max Cap system with new 99 percent rejection membrane from Spectrapure and hooked it up under my bar sink in the same room as my display tank.
From there I ran the line through the wall and into a closet in the same room where I can keep my 50 gallon water barrel.
Now that line runs to a dual float auto fill from Spectrapure which I then installed the high and low float. The nice thing about this top off system is that the RO/DI doesn't refill the water barrel until the level reaches the low float switch to keep the unit from constantly topping off and will greatly extend the life of my RO/DI cartridges.
This solenoid turns on when the water reaches the low float and shuts off when the water hits the high float. *Note: The state of the solenoid is inherently in the off position which will reduce the chance of an overfill. It takes power to open the solenoid. You can also see that I ran two water fill lines through the attic to the display sump. I only currently use 1 of the two lines but it seemed silly not to run an extra just in case.
To move the water from the RO/DI barrel to the display sump I chose to use the Spectrapure Ultra Precise Level Control peristaltic pump. I wired up the pressure based level control and emergency stop sensor in my 30 gallon sump.
After leaving the attic and entering the wall I fished the line out of the wall up high by the lighting as you can see in this picture.
Now that it's running I have a constant self re-filling supply of fresh RO/DI water and plenty of water available all the time for water changes with a precise control top off system running straight into my sump from the barrel across the large living room.
Pretty Cool...
Darren
