DIY auto top off detailed instructions

[Reef noob_]

if you want a low cost, easy to setup and assemble auto top off then this ato might be for you.

MATERIALS:
1x aqualifter pump
airline tubing
aquarium controller(i have reefkeeper lite)
1 gallon jug
stopwatch/phone stopwatch

draw a line at your water level, ill do it in my sump because the change in there is more drastic. Siphon out one gallon of water then use the aqualifter pump to pump it back in IMPORTANT: time the pump, see how long it takes to pump 1 gallon then use this formula: you need to cross multiply the two fractions, so put the time it takes the pump to move one gallon on the top of the left fraction, lets say 5 minutes then you cross multiply that by X getting 5X. you then cross multiply 1 gallon with 1 minute getting 1. so then you have 5X=1. now we need to get the x alone so we divide both sides by 5 getting X=1/5gallon, which refers to the X gallons on the bottom of the right fraction. this X=1/5 gallon is how many gallons per minute the pump moves.

TIME: X minutes 1 minute
_________ = _________
GALLONS: 1 gallon X gallons

now that we know how much the pump moves a minute we need to know how much water evaporates in a day, so i drew a line at the water level in my sump again and waited 24 hours then drew a mark again where the water level is now. have some ro/di water made as well. fill the 1 gallon jug with rodi water and pour back into the tank untill the water level from the previous day is matched, make sure that you count how many gallons, 1/2 gallons, and 1/4 gallons to be as accurate as possible. Lets say my tank evaporates at a rate of 1 gallon per 24 hours, that means we will need to pump roughly one gallon of ro water back in daily and if our pump does 1/5 gallon per minute then it only needs to be turned on for 5 minutes to pump one gallon back in, this can be done using a controller wich is ideal, or a timer which is less accurate. i personally would set the pump on for a little less then needed so that its not in danger of overflowing and killing everything in your tank :blown:. you will still need to occasionally top off with this system but it will be much less and less often making a more stable tank. if you are unsure of commercial ATOs or just cant justify another $150 spent on your tank but still want a way to control tank evaporation then this $15 project is a great fit for you. I highly recommend this setup and from now on will use it for all of my tanks

Disclaimer, if it doesnt work for you its not my fault lol :bounce3:

 

[Mark Bianco]

Being as you are in NJ how do you account for the different evaporation rates as the seasons change?

 

[Ikserk]

Being as you are in NJ how do you account for the different evaporation rates as the seasons change?

With a timed top off like this, you would have to rely on observations to indicate that the top off is either 1) accounting for evaporation perfectly or 2) not keeping up with evaporation or 3) replacing too much top off water daily.

once you observe a change you can then adjust the amount of time the top off runs per day. if you time your top off to run for 5 minutes per day and it is not keeping up with evaporation, then run the top off for 5 minutes and 20 seconds. Likewise, if it is over topping off, then decrease the time the pump runs.

note: controllers control an outlet down to the second, but not all wall timers can.

note 2: with a pump like the aqualifter, be careful of siphoning extra top off water when the pump is turned off. be sure that the outlet of the tube is always higher than the water level in the top off water container.

a timed top off is actually the safest way to dose kalkwasser with your top off. with kalk dissolved into the top off water, you wouldn't want to run the aqua lifter for 5 minutes once per day. but instead run it for 12 seconds once per hour.

 

[M28cruiser]

Good concept. A lot of variables to watch out for, but for $15 who can complain.
:thumbsup:

New ATO kit can be had for $40 (aquahub) and that will pretty much give you full cruise control for the top off process.

 

[zachts]

I'd much rather run a cheap peristaltic pump than the aqualifter. I've use one for a few years on my frag tank and it is not all that consistent over time.......

 

[jc286006]

i don`t think i would rely on just a time program to get the job done things can go bad fast if you are not there to check on your tank everyday eg. you left for a weeks vacation your system doesn`t take into account the varying evaporation rates yes you might not kill stuff and make a mess like you would with float switches alone but during a week away from your aquarium you could burn a return pump up etc. i would still use floats etc. as a backup to your system. on the system i am building i am using float switches with timers in my arduino sketch with ping sensors as backup to them LOL