how do you top off?

[Aadler]

Do you just dump water in your sump, made your own auto top off, bought an auto top off, Top off? whats that?

Anyone use the spectrapure systems from marine depot? there is a $56 one and a $111 one.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idproduct~SP5111.html

 

[GSMguy]

Tunze osmolator, i could not live without it.

 

[funkyman]

"Topping off" is replacing the water in your tank that disappears due to evaporation. Topping off is always with fresh water (no salt water). When water evapoarates from a salt water tank, the salt stays in the tank, so just the water itself needs to be replaced.

You can add it where ever and however you want to.

 

[glalderman]

I don't know about the one on the link you supplied...it says the water has to drop 1" before it will refill...

The Tunze Osmolator is the cats meow...I think I read somewhere it will keep water level within 1/16"...I have never seen my sump below the normal level with the Osmolator...

I also have a JBJ ATO on my frag tank...works very well also...but water level drops between maybe 1/4" to 3/8" before it kicks in...I can see the level a little low...then the ato kicks in and takes it back up to the normal level. I have never had either one go nuts on me...

Now...what I have done on my 12g nano at work is hook an Aqualifter pump to a digital lamp timer and have it pump for 1 minute every 4 hours...that gives me about 1 quart of top off water a day...which is about what the evap on that tank is right now...I have the suction of the Aqualifter pump in a 1 gal water bottle...so there is little chance that I will overflow over the weekends when I am not at work if something went wrong...nice thing about this system...it was up and running for $20...$13 for the aqualifter and $7 for the cheapy Habor Freight digital lamp timer!

Hope this helps...

Greg

 

[Burgman]

Hi,

I have been using one similar to the SpectraPure® Power Liquid Level Controller sold at Salty Critter. Works great.

Dave

 

[Aadler]

I was of course making a joke funkyman, but thats ok...

Maybe i will call salty and see if they have one in stock and run out there tomorrow or the next time im on the west side for work next week,

Or maybe i will just try the aqualifter on a timer and air hose or something. I dunno, just getting annoying having my salinity jump .002 in 4 hours.

 

[Aadler]

maybe i should just buy the tunze, that seems to be the way of things, always upgrading...

 

[funkyman]

Sorry. My bad.

 

[Brad Black]

Personally, I prefer to lug 5 gal pails up the steps still. It keeps me buff. Chicks dig buff....wish I had an auto top-off...chicks dig buff...wish I had an auto top-off...

 

[CleveYank]

1 tank has sump kent float
1 has electric top off switch
and 2 tanks have sophisticated bubbles blowing in tank alarm system with me running and cussing with 5 gallon bucket of water not far behind.

 

[Aadler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11304437#post11304437 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Brad Black
Personally, I prefer to lug 5 gal pails up the steps still. It keeps me buff. Chicks dig buff....wish I had an auto top-off...chicks dig buff...wish I had an auto top-off...

<----- Smart enough to put the RO/DI only 3 ft from sump = no steps ;c).

Tunze is on the way. Tricked wife, the extra $63 because it was 1/16th inch vs 1 inch, I put on a sad face and talked about killing $100s of dollars of coral with crazy winter salinity swings, so really, whats $174?

 

[Aadler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11303070#post11303070 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by funkyman
Sorry. My bad.

Heh its ok--post padder ;c)... and yet im only doing this so one reply in another forum puts me at 500 (c:

 

[itZme]

I think the title should have been . How do YOU top off?

Woulda saved some confusion.

 

[Aadler]

my add doesnt permit me to make such fine distinctions. ;c)

 

[Aadler]

Ah tunze, how sweet you are. How did I do it without auto top off? once again, as always in this hobby, spend the money, its well worth it.

 

[Radicaljbr]

I never really understood why people use a seperate tank for filling water and then transfer it to the tank for topping off. I personaly use a level switch in my sump that is attached to my RO/DI water storage tank. It kicks on maybe once every couple of hours and keeps the sump level.

Am I missing something here? Should I be doing it differently?

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11349741#post11349741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Radicaljbr
I never really understood why people use a seperate tank for filling water and then transfer it to the tank for topping off. I personaly use a level switch in my sump that is attached to my RO/DI water storage tank. It kicks on maybe once every couple of hours and keeps the sump level.

Am I missing something here? Should I be doing it differently?

if the unit malfunctions and your storage tank empties your salinity will drop and you will have lots of water on the floor, if your sump cant hold the exta

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11349741#post11349741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Radicaljbr
I never really understood why people use a seperate tank for filling water and then transfer it to the tank for topping off. I personaly use a level switch in my sump that is attached to my RO/DI water storage tank. It kicks on maybe once every couple of hours and keeps the sump level.

Am I missing something here? Should I be doing it differently?

if the unit malfunctions and your storage tank empties your salinity will drop and you will have lots of water on the floor, if your sump cant hold the exta

 

[Radicaljbr]

Good point.

I do have two switches on mine in case one fails. My small RO/DI tank I think only holds a couple of gallon. I did once take the switches out because I was working on my tank and forgot the water was running and it was like that for a few hours. Came close to ruining things but I found it just in time.

 

[Aadler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11349741#post11349741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Radicaljbr
I never really understood why people use a seperate tank for filling water and then transfer it to the tank for topping off. I personaly use a level switch in my sump that is attached to my RO/DI water storage tank. It kicks on maybe once every couple of hours and keeps the sump level.

Am I missing something here? Should I be doing it differently?

Well if you dont have ATO then you need to do it manually, no?

Or is your ro/di unit hooked up to your sump directly?