Osmolator; How far can it be from tank?

NewbeeReefer

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How far can I keep the top off water resorvoir from my display tank? Are the wires long or can they be extended? Thanks.

Dom
 
The wires are about 4ft long. They can be extended, I have done it before but I don't recommend it as a do it yourself project as it is fairly complicated. If you need them extended I do it for $25 and you have to allow some lead time as it is tedious work that I don't always have the time to do.
 
4 feet? Wow that's short. I need it to be about 15 feet away so I can hide the resorvoir in the far corner of the room. Hmm. Let me re-think it. Maybe I can put the resorvoir closer somewhere. Thanks Roger.

Dom
 
Oh, well that is a different scenario. The controller has to be 4ft from the sensors but you can easily extend the cable to the pump, that is another 6ft or so anyway. Simple speaker wire can do that. I would though recommend the shortest run possible as long hose runs tend to be problematic, the pump can become air locked and unable to evacuate the air with such a long run.
 
Hmm. Okay. Let me measure the distance and be sure. Would I be able to leave both ends of the hose under water so air wont enter?
 
No, then you would get a siphon going and drain the tank. In general large reservoirs are a bad idea and remote reservoirs are a bad idea. The ideal is a weeks supply right under the aquarium.
 
I was planning on using a 9 gallon resorvoir which is just about a weeks worth of top off water. It's impossible for me to keep it under the display tank.

It's a 125 galllon AGA Megaflow with the AGA pine stand. I managed to squeeze a 30 gallon sump, 20 gallon fuge, Dart pump, and a Beckett skimmer all under there. I'm adding a Phosban Reactor and a UV Sterilizer somehow, too.

Well, thanks for your help. I'm still not sure what to do at this point. I might have to just keep lugging water around until I can set up a basement sump in the future when I upgrade tanks. I really hate carrying water around though.

Dom
 
Hmm, if you have a basement the pump for the osmolator can pump up 9ft. If you could elevate it in the basement and drill a small hole in the floor for the hose that could work.

Also, I am not saying the long run wouldn't work but if the pump runs dry for a while you may have to tip the pump and futz around with it to get the air out and get it pumping again.
 
No. Running dry normally does no harm so it doesn't need one, it is just in this instance it won't be easy for the pump to prime.
 
You can but it requires part 3150.11 switched socket and I am out of those and won't likely get more until the end of January.
 
Hi Roger,

Thinking about the osmolator as well.

My storage resevoir is in an adjacent room, and mounted up 7.5' high (top of storage tank). I would like to automate the process of topping off (who wouldn't) but have already had murphy's law appear more times than I care to imagine.

The run is about 15 feet. I also plan to have a kalk reactor plumbed either next to the reservoir or under tank (second choice) You discuss issues above regarding long runs and large tanks. Could you elaborate?
 
Well, he said air bubbles can accumulate in the long hose and the pump might not be strong enough to push them out so the system would not be able to top off your sump.

The large resorvoir can be a problem in case the optic eye and back-up float switch both fail (highly unlikely) and pump all the water from your resorvoir into your sump (lowering your salinity) and flooding your floor.

Dom
 
To add to what Dom said their is also the safety of the electronics should only let the pump run 10 minutes but we have anticipate that the very worst could happen and all might fail so a smaller reservoir adds alot of safety.

My concern for your set up is the reservoit is 7.5 ft high? You would have to have your final destination you are pumping to at at least 7.6' and preferabbly more to avoid a siphon.
 
the contoller has to be 4 feet away from the sensors - really, I had no idea - what happens if it is closer? or was the wording wrong - my controller is 1.5 feet away from the sensors



<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6420484#post6420484 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rvitko
Oh, well that is a different scenario. The controller has to be 4ft from the sensors but you can easily extend the cable to the pump, that is another 6ft or so anyway. Simple speaker wire can do that. I would though recommend the shortest run possible as long hose runs tend to be problematic, the pump can become air locked and unable to evacuate the air with such a long run.
 
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