I am thinking about purchasing a osmolator as my new auto top-off to replace my existing one and here's the reason why. The top-off unit I have on my tank now is a small cylinder like tube with suction cups that is mounted in my return section. When the water level gets below the mouth of the cylinder the pumps turns on and tops off my water. The thing is when it's time to top off my tank, a couple of gallons is pumped into my tank and I am constantly dealing with overflow issues with my skimmer. A guy a a LFS told me I needed the Tunze osmolator . The reason is because when water isn't in contact with the senor it will pump water into the sump and it won't be gallons at a time thus keeping the water level stable in my sump. My sump is composed of three sections with baffles. In my skimmer section the water level is constant. So if my water level in my return section is lowered and then filled, how does that affect my skimmer water level in that section since I have baffles? I am looking for a fix to my skimmer over flowing. Is what the guy in the lfs said to me true?
Q: about Tunze Osmolator
- Thread starter mmotown
- Start date
shawnz28
New member
If your sump is baffled properly the skimmer should not be affected by a top off system as the baffle would keep the water level constant in that section thus I dont think the top off could be the problem. If there is a drastic different in salinity I guess it could possibly effect the skimmer but I doubt that would be the case as I think it would take a multiple point change. How big is the tank and how much water does it add?
I am familiar with the units you are talking about such as the LLC-PH from Spectrapure and they typically take a .5 - 1" change to trigger where the Osmolator is more like 1-3 millimeters if I had to guess.
If I were to guess I would point the problem at the skimmer and or setup of skimmer based on the little info posted.
I am familiar with the units you are talking about such as the LLC-PH from Spectrapure and they typically take a .5 - 1" change to trigger where the Osmolator is more like 1-3 millimeters if I had to guess.
If I were to guess I would point the problem at the skimmer and or setup of skimmer based on the little info posted.
Yes I have and I have spoken to Dave at CoralVue. I think I may have found part of the problem. I decreased my water level in my return section and since then my skimmer hasn't been consistent. Now at the level it is at, it is more stable but from time to time my skimmer cup will start to fill quicker than usual. My skimmer is supposed to be a piece of equipment I am not supposed to worry about. Now if the water level in my return section can affect my skimmer performance, that means that although my skimmer section water level looks stable maybe it isn't.? I am trying to narrow the possibilities down before making this purchase.
Good to hear but what I mentioned earlier could that be a possibility why my skimmer over flows?
goochesfish
New member
It also says in the instructions to place the osmolator in the last chamber. What difference does that make? I want to place mine in the first chamber because it is closest to my top off water, it is also where the overflow drains into. Is there a problem with that?
Sorry can't help you with your skimmer.
Sorry can't help you with your skimmer.
shawnz28
New member
If your skimmer is in a baffled area that the water level does not change in I personally do not feel it is your top off system causing you the problem. Usually in my experience in most causes the problem would be that the skimmer would be in an area that the water level changes in and when the level gets low performance decreases as the skimmer had been adjusted by the user to the level of the sump being full. Then when the water level returns to full the skimmer has built a fair amount of proteins that it has not passes to the cup and the higher sump level would cause less backpressure thus raising the level in the skimmer back up and putting it in overdrive for a short time but usually not enough to make it overfill unlesss the skimmer had been adjusted to the lower water height previous to the top off filling. - hope that makes sense
goochesfish - the sensors just need to be in the area that fluctuates and the top off pump return really be just about anywhere with the qualifier of it cannot siphon in either direction. So do not let it submerge when filling and make sure the resivior it pulls from is lower than the tank it is filling. I am not familiar enough with the manual but I imagine what they mean by last chamber meaning the one the return pump would be in thus the one that changes water level.
goochesfish - the sensors just need to be in the area that fluctuates and the top off pump return really be just about anywhere with the qualifier of it cannot siphon in either direction. So do not let it submerge when filling and make sure the resivior it pulls from is lower than the tank it is filling. I am not familiar enough with the manual but I imagine what they mean by last chamber meaning the one the return pump would be in thus the one that changes water level.
Yes, the last chamber sees the greatest change (the chamber with the return pump) and this is where the sensors should ideally be placed. The top off hose is best routed up to the tank to avoid a siphon.
I agree with the posts above, the skimmer issue is best solved by remedying the real problem. The osmolator may help, but it shouldn't be used to compensate for other problems.
I agree with the posts above, the skimmer issue is best solved by remedying the real problem. The osmolator may help, but it shouldn't be used to compensate for other problems.
