Simple DIY top off system

[loves saltwater]

Does anyone have any information on a cheap DIY top off system that does not involve pumps and float switches ? Like a gravity feed setup ?

 

[FL.Joe]

i'm looking for something similar, but not sure if it can be done without using float valves & such.

 

[ksouers]

A quarter inch hose with a valve in it works pretty good. You just have to get the drip rate to match your evaporation rate, which can be a bit of a trick sometimes. That's about as simple and cheap as you're going to get. That's what I used for a long time, with a 3 liter bottle of kalk sitting on top of the hood. Just let is siphon down to the sump.

I put a tee towards the bottom with a short piece of tubing on it then a syringe attached to that. Just a pull on the syringe gets the siphon started. Once the water starts flowing you can slowly push the syringe plunger back in, because the water is flowing the bubbles will come out the valve end instead of back up the tube.

 

[loves saltwater]

I seen one once before that was gravity feed but was not a drip system.It used a second hose in the sump that would only let the water flow when the second tube was not in the water or something like that I can't remember exactly how it worked...ERRRR

 

[kgross]

Check this out. It is not the DIY plan, but is is/was the commercial unit.

http://www.aqualan.com/products.html

 

[loves saltwater]

Yes it was very much like that except it was a DIY

 

[ocndyver]

here is a sun tea jar ato, but you could use anything rigid

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=661601&highlight=SUN+TEA+JAR

 

[Donw]

You can build a nurse type ato with just a jug, rubber cork and two pieces of air line tube. Lowes has the corks in the nut and bolt bins. Beer making supply stores will have the corks and big glass jugs.

Very simple and reliable.

Don

 

[Fun $ Pit]

Since you didn't mention "auto" top off, here's my solution for now. It does need a pump though - I would not really recommend gravity feed for top off. Even a float switch connected direct to ro/di output hose can fail.

Materials Needed:
5 gallon bucket
mini-jet pump
1/2" tubing
power strip

Setup Procedure:
1. Set bucket outside display stand
2. Attach hose to pump and put in bottom of bucket, put other end in sump above water line.
3. plug pump into power strip, plug power strip into wall ( I actually forgot this part. :eek2: )
4. Add ro/di water to bucket.

Now when you need to top off.. turn switch on, turn switch off. It's an upgrade to what I was doing which was lifting bucket and dumping direct into display. Too much work. Now I just top up bucket. Yeah! Someday I'll get my "auto" solution.

 

[loves saltwater]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11574508#post11574508 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ocndyver
here is a sun tea jar ato, but you could use anything rigid

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=661601&highlight=SUN+TEA+JAR

thats the one I was looking for Thanks !