WTB Top Off Reservoir

[ocd_mariner]

Im curious what you all are using for a top off resorvoir. I was thinking that I would get a 30-40g aquarium, build a cabinet to set by the aquarium to hide it and just use that. Any better or cheaper ideas?

Who's got a 30-40g aquarium for sale?

 

[DMBillies]

I use a 20 gallon rubbermaid container stashed in a cabinet next to my stand (90 gallon tank). It generally lasts a little over a week when I fill it almost to the top. I don't do that unless I'm going away because the sides on those things are a little too flexible for my comfort and I don't need to test their strength all of the time.

 

[danieljames]

I have a 30 long for you mariner. $25

 

[Pickupman66]

I use a clear rubbermaid tub for mine.

 

[Angela Short]

You can stack 2 rubbermaid together and it stopps the bowing out on the sides when full but cost 2X as much!

 

[gflat65]

I also use Rubbermaid tubs, hidden inside a cabinet.

 

[phudeb]

Got a stupid question. Why can't one run straight from the RO and not use a tub?

 

[foggy54]

Phu,
My display has been hooked strait to the ro/di for years, I now have the 180 hooked that way as well. works fine lasts a long time. No floods when topping those tanks off.

 

[HowardCath]

For the Rubbermaid users: Do you use some sort of float valve to trigger a pump?

 

[doodoobrown]

rubbermaid tub here too. i use a jbj autotopoff. it works great when i have it running. i had to use the tub for something else so its out of action right now but it gets the job done

 

[Pickupman66]

Howard. my top off is mounted about 2 feet form the ceiling in the garage. I drilled a hole in the side close to the bottom and installed a quick disconnect and then ran standard tubing (same ro/di uses) to my sump where I have a float valve. then when water gets low, valve opens, and gravity takes over and no pump needed. all I do is turn on the water to the ro/di once a week to refill the tub.

Phu, you can, just have to invest in control valve for the ro/di which I was too cheap to do. I had heard once that leaving your ro/di pressurised all the time could cause damage to the membrane.

 

[Sir Knight]

For your size tank you could get away with a 5 or 7 gallon bucket. I use one of my old salt buckets on my 40 gallon.

The other problem with running an ro/di direct is when you first start it up you are not going to get 0 TDS, the first 1/2 gallon or so will have a TDS of around 10. So by hooking it up that way you will only be adding maybe a quart to a half gallon of water at a time which would mean you are not adding Ro/DI that is at 0 TDS. Just something else to consider with a direct RO/DI feed.

Joe

 

[KAiNE]

On my reef 30 gallon rubbermaid for topoff (reef dosing pump).
On FOWLR I use a 10 gallon rubbermaid (jbj ato).
30 gallon rubbermaid for ro/di (float valve).
I manually fill the 2 top offs via the 30g ro/di reservoir.

I need a bigger reservoir, 30g isn't enough. I empty it during water changes and have to wait to get 40g. Plus i have to be careful that one of my top offs isnt needing water prior to doing a water change.

FWIW - I wrapped the 30g rubbermaids with duct tape prior to filling, it makes a difference in the amount they bow out. The 10g is too small to bow.

 

[gflat65]

I bought a double switch ato from autotopoff dot com. It hangs in the sump on a bracket (supplied with it) and turns on a Rio 600 when the level drops and shuts it off when the level is correct. Really easy set up. Be sure that the top off line going into the sump isn't submerged, though. I have come home from a day at work only to step on sloshy carpet. The tank was still full and there was still water in the reservoir, so it took me a few minutes to realize that with the submerged inlet, it was siphoning back and forth and eventually, the siphon became stronger than the Rio and overfilled the reservoir...

 

[TitansFan]

Gary you recommend that setup you are using? I need 2 topoffs and I can get 2 of those you talk of for the price of one say.. jbj which I was considering. I have extra mj 600's laying around hoping I could use those for feeds from maybe 2-3 feet away level with the sump.

 

[HowardCath]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8901185#post8901185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pickupman66
Howard. my top off is mounted about 2 feet form the ceiling in the garage. I drilled a hole in the side close to the bottom and installed a quick disconnect and then ran standard tubing (same ro/di uses) to my sump where I have a float valve. then when water gets low, valve opens, and gravity takes over and no pump needed. all I do is turn on the water to the ro/di once a week to refill the tub.

That sounds like a setup that might work for me. I would really only need a top-off reservoir to cover me if I go away for a week in the summer. The summer is when my fan-cooling for temperature control results in evaporation of about a gallon/day. Any obvious risks of flooding with this? Are the float valves pretty reliable? Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[APFish]

Hey has anyone used a basic float valve as a top off, simply using line pressure. I am considering placing kalk inside a PVC cylinder and then run my Pex tubing inside to the bottom of the pipe. I haven't figured how to keep it all stirred up yet; but them running another pex tube out the top and then into a float valve in the sump. Did anyone follow that? I could place a simple air valve on the kalk pipe to keep pressure up. You would really only need less than probably 7 PSI...

Rob

 

[gflat65]

Chris,

I've been using this one for about 2 years and never had an issue. You have to clear two small holes in the PVC cap (kind of a splash guard) every once in a while to keep trapped air from holding the float switch down, but I think I've only done that once...