| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
rufessor 
Guest
Joined: January 25 2011
Location: Salt Lake CIty
Status: Offline
Points: 566
|
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote  Reply
 Topic: Dosing pump as ATO
Posted: December 05 2011 at 9:12am |
Hi Everyone,
Thanks again to the collective for providing so much information. ...
Anyhow, I now have my 57 gallon rimless up and running, with a blue 7 gallon jug of water sitting by it. It looks like that jug will last me not quite a week... so its ATO time. I have been doing some research and to be perfectly honest... I think that I am either going to go through my ReefAngel controller (which I will not buy until Early January...) using a couple of float switches and a programmed timer to keep overflows to a minimum... or, and I am really seriously considering this...
Get a very very slow variable speed pump with a 1-3 Gallon Per DAY max speed. Wire up the float switches to shut it off (double redundancy) if its overfilling (even slowly overfilling) and then otherwise have it just run 100% of the time slowly dripping water in, and I can adjust the speed manually to get it so its running most of the time. So... I find lots of people on the "inter web" who seem to use this solution, and I love the idea of not being able to flood the tank. What I am wondering is...
Everyone seems to use the reefkeeper pumps... but they are 200 bucks... really?
Does anyone here use this method or at least something similar... and what pump works thats not 200 dollars. There has GOT to be a cheap solution to this problem...
HELP please.
Really really not wanting to hear about float valves controlling a pump capable of dumping my ATO reservoir in 10 minutes... I work in a lab and I am very familiar with how often very expensive "reliable" equipment fails and I simply do not trust a float valve not to eventually stick- its going to happen some time somewhere and its not going to be my living room... so I need to figure out how to get going on the variable speed dosing pump idea as stated.
Edited by rufessor - December 05 2011 at 9:29am
|
|
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler -A.E.
57 Gallon RImless build in progress check the thread before if becomes boring and just full of nice pictures of colorful coral!
|
 |
Shane H
Presidency
Joined: March 09 2003
Location: Brigham City
Status: Offline
Points: 7921
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 10:08am |
|
I have used a peristaltic pump very successfully as an ATO. It is simple, reliable and doses constantly. Plumbed in conjuction with a kalk reactor, it is also a great way to add calc/alk to your tank.
Depending on the pump you buy, you will have to lubricate the tubing to avoid premature wear - a small dab of petroleum jelly seems to work great.
Good luck!
|
|
rufessor
Guest
Joined: January 25 2011
Location: Salt Lake CIty
Status: Offline
Points: 566
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 10:44am |
|
awesome... I am fixing a broken pump that I got for free... how do you dose kalk.. I was going to just keep using my liquid calcium/mg dose... just add to ato reservoir. correct? no reactor for me until liquid gets spendy but hoping it wont with only 75 ish gallons...
|
|
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler -A.E.
57 Gallon RImless build in progress check the thread before if becomes boring and just full of nice pictures of colorful coral!
|
|
Rara
Guest
Joined: March 31 2011
Location: Ogden
Status: Offline
Points: 317
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 10:50am |
|
I run a cheap Aqualifter pump controlled by some float switches and an Apex. My reservoir is only a 5 gallon bucket of RO water. My sump can take the full 5 gallons and still be able to contain the backflow of water from the display.
So the ultimate redundancy is to keep the amount of water available to the ATO less than what the sump can handle.
Edited by Rara - December 05 2011 at 10:51am
|
|
rufessor
Guest
Joined: January 25 2011
Location: Salt Lake CIty
Status: Offline
Points: 566
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 11:15am |
|
Yeahthat makes sense.. I was reading about solenoid valves connected to a RO system and that seems like a mess waiting to happen. I think I will find a nice looking 10 gallon bucket... my sump could probably just barely take that and not overflow. Salinity would go a bit down but with my pump rate I think everything would make it in a catastrophic failure of all parts as the drop would occue over hours, in fact the fish would probably like it. :)
|
|
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler -A.E.
57 Gallon RImless build in progress check the thread before if becomes boring and just full of nice pictures of colorful coral!
|
|
Shane H
Presidency
Joined: March 09 2003
Location: Brigham City
Status: Offline
Points: 7921
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 1:09pm |
|
I pumped all my top off through a DIY kalk reactor (google Nilsen Reactor) for quite some time. In the end, I just added kalk to my resevoir and didn't bother with a reactor.
If you have an ATO resevoir and don't add kalk, then you're missing a great opportunity to help your aquarium for next to nothing.
I will use a dosing pump again in the future for ATO. IMO, it is less likely to fail than any other system. With the exception of a gravity fed, float valve system.
|
|
rufessor
Guest
Joined: January 25 2011
Location: Salt Lake CIty
Status: Offline
Points: 566
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 3:07pm |
I think I was trying to agree... I was thinking of adding a few cap fulls of my Calcium additive (Reef calcium) to my ATO reservoir, then monitoring calcium levels to see if I need more. As it is I dose a few capfuls a week (just doubled amount from my Biocube where 1 was enough) but have not had the system running long enough to know if it enough. I agree, completely, this is the way to go and its super reliable once you get things figured out. Will be running that hopefully tonight. Now I need to find an acceptable looking ATO reservoir in the 10 gallon range... Maybe I need a small table I can put a cloth over and just stick it under there... then it can be cheap and ugly.
|
|
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler -A.E.
57 Gallon RImless build in progress check the thread before if becomes boring and just full of nice pictures of colorful coral!
|
|
Shane H
Presidency
Joined: March 09 2003
Location: Brigham City
Status: Offline
Points: 7921
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 05 2011 at 4:47pm |
|
Now I need to find an acceptable looking ATO reservoir in the 10 gallon range... Maybe I need a small table I can put a cloth over and just stick it under there... then it can be cheap and ugly.
For sure! I built a drawer into my stand and had an acrylic box w/lid built to fit the drawer. Worked flawlessly. I only need to open the drawer a few inches to fill and then close it for 10 - 14 days! Man, I miss that tank!
Edited by Shane H - December 05 2011 at 4:48pm
|
|
rufessor
Guest
Joined: January 25 2011
Location: Salt Lake CIty
Status: Offline
Points: 566
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 06 2011 at 9:40am |
Ok, so I had a old kinda broken peristaltic pump that I worked on with lots of cleaning etc and got it running good as new... but it only takes a very small diamater tubing. So I set it up last night with my top off reservoir and this morning the tank was barely a bit low, so I turned up the pump a bit and I will see how it goes but so far looking to be a super easy to dial in solution for ATO. Added some Reef Calcium supplement to the top off reservoir. WIll start testing calcium tonight and through the next few ATO fills and add less or more as needed. Now I need to get going on building a rear panel for my stand. Its open in the back and too loud with sump noises...
|
|
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler -A.E.
57 Gallon RImless build in progress check the thread before if becomes boring and just full of nice pictures of colorful coral!
|
|
MIK3B
Guest
Joined: June 22 2011
Location: West Jordan
Status: Offline
Points: 386
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 10 2011 at 2:01pm |
 Shane H wrote:
For sure! I built a drawer into my stand and had an acrylic box w/lid built to fit the drawer. Worked flawlessly. I only need to open the drawer a few inches to fill and then close it for 10 - 14 days! Man, I miss that tank! |
Was that the box I built for you YEARS ago and traded for your DIY wave makers? If so, awesome!
I'm getting ready to DIY a kalk reactor to plumb my ATO through and will probably do dual (redundant) solenoid valves on my RO line. I have the pressure dialed way back so if it ever does stick it will fill very slowly and hopefully I'll be there in time to notice it filling my sump.
|
|
Shane H
Presidency
Joined: March 09 2003
Location: Brigham City
Status: Offline
Points: 7921
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 10 2011 at 5:01pm |
|
Mike, you remember that huh? That was a long time ago. It was a great idea, and it worked perfectly as long as I had that tank.
|
|
