Advice on picking good ATO?

[Jan]

Hi all,

The Tunze Osmolator is on backorder until hell freezes over so I am looking for the next best ATO. My skimmer depends on very steady water level or it doesn't work right.

My sump will be feeding both my 125 reef and 30 cube.

What do you think of this model:

http://www.top-off.com/viewitem.php?it_id=31

Also this model: http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_dosing_pumps_top_off_jbj_ATO_automatic_top_off_water_level_controller.asp?CartId=

The second one has safety mode so that your dosing pump won't run dry (for very long). That's a nice feature. Do you think it's worth the extra $$?

Any other suggestions for a good product?

thanks

Jan

 

[lavenderfish]

I like my JBJ. There are cheaper options but I didn't understand how those worked from the pics or diagrams provided so I went with the JBJ. It has worked flawlessly for 3 months so far. I can honestly say to those who have not seen a float switch outside of a toilet that this is easy to assemble and use. Hopefully this bump will be informative to both of us.

 

[lavenderfish]

bump...............

 

[Jan]

I went ahead and bought the one you recommended today. I'm desperate to get my water level (and salinity...and skimmer performance...) stabilized.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[fly guy]

ATO's are great for a multitude of reasons, but FWIW, the best way to keep the water level perfectly the same in your skimmer chamber so your skimmers performance never varies even a little bit due to evaporation, is to simply mkae the first "over" baffle in your sump next to the skimmer chamber a little bit taller than the last "over" baffle.

Set the height of this baffle at your optimum skimmer operating depth and it wont vary even a little bit ever.

jmo

 

[class clown]

That's good advice Fly guy - I disovered this only a couple months ago and it really does make a difference. perfectly stable/level all the time. I still have an ato that fills up my last chamber when it get's low, but the chamber where my skimmer sits is perfectly level all of the time as a result of what you described.

 

[Jan]

My sump is a good size but it has only one baffle, and it's short. My water level is always 2-3 inches above the top of this baffle. So if I take the baffle-improvement route I guess I would need to add two? And, stupid question of the morning, I suppose I couldn't add any baffles while the sump is in use? Or could I, using superglue as the adhesive? Don't want to add detrimental chemicals to the tank of course....

Jan

mkae the first "over" baffle in your sump next to the skimmer chamber a little bit taller than the last "over" baffle.

then, "first" means closest to the skimmer and furthest from the intake chamber? So I'd have skimmer + return chamber/taller baffle/space/shorter baffle/intake chamber? Water flowing from intake, over short baf, over tall baf, into skimmer chamber? How much space between the two baffles?