auto top off systems ?

broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
HermitCrab
I am looking to work up a system soon for my new tank, and will be glad to share what I find. Also there are a lot of folks on this board that have either purchased the components complete, or put together a DIY. I'm sure you'll get some good advise soon.
I'm assuming you have a sump.
Describe what you have - what you're looking for and we'll go from there.
Links to sites - I've got some somewhere, anyone else ???
:)
 
bbreaux1

bbreaux1

Member
ive found a few plans for diy that i might try i have no sump so i gotta find a way to hold the bottle up or something until i can diy a sump althought i did find a top off system that you use a gas can and put two tubes into it one into the tank that is all the way to the bottom o fthe gas can and the other just barely in the gas can and hooked up to a airpump when the pump kicks on it will pressurerize the can making the water go up into the tank. they have the airpump hooked up on a timer but im thinking if i can find a small float switch or something that i can put in my tank to set but im not sure how small of one id be able to find id give you the link to the plans but i cant find it. the other was just a sealed jug with two going to the tank one for the water to flow and other for air the air tube is places at the level you want water when it drops below it alows the release of the suction and the siphone from the bottle flows when it gets back up the air is stopped and the siphone stops
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
bbreaux1
That sounds a lot like the DIY "NURCE"
Do a google search on
auto top off systems NURCE
Later ...
 
bbreaux1

bbreaux1

Member
im not sure what it is i also found one that made alittle more since jsut stick a power head in a bucket attached to a float switch just as long as the powerhead can push the water up at even a slow rate im sure it would work fine
 
biggdriver

biggdriver

Member
check out this site....Hope it helps
<a href="http://www.atlantisaquatic.com/DIY.html#08Level_Control" target="_blank">http://www.atlantisaquatic.com/DIY.html#08Level_Control</a>
 
luke

luke

Member
Go out and buy a madison poypropalene (or other plastic) food safe electric float switch ($12). Wire this into an extension cord($4). Then plug any sort of pump($5-$50) into it to do the top off. I have used this for over a year. they have a 1/8" actuation so very littl water triggers them.
I use the airpump method, It works really well. There are two reasons in my mind for this: One it is slower than a pump which is great for kalk, and two you don't loose the pump if it runs dry on you (which occasionaly happens)
If you are using kalk (which these types of systems are great for) I would avoid the powerhead method. Powerheads will quickly seize in a vat of kalk (this is because calcium will percipitate onto the impeller as it heats up) It will at least be annoying and at most ruin the pump.
Good luck
Luke
 
bbreaux1

bbreaux1

Member
how big of a air pump did you have to get? just alittle cheap one or it had to be a good size? im setting up one now with the syphon type system if it doesnt work im gonna do the one with the air pump plus ill be able to get the water can off the top of my dresser
 
captained

captained

Member
I just put my 3 month old Tsunami AT-1 Auto Top Off System w/ Rio 90 up on ---- since I've got my kalk doser going at the perfect rate now. If anyone is interested: <a href="http://cgi.----.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1328011243&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1012754260&indexURL=0&rd=1" target="_blank">Tsunami Top Off- ----</a>
 
sweetjesus

sweetjesus

Member
you can get the small float switch at grainger most towns have a local store or grainger.com on the web. item #2a554. It is $7.00 works great! have a 55 with no sump, and wired it into a $1.50 extension cord on a very small powerhead sitting in a 5 gallon bucket. Works awesome!
 
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