Quote:
Originally Posted by
brain1991 http:///t/390559/auto-top-off#post_3459801
Is this worth it for if im on vacation to keep the reef healthier or would getting a glass top just for these occasions be wiser? I get the overall idea how they work, but are they sensitive enough for a 10g tank or will they make salinity too unstable? Also what are you referring to when you say if anything goes wrong all freshwater would be pushed into the tank; are you saying if it was literally hooked up to my rodi under the faucet? Thanks for responses. I will do some more searches, my initial search of auto top off didnt provide much. Ill look for BLDs thread!
O and lastly, is there a minimum sized pump that is required to counter gravity or will any powerhead/pump work?
Hi,
Any Maxi jet or untility pump will do. Secure the hose so it does not slip out of the tank. As long as the power head has enough push to go from the holding tanks bottom to the top of your tank (or sump) you will be fine. The warning was from a personal experience I had with a skimmer that decided to wet skim and overflow....my ATO kept replacing the lost water that was leaking at the back of the tank while I had no idea there was a problem since the tank stayed at the same water height...
The leak was discovered when the carpet in the front got wet as I walked past the tank. Then I started looking for a leak and found it. My holding tank was near empty and the sensor in that tank was just about to be ingaged. My SG dropped (over a 24 hour period) from 1.026 to 1.021....if I had been say on vacation, and the skimmer (the coralife) did it's little stunt, and had I of had the RO ATO connected to the main tank as some on this site have done...I would have come home to a freshwater tank with dead saltwater critters in it.
By having the RO water for top off in a container, the lowest my SG could go was the 1.021...low but still safe. The low water sensor would have prevented disaster. And since the ATO replaces water slowly bit by bit the critters were able to handle the drop in SG as it kept refilling.