DIY auto top off system

earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Yep. Get a bottle of water and cut two holes in the cap. In one hole insert a piece of airline tubing with a regulator at the end. Create a siphon and adjust your drip to one drip every 5-10 seconds or so.
 
brandan

brandan

Member
Do you have a sump? If not, a ATO will be kind of an eye sore to do it the way most do, with float switches. The way earlybird mentioned will work, it just not very accurate, and if you are gone for awhile it could potentially overflow the tank.
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
No way it will overflow and if it does we're talking at most 16 ounces. The regulator never seems to loosen but if air bubbles get into the line it will slow down the drip or cut it off worst case scenario and then you'll have to manually top off. Easiest thing in the world.
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Originally Posted by fishboy52
but since its a ten i have to top off at least two times a day to keep s. perfict
To give you an example. Right now, today, I am performing hypo on my qt because my 5 day old first pair of saltwater fish ever came down with ich. I lowered my sg down to 1.009 exactly using a refractometer. I left the house this morning at 8:30. 12 hours later my drip top off has kept my sg perfect and I still have 3/4 of a pint remaining and still dripping. Keep in mind I live in Florida and it's very hot and I keep the tank at 80. Water level was at the mark I made and if it is off it would have to be by the milimeters to tell for certain. I don't trust it 100% and still check for evaporation and am prepared to top off if I need to.
Should you decide to do this play with it and you'll be happy. Total cost is literally cents.
Here it is. In action. Looks aren't pretty but neither does the room it's in due to my first fight with ich. No time to clean. Serves it's purpose.
Don't mind Kahlil the camel.
 
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