Auto Topoff plans needed

[jaded]

I'm in need of an autotop off I can have done in less than a month. I'm heading to the coast for a few days and don’t want my mom (fishy babysitter) lugging water around if she doesn’t have to.

My plan is to build a cabinet large enough to house the skimmer outside the sump/stand as well as some easy to reach storage and an auto top off reservoir.

I have seen simple gravity feeds that use a toilet float to cut off the flow and many plans for a float switch/powerhead system. I would like to get some feedback and plans for each technique if possible.

thanks in advance for any help!

[brewercm]

The one that I'm going to use is simple. I'm going to Tee off of my RO unit under my sink and run a line to my sump with a Kent shutoff valve (toilet style). I'll just add a DI cartridge between the tee off and my sump so that will be RO/DI water to the sump.

Not sure if this is an option or if you have an RO unit with an auto shutoff valve at the moment.

[Reef69]

Hey Jade, found this..hope it helps.. http://www.melevsreef.com/plumbing/auto_topoff.html

[::pete::]

How big of a space do you have to work with and how big will the reservior be?

[TexasTodd]

Use a ReefFiller pump! Never have a stuck float valve!

I just might know someone who has an extra new in box.

They aren't cheap though. $189.00 plus shipping. But they run forever and can pump full strength kalkwasser 200' in any direction with just a yearly vinegar cleaning.

This one is adjustable anywhere between 1-7 gallons per day. I set mine just barely below the tank's loss rate and add 1-2 gallons by had every 7-10 days.

Todd

[::pete::]

Is that what that deal is on top of the container? Have a link?

[brewercm]

Todd's is the way I was going to go for a while. Paralistic pump or something to that effect and dial it in a little below evap rate if it's just for a few days.

I hate the electronic float switches, I've had a couple of them just stop working for no reason. Depending on your setup at that point you either flood something or end up with dry pumps.

[pilot_bell777]

BE CAREFUL with those little float switches. I purchased three at one time. Two blew up on install and never worked, got those replaced. Hooked up an auto top off system, within a day all three (was using extras for backup cut off incase one failed) failed and I had a major flood.

Just an FYI!!!!

Here are the ones I purchased extactly and from this exact web site.

http://www.floatswitches.net/floatswitch.html

You can also use a bildge pump float switch that you can get at any boat or marine store and turn it upside down to shut off when water is high instead of turning on.

[TexasTodd]

ReefFillers are from Champion Lighting (not my favorite place) but only place that has them.

The 1-7gpd will actually do more than 7gpd if needed.

These things run forever and are not damaged by run dry. Again, 200' pumping in ANY direction! That's a LONG ways from a tank.

Todd

[Tim Marvin]

Tunze osmoregulator.

[thedude]

FYI do not spill any water on the osmolater controller. Let's say that it works less than desired if you do that..

[Dozer]

Another vote for the Tunze solution. After a bunch of research and intentions of doing it myself, I went with the Tunze Osmoregulator. It was very easy to hook up and has worked beautifully ever since. In the end, by the time I purchased the parts to make a redundant system, I wouldn't have saved much money in my case.

[jaded]

I would be the proud owner of an osmolator... but that deal fell through. Does anyong have one of these lying around they would like to sell cheap? Otherwise I'm going to have to go with something each & cheap even if its just temp.

I cant find the plans for the manual gravity feed with the toilet tank styled floating cut off. Doe anyone have any idea where i can find this?

[jaded]

I found one thread that mentions a guy using an airpump to pump water... apparently they last forever and wont burn up if the rez ends up dry.



How big of a space do you have to work with and how big will the reservior be?

Fine questions my friend... I have ample room next to the tank for a cabinet so I could go big if I wanted to but I think I'll try to stick to 10-15 gallon reservoir with enough room to fit the skimmer. On top I may set up a speciality tank/QT tank/fuge... I dont know, maybe just a place for my books and fish stuff

[::pete::]

This might help (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=606020&highlight=toilet )