Auto Top-Off - The easy and inexpensive way!

[TheOtherGuy]

So I have a tiny sump on my 75 and Richard has been telling me just do a bucket for auto-top off. Well 6 months later and finally it is up and running. Now, If I can remember to put water in the bucket I am in good shape.

Sometime ago we did a little group order with ~Pete~(thanks pete) for these nifty little float valves. I am using a sealable dog food container (about 6 gallons) and just a couple of fittings. So, if you want to make your life just a little easier and have a little space to put the bucket it is so easy to do. This tank is in the bedroom so for now the reserve bucket is in the closet and not really in the way. Of course, this is gravity feed so the reserve should be slightly higher than the float valve for things to work right. Easy enough, I am using an old Kent bucket to set it on. Thanks to Richard for drilling the bucket and threading it! Pretty simple to do!

Now a few pics of the completed project.

Here is the float valve installed into the sump. The float is adjustable. I just drilled a 1/2" hole through the sump to install it. In the past I kept my sump pretty full because I forget to top-off manually. With auto-top off you do not need to do that because it remains at a constant level. If you can remember to check your reserve! LOL.


Here is the little water tube headed back to the bucket. In case you are wondering, the other little box in the pic is my deep carbon bed in a modified hang-on overflow box running off a maxi-jet in the sump.


And here is my DI reserve. Holds about 6 gallons of water. It has a little valve on it and I siliconed around it "just in case". No leaks!


So there ya go. Make your life a little easier and put one of these on your tank and keep your critters a little happier with a constant specific gravity. And it is one less thing to do everyday. I think now I can go 3 or 4 days before refilling the reserve bucket. Now, can I remember to check that darn reserve bucket.

My next project this weekend: Install ReefLux 12K bulbs and switch out PFO Mag Ballast with electronic ballasts! More to come.........

[dwdenny]

I was planning on the same concept but I was going to build a small container from pieces of scrylic that I have laying around here. Should be able to make it hold about 3 or so gallons.

[Richard]

COOL! Now just put in 2-3 tblspns of kalk when you fill it up, give it a quick stir, and watch your corals grow faster.

[TheOtherGuy]

Yes!

[TheOtherGuy]

Will do!