yauger October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 so for the longest time in the hobby I have always used a simple float switch and a small pump in a bucket to top off my tanks due to evaporation. and in 10 years or so I have never really had really bad accidents with flooding or the such. but lately I've had some of my friends come over to my place and tease me about my newbie setup ATO. My question is: what do you use? are you like me and want to keep cost low ($10 pump, and $10 float switch) or do you go moderate and buy the JBJ ATO for $80 and call it quits OR do you go high speed and buy a TUNZE OSMOLATOR for $200+ and brag about the quality? now don't get me wrong I'll be the first to tell you high end equipment is well worth the expense (I have a Bubble King 200)but is it really necessary to drop serious cash on something that can be built for less than $20? I don't think one way is more right than the other I guess it is just personal opinion that drives this answer. what do you run for ATO? and is it worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yauger October 16, 2012 Author Share October 16, 2012 oh BTW there is nothing wrong with being a NOOB!! haha I totally made a noob mistake the other day that ending up with Skimmate on the floor and me having to steam clean the carpet whilst my buddies making fun of me and fragging some corals! lesson learned, if you remove the skimmer cup; immediately dispose of the skimmate! :blink: :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 I use a cup, sorry, I don't trust ATO's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 I have heard very bad things about the JBJ ATO. Mainly once it breaks its trash, you cannot repair or fix them. The Tunze on the other hand is fixable and a much better product. I can also say Tunze stands behind there product. I however use the AVAST ATO and I think its the best of both. Very reliable and great price, plus you can customize these and use any type of return pump you want. I have 3 of these and one for almost 2 years and its has never given me any issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incredible Corals October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 AVAST ATO and smallest Maxijet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 AVAST ATO and smallest Maxijet. +1, but i use a microjet 404 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 I use 2 float switches wired to my apex. That gives me redundancy and its on a timer so it can't just dump the whole top off tank at once. Though I haven't programmed it yet, it will also give me the ability to send an email alert when the top off tank is empty. ie - if the pump runs for a full minute, send alarm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYfan78 October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 AVAST AND A MJ900 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 It's part of my reef controller system that also controls my lights, powerheads, main pump, & kalk doser. imo: reef controllers are the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Weaver October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 (edited) I use an Osmolator and I can't believe how high quality this thing is!! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) But seriously, I do have one and it works for me. I couldn't believe it when it worked from 20' horizontally and 12 feet vertically down in the basement with the stock pump. Edited October 16, 2012 by Marc Weaver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 Got a tunze used with a tank purchase and love it....otherwise id use the avast ato. tunze pump is great if you ask me, the first one i had lasted for 5 years with the guy before me and 3 more years with me....new pump is 30 bucks that i replaced about 6 mo ago... Avast is nice because you can use any pump, even the tunze could be spliced in i would think....and i like the magnet mount (though tunze now has a magnet mount as well)i just have the old hang on style.. the only issue i have with the tunze is the sensor sometimes gets dirty and will think the water level is fine when its low...clean it once a month and your fine (clean as in wipe it off with a paper towel in 3 seconds) i use mine with a kalk reactor and have only had one issue that was the typical user error but caught it in time. not sure i would change anything unless i had spare cash (HAH) and put the Kalk reactor on its own pump and left the ATO just plain RODI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 I just setup an Avast ATO w/ an aqualifter tied into my apex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 (edited) I don't trust float switches or any type of sensor, I don't care how many of them are used redundantly. I use a simple peristaltic pump (ie, very slow, less than 1 gph) and timer. I set the timer to how much I need, about 40 minutes per day for my tank. Never had a problem in 10 years. Edited October 16, 2012 by extreme_tooth_decay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 I don't trust float switches or any type of sensor, I don't care how many of them are used redundantly. I use a simple peristaltic pump (ie, very slow, less than 1 gph) and timer. I set the timer to how much I need, about 40 minutes per day for my tank. Never had a problem in 10 years. I used a similar approach for about 2-3 years as this. My peristaltic pump delivered 1 liter per hour. Today, I use an Avast ATO coupled with the same pump. There's enough capacity in my sump, though, that should there be a problem with the sensor, I'd have something like 100 days to discover and fix it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yauger October 16, 2012 Author Share October 16, 2012 wow I'm surprised on the number of people who use AVAST products here. looks like Dan really grew an empire! either way it appears that majority vote is for the mid range price solution for an ATO. but then again there are those who don't trust the equipment and do some manual top off or timed slow top off. good results so far, I'm glad I asked. however for myself I'm going to go with the OSMOLATOR so my buddies can stop teasing me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 you have never had a timer fail in 10 years????? thats about the same chances as a switch failing anything has a chance to fail.... can you trust yourself to top up everyday...i cant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 aw man get the avast with the tunze pump....best bang for the buck... would never have bought the tunze new at that price...but when it came with the tank...cha-ching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 Ive only said Tunze for the past year !!!!! NOW GO BUY THE DARN THING !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yauger October 16, 2012 Author Share October 16, 2012 aw man get the avast with the tunze pump....best bang for the buck... would never have bought the tunze new at that price...but when it came with the tank...cha-ching. the price isn't out of my reach so why not go with "the best" I could go Frankenstein and go with the AVAST but I'd rather not piece together an ATO. right out the box and on to my system broski. besides I have my own gripes with GSA equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yauger October 16, 2012 Author Share October 16, 2012 Ive only said Tunze for the past year !!!!! NOW GO BUY THE DARN THING !!!!! FYI this is the BULLY!!! hahaha I need to call Oprah!!! :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 (edited) you have never had a timer fail in 10 years????? thats about the same chances as a switch failing I've never had a problem with those simple mechanical timers. (like this one: LINK) I may have replaced it in that time...or I may not have. Not sure. I've probably been using the same timer for my lights in that time as well. Both for my display and fuge. I don't ever recall having a problem with those things. And they start right back up after a power outage. Edited October 16, 2012 by extreme_tooth_decay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 Don't use a topoff. Instead, let the salinity gradually creep up and allow the fish to acclimate to the increasing salinity. Believe it or not, they'll actually keep better this way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOberheim October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 +1 to the osmolator, I also did much research before pulling the trigger...used would be a score for some $ off the top, to me still worth the value for new. to the people that don't want to trust sensors (optical eye) or switches, do you not trust probes either (ph, temp) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve175 October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 I am with extreme tooth: I have used float switches (midrange electronic spectrapure) for my RODI unit/reservoirs for years and have had them fail multiple times. I have a big Kalk reactor and would've nuked my tank with such a failure. I have used a spectrapure litermeter with a 2nd accesory pump for ATO: pump 1 adds a consistent daily volume of Kalkwasser and pump 2 I tweek ~ monthly to keep the return section volume stable. I have a low volume float switch in the sump wired to the apex to alarm in the off-chance the RO/DI tank is out (despite 150g on a float switch of the RODI unit) or the litermeter cuts out (has never happened). I think Chad uses something similar. Salinity has been rock steady. This system, IMO/IME is about a failproof as you can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 October 16, 2012 Share October 16, 2012 Never had the tunze ato fail on me. Just annoying when you turn it off and back on it runs for like 10 seconds no matter what... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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