which water level sensor is best?

[davjbeas]

I am thinking about automating my evaporation top off.

My plan is to buy a kalkreactor and keep a resovoir of Deionized water and a dosing pump.

I have a reef keeper 2 which tells me that after the lights are out my ph drops from 8.3 down to 7.73.

What i want to do is buy a sensor that will be active only during the lights are out that will sense a low level in my sump and activate a dosing pump( probably aquamedic single pump) the dosing pump will push water from my resoivar through a kalkreactor and into the sump. which should raise the ph a little while the lights are out.

The only problem that concerns me is that there are several top off level sensing devices out there.

I have read posts where a float switch got stuck and overflowed the sump and other problems.

People have posted that the jbj auto top off is not safe.

I am considering the tunze osmolater and other devices.

Please if you have any experience either positive or negative with any of the topoff level sensing devices

let me know.

 

thanks in advance,

 

David B.

[davjbeas]

I did find some info on reef central.

for people intersted in this subject here is a link.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=908786

 

David B.

[dhoch]

Dave,

 

My 2 cents (for what it's worth) is this:

 

Get a variable rate dosing pump or with your RKII controll the dosing rate of a non variable rate dosing pump. Then just match your dosing rate with your evaporation. It will take a couple of days to "dial it in", but then you don't have to worry about a float switch getting stuck.

 

Dave

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Dave,

 

My 2 cents (for what it's worth) is this:

 

Get a variable rate dosing pump or with your RKII controll the dosing rate of a non variable rate dosing pump. Then just match your dosing rate with your evaporation. It will take a couple of days to "dial it in", but then you don't have to worry about a float switch getting stuck.

 

Dave

 

 

 

Yes I agree with Dave.

 

That's what I do. Never worry about floods or switches.

 

tim

[dhoch]

Let me add that a dosing pump is preferred as you don't have a huge amount of kalkwasser added at one point in time.

 

Dave

[EricBrian]

I also read on RC that people use floats and to asure no flood, they put their pumps on a timer so that if the switch does get stuck, there won't be a flood.

[fragthat]

I have the Tunze Osmolator and think it was one of the best purchases I made for my tank. It is extremely reliable, with several backup systems on it. It primarily uses an optical sensor which is more accurate than float switch. It has a float switch backup that will tell the unit to shut off if the water level is too high. It also will only run the pump a maximum of 5 mins. Also if the pump runs dry it will shut off so you dont burn out the pump. My brother also has one and dumps kalk in his topoff water. Tunze recommends that you dont do this since the kalk will eventually ruin the pump, but they are only $20 to replace and his has been going for almost 2 years still strong. I think this is a better setup that setting a specific amount, because how much water I evaporate depends on many variable things...temp, humidity.

 

 

matt

[jason the filter freak]

Tunze Osmolator, seems awefully expensive when you can get a dosing pump for $40 or so... I think I'll use the dosing pump on my tank.

[RudyCDX1]

I have been using a Tunze Osmolator for 2 years and have had no problems. Tunze has an optical sensor that will keep the water level set at your desired level. I chose this over a mechanical device, float switch, dosing pump because I felt it would be more reliable.

 

Buy the Tunze and sleep well at night.

[kngfisher]

have you looked at the DIY top-of kits by aquahub? I am using one and it works great....you will need a dosing pump or powerhead....my setup includes an aquaclear 70 (old 802) inside a 5gal bucket (top-off water) being turned on and off via 2 float switches in my sump. The powerhead pushes water to my Kalk reactor that then adds water to my sump.

[Guest fishwish]

I bought a used tunze osmolator off of ebay for about $90 based on recommendations in this forum that its the best. Haven't hooked it up yet. If you search, you may get lucky!