ATO/AWC with a Hydros XS Starter kit

[WVNed]

I put this up and it is working as expected.
It looks like the cheapest option out there right now.
At a minimum you need the XS starter kit, one level sensor, 3 AC pumps and the tubing and stuff to mount it all.

I am doing a 6 gallon change once a day.
It turns off the ATO, pumps out 6 gallons and then refills to the ATO level sensor.

I added a second sensor in the mixing tank to abort a water change if there is no water present.
1st Hydros AWC successful.
At 10:00 SW Drain pump turns on and combiner output During WC goes true. ATO will not run if During WC is on. SystemWaterl (actual water level sensor in sump) goes dry.

AT 10:06 SWfill pump comes on and During WC combiner output still true

10:10 complete System water level wet again

If New SW Level goes dry it will abort the NEXT AWC session by turning off SWWDrain. The New SW Level sensor is high enough in the mixing tank to complete the current one. I will also get an email telling me so I can make more when it goes dry.

 

[Peace River]

Nice work and nice explanation!

 

[WVNed]

This setup does not require any specialized pumps. I am using 3 Maxijet 1200s. They don't have to be the 3 of the same pump though. Any AC pump will work. The power bar will handle up to a 10 amp load total.
The Maxijets empty the water in 6 minutes and refill it in 4 but I have very little head height. The third one is my ATO pump.
I stuck a 1/2 in push to connect union from BRS on the pump outlets and used 1/2 in polyethylene tubing from Home depot to run the lines to the pumps. It is rigid enough to not kink or collapse.

 

[WVNed]

It is finished. The skimmer water level sensor came and I programmed it in. The skimmer is plugged into the power bar and If the 5 gallon bucket fills to the sensor it shuts off. It is kind or amazing that the skimmer sensor reads through the regular white 5 gallon bucket. The electrical parts aren't in the wet side, Just like a Vortech pump.

No more floods in the morning. Yea. The Hydros XS sense ports are now full and it is doing everything I had planned for it to. I could remove the temp sensor which is kind or redundant for me and read the level in the ATO reservoir. I am still deciding on that.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Glad it’s working for ya. And even more glad I decided to go with the hydros platform. If only I had a layout that made AWCs feasible lol

 

[WVNed]

When you plan a big system it is very important to also plan how you will support it. It can be a lot of physical work if you aren't careful.
I had to think ahead because carrying water is not possible for me now.

So far it has worked out well for me.

 

[Peace River]

Nice work Ned!!!

 

[BeltedCoyote]

When you plan a big system it is very important to also plan how you will support it. It can be a lot of physical work if you aren't careful.
I had to think ahead because carrying water is not possible for me now.

So far it has worked out well for me.

makes sense to me. My issue is just that my tank is on the opposite side of the house as my garage (where I’ll eventually have a mixing station. I’d have to run pipes through the stairs and across the main thoroughfare of the first floor.

My SO puts up with a lot but Not something like that haha

 

[WVNed]

makes sense to me. My issue is just that my tank is on the opposite side of the house as my garage (where I’ll eventually have a mixing station. I’d have to run pipes through the stairs and across the main thoroughfare of the first floor.

My SO puts up with a lot but Not something like that haha

Got a crawl space? You can run polyethylene tubing a long way. They plumb the water lines in houses with it now. Hydros has a single WIFI outlet you can get. You could turn a pump on/off in the garage while you are at the tank. I think the XS I have will do 8 points of WIFI control. The power bar uses 4. I could plug a powerbar in under the tank and control 4 things like pumps or lights if I wanted too.

 

[Peace River]

Ned - one semi related tip for the Hydros WIFI power strip: the 4 USB ports are controlled as a single outlet when programming them to do a function. Because I didn't have any USB items to plug in to them, I ordered some USB LED plugs with various colors (link below). I have programmed these lights to add a visual so that I can quickly see if a fan or pump is turned on.

 

[WVNed]

Ned - one semi related tip for the Hydros WIFI power strip: the 4 USB ports are controlled as a single outlet when programming them to do a function. Because I didn't have any USB items to plug in to them, I ordered some USB LED plugs with various colors (link below). I have programmed these lights to add a visual so that I can quickly see if a fan or pump is turned on.

I had no Idea of a use for a USB port around a fish tank system. That is a good idea.
Are there any aquarium things that run on USB? I thought about putting a small android tablet in the fish room plugged into a USB port but once you have Hydros running you really dont need to monitor it much.
All I have been using is the web app from my computer.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Got a crawl space? You can run polyethylene tubing a long way. They plumb the water lines in houses with it now. Hydros has a single WIFI outlet you can get. You could turn a pump on/off in the garage while you are at the tank. I think the XS I have will do 8 points of WIFI control. The power bar uses 4. I could plug a powerbar in under the tank and control 4 things like pumps or lights if I wanted too.

as far as I know we don’t have one. I know where my tank sits just has a concrete slab underneath. We don’t have a basement and there aren’t any obvious signs of a crawl space entry point around the outside perimeter of the house.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

I had no Idea of a use for a USB port around a fish tank system. That is a good idea.
Are there any aquarium things that run on USB? I thought about putting a small android tablet in the fish room plugged into a USB port but once you have Hydros running you really dont need to monitor it much.
All I have been using is the web app from my computer.

there might be the off air pump or auto feeder than runs on usb but nothing noteworthy comes to mind

 

[Peace River]

as far as I know we don’t have one. I know where my tank sits just has a concrete slab underneath. We don’t have a basement and there aren’t any obvious signs of a crawl space entry point around the outside perimeter of the house.

Attic?

 

[WVNed]

as far as I know we don’t have one. I know where my tank sits just has a concrete slab underneath. We don’t have a basement and there aren’t any obvious signs of a crawl space entry point around the outside perimeter of the house.

How about an attic or is it 2 stories. I used to run phone/networking wires through buildings. There was usually a way though it might not be easy.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

How about an attic or is it 2 stories. I used to run phone/networking wires through buildings. There was usually a way though it might not be easy.

yes to both. It’s weird. We have an attic over the garage that doesn’t extend to where the tank sits as the tank is in the room directly under the master bedroom upstairs. There also appears to be either another entrance to the same attic on the second floor. Or a separate Atticish space all together.

oh and both entry points are sent into the ceiling.

edit: set not sent

 

[Peace River]

I had no Idea of a use for a USB port around a fish tank system. That is a good idea.
Are there any aquarium things that run on USB? I thought about putting a small android tablet in the fish room plugged into a USB port but once you have Hydros running you really dont need to monitor it much.
All I have been using is the web app from my computer.

I explored USB options that are typically used in cars or around computers. Other than these LED plug lights, I mainly found mini fans or mini desk lights.

I couldn't figure out a reasonable application for the USB coffee cup warmer near my fish tank.




One of the oddest items that I found was a USB squirming tentacle:



Unfortunately it is not currently available.

 

[WVNed]

yes to both. It’s weird. We have an attic over the garage that doesn’t extend to where the tank sits as the tank is in the room directly under the master bedroom upstairs. There also appears to be either another entrance to the same attic on the second floor. Or a separate Atticish space all together.

oh and both entry points are sent into the ceiling.

I am not goin to tell you I am a wizzard that could do it. I would have to look at it. Houses have places where voids are left to run things between floors for plumbing and AC. Sometimes you can follow an electric wire or heating duct.

Option B is a coil of tubing you extend from the mixing area to the tank when you need water and then put back.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

I am not goin to tell you I am a wizzard that could do it. I would have to look at it. Houses have places where voids are left to run things between floors for plumbing and AC. Sometimes you can follow an electric wire or heating duct.

Option B is a coil of tubing you extend from the mixing area to the tank when you need water and then put back.

i understand. Im not sure how to describe it without you being able to see it. I’m sure there are such spaces but without cutting through the drywall I can’t think of how to find them.

I’ve really just been planning on doing the tubing idea. Less of a chance of me screwing something integral to the house up due to my inexperience. That and eventually we will be moving, albeit ten or 15 years down the road

 

[Rutrag]

I had no Idea of a use for a USB port around a fish tank system. That is a good idea.
Are there any aquarium things that run on USB? I thought about putting a small android tablet in the fish room plugged into a USB port but once you have Hydros running you really dont need to monitor it much.
All I have been using is the web app from my computer.

I run a webcam off one of the USB ports as well as an auto feeder.