ATO is not being so ... well... automatic

[Tabasco1]

I am entering the world of ato and hopefully saying goodbye to morning and evening top offs. I got a JBJ ATO with an aqualifter am trying to set it up. Think I got the sensors right, the is issue is with the aqualifter. It gets triggered to turn on and will start moving water from the resevoir to the sump, but it only moves water for about 15 seconds. I can still hear that the pump is working, but it is not moving more water.

I tried to trouble shoot. Make sure the end of the water line was submerged in the resvoir, so I rubberbanded a weight onto that so that isn't the issue. I thought that maybe it was a bad aqualifter even though it was NIB, I keep a NIB spare. Opened that up and it performed the same way. The aqualifter sits about 2 ft above the water line in the resevoir and pumps over about 2 ft across and 1 ft down into the sump. I have not trimmed my tubing yet, so the tube to the sump is about 6ft long right now.

Any ideas? Is the aqualifter not the right pump?? Thanks!

 

[swannyson7]

Aqualifters can handle very little head pressure, so the excess tubing and height of the pump may be causing your problem. Do you have a spare powerhead like a small maxijet collecting dust that you could try out? Several of the less expensive powerheads with a similar style to the MJ can have 1/2" OR 3/8" I.D. plastic hose attached to them for an application like an ATO. I've gotten a few aqualifters in the past that were DOA as well, so you may just have a faulty pump. They're not bad pumps for some applications considering the price, but like all things in this hobby, you get what you pay for.

 

[kuyatwo]

Is it new or used? If used diaphragm might need to be replaced


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[Tabasco1]

Thanks Swanny-I don't have an extra ph, but I can definately buy one. I feel like when I was trying to figure out what to use that somewhere this pump was recommended. I bought them specifically for this application. oh: What ph would you recommend? I will also try cutting out all extra tubing and see if that works.

 

[Reef Breeders]

The OP said it was BNIB, they are really weak, I may buy the top off pump that BRS sells, it is much more powerful, but at $100, I'm not sure.

 

[Tabasco1]

WHOA! Top off pump for $100! Better be fantastic!

Can anybody recommend a top off pump? System replaces about a gallon/day.

Also, the sensor is REALLY sensitive. It cycles the top off pump on with just a slight change. Is that normal? I thought that i would wait until there was a drop of an inch or something, but it cycles on/off all the time.

 

[Reef Breeders]

WHOA! Top off pump for $100! Better be fantastic!

Can anybody recommend a top off pump? System replaces about a gallon/day.

Also, the sensor is REALLY sensitive. It cycles the top off pump on with just a slight change. Is that normal? I thought that i would wait until there was a drop of an inch or something, but it cycles on/off all the time.

That is why I didn't get it, but they are really powerful pressure wise, and last forever. By the time you go through 20 aqualifters, you will only have gone through one of their pumps. I have been using the dosers for almost a year, and they are the same, just a lower flow rate.

 

[thewackyreefer]

WHOA! Top off pump for $100! Better be fantastic!

Can anybody recommend a top off pump? System replaces about a gallon/day.

Also, the sensor is REALLY sensitive. It cycles the top off pump on with just a slight change. Is that normal? I thought that i would wait until there was a drop of an inch or something, but it cycles on/off all the time.

They're definitely very sensitive! I've been using an Aqualifter myself for a couple years and have never had any issues. I've got it about 6" higher than my 5 gal. water jug and it's been fine.