ATO paranoia in an AIO

[jhuntstl]

So when I first setup my 28g AIO, I was very undecided on how to top off my fresh water. I read a lot of horror stories about flooded floors, kalk overdoses, snails moving senors, etc. I genuinely scared myself out of buying a sensor based ATO.

Gravity fed with a float valve seems like a great option for those with sumps, but wasn't practical for an AIO.

Instead I grabbed one of these.

I was pleasantly surprised at how effective it was using a 1L water bottle. Salinity was rock solid, chance of failure was low, and the total volume was inconsequential if there was a failure. I experimented with larger 1.5 and 2L bottles, but found they collapsed on themselves and the chance of failure was much higher. I think this could have been solved with a rigid bottle. The downside was I had to refill this 1L bottle morning and night. I like to take weekend backpacking trips and this wasn't going to work in travel situations.

I ended up ordering a Kamoer ATO.

It's working great so far. It has an optical sensor and overflow float sensor. I only have it attached to a 1 gallon reservoir, which is my final level of catastrophic failure protection. This only lasts maybe 3 days, which kinda of defeats the purpose and convenience.

So I guess my question is...

What steps have you taken to ensure your ATO doesn't wipe out your tank or flood your floors? Especially those with larger reservoirs and AIOs. What redundancies have you implemented? Do you rely on brand recognition(ex: tunze)? Tell me your secrets to sleeping at night.

 

[Sea_Shanty_Corals]

You're on the right track with sizing the reservoir. The other thing to do is have a way to monitor your salinity and shut off an ATO if something seems off - I use an Apex for that.

You'll never completely remove the chance of a failure, so it's all about doing what you can to make sure things go smoothly.

 

[workhz]

5 gallon ato hedpak reservoir (looking for a cheap 8-10 gallon one with the same footprint). Have at least 10 gallons of room in the sump. 90 gallon DT. Appropriate measures to stop siphons.

Wouldn't be ideal for all of it to dump into the sump but figure odds are low and would have to be really unlucky for all of it to go vs 3/4 or 1/2 or 1/4.

 

[jhuntstl]

You're on the right track with sizing the reservoir. The other thing to do is have a way to monitor your salinity and shut off an ATO if something seems off - I use an Apex for that.

You'll never completely remove the chance of a failure, so it's all about doing what you can to make sure things go smoothly.

A controller is something I've looked into and would like to invest in eventually. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression salinity probes aren't the most reliable. Is an apex able to monitor how long a pump runs and cut power if necessary?

 

[tehmadreefer]

An avast ato.

 

[PR_nano]

Tunze 3155 on 20 gallon AIO. 5 gallon reservoir last over 2.5 weeks. I don't fill all the way unless on vacation. The few times the alarm got triggered is when turbo decides to feed on the overflow, so I keep them clean.

 

[Sea_Shanty_Corals]

A controller is something I've looked into and would like to invest in eventually. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression salinity probes aren't the most reliable. Is an apex able to monitor how long a pump runs and cut power if necessary?

The salinity probe is decently reliable if you stick it in a place where no bubbles can get in.

You can also write a line into the ATO outlet to shut it off if it runs for too long as well.

 

[jhuntstl]

The salinity probe is decently reliable if you stick it in a place where no bubbles can get in.

You can also write a line into the ATO outlet to shut it off if it runs for too long as well.

Oddly enough, I just came across this new probe accessory. https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/salinity-probe-stability-kit-sps-without-pump-vca/

Looks like it aims to solve the bubble issue.

 

[jhuntstl]

An avast ato.

This guy wasn't even on my radar until after I ordered my Kamoer. I would likely order this if I could go back. It seems like one of the few good ATOs that's actually in stock right now.

 

[Saltysailors]

Tunze 3155 on 20 gallon AIO. 5 gallon reservoir last over 2.5 weeks. I don't fill all the way unless on vacation. The few times the alarm got triggered is when turbo decides to feed on the overflow, so I keep them clean.

I've got a waterbox cube 20 and ive been leaning on the 3155. Money isnt the issue for me when it comes to the safety of my hardwood. The reviews on the 3155 are the only thing holdingme

 

[Cell]

3155 is the gold standard. Not sure where you are reading poor reviews on that model, other than maybe the expense. The 3152 has some scary reviews on BRS though.