ATO unnecessary?

OP
OP
Trever

Trever

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
671
Reaction score
353
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef I like the sound of a steady drip solution.

I guess part of what I'm hedging over is that at least from afar and prior to any experience with them, I have to say I really dislike the ATO solutions out there, and spending two hundred bucks for them, blech. They're putting backups on the backups, and it just seems nuts. Not remembering to turn it off if you're going to change the water level for any reason (pull a rock out, etc.). It's just.... my head hurts.

That's my engineering opinion. Everything else I've seen in the reefing hobby is pretty great and amazingly clever at times. But these ATO devices make me frown.

I can relate to something that is dripping in... despite whatever problems that solution would obviously have.

I realize what people are gonna say... how they've come a long ways, have all these various features, the Tunzi is great, etc. I get it. I'm sure I'm at least partly being a curmudgeon. But it's my basic reaction to these gizmos.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Trever

Trever

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
671
Reaction score
353
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I guess to me it just seems like the ATO systems out there are an unfinished product category.

I've even had my own ideas for how to improve one, patent it, etc. What do I know? Nadda. But the closest thing I've seen to something sensible is the one from Neptune combined with a controller, which I don't have and won't have anytime soon.

There was also a video I saw where the system was using sonar or something funky to monitor the water level? It was something that couldn't get mucked up. Have to find that video.
 
Last edited:

Dysto

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
47
Reaction score
45
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If it helps, i know i've seen setups where people have a basic kalkwasser/1-part dosing solution added to their ATO reservoir, getting the benefits from small and frequent dosing throughout the day without the hassle of buying and setting up a separate dosing pump. If reliability is a concern, you could always use a gravity feed solution like this. You can get one for $10 on amazon and has no moving parts or sensors to fail. It mostly depends on having the right kind of available space, and if it cant be hidden with the sump, finding a bottle that you can stand looking at as part of your tanks equipment.
 

Ranjib

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Messages
9,825
Reaction score
17,041
Location
Pleasant Hill, Concord
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I run a biocube29 , and for me ato was one of the critical thing to establish my sps, I was doing manual top off, and my evaporation rate was similar as you mentioned. It would cause any where between .03-.5 swing in salinity
 
OP
OP
Trever

Trever

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
671
Reaction score
353
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I run a biocube29 , and for me ato was one of the critical thing to establish my sps, I was doing manual top off, and my evaporation rate was similar as you mentioned. It would cause any where between .03-.5 swing in salinity

@Ranjib I don't think I can resolve anything more than .5 variance in salinity with my refractometer, it's too difficult to see. And does a hobbyist digital salinity meter really resolve to .03 with any meaningfullness?

Are SPS sensitive to .5 swings in salinity?

Doesn't the ocean swing that much, where acros grow?

I hear you but I'm wondering/skeptical.
 
Last edited:

PatW

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
2,539
Reaction score
1,943
Location
Orlando, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It is your system and you can do what you want. Can you get by without an ATO? Sure you can. But, marine organisms live in the ocean. The ocean is a very stable environment. Marine organisms have not evolved for significant changes in salinity. So it makes a whole bunch of sense to run an ATO. But no one is going to give you a fine if you don’t have one.
 

Easy Reefing

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 9, 2020
Messages
352
Reaction score
740
Location
San Diego
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I use to think an ATO was unnecessary but love not having to fill it everyday and you never know when you have to leave for longer . Reef tanks love stability so I’m glad I got one .
 

Ranjib

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Messages
9,825
Reaction score
17,041
Location
Pleasant Hill, Concord
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Ranjib I don't think I can resolve anything more than .5 variance in salinity with my refractometer, it's too difficult to see. And does a hobbyist digital salinity meter really resolve to .03 with any meaningfullness?

Are SPS sensitive to .5 swings in salinity?

Doesn't the ocean swing that much, where acros grow?

I hear you but I'm wondering/skeptical.
Yup I use the same one. I can dial it to s 1.026 using that. 0.5 is pretty high, I think you mean 0.05 ?
Anyhow, I noticed significant difference, but for me it was also due to the fact I was not being consistent (as others have called out). Seasonal pattern makes a difference as well.
Among light, ATO, skimmer and wave maker. I would rank ATO first, assuming a decent light. Then wave maker and good light (a tie) and skimmer at last, 3rd place, for sps. That was my learning in nutshell. I also learned you can use a comprehensive controller or have individual controller for each.
But this is enough to keep most sps. To make them thrive, I had to do more specific feeding (reef roid) and two part. Then last mile is amino acid etc (colors).
Not to get to a tangent, my summary experience was that I underestimated ATO most, and overestimated Light/Skimmer. WIth regular water change, two part and any decent light (radion, kessil, Chinese blackbox) .. sps is possible. My tank is small, and I kept bioload at minimal (3 fish, including a wrasse), for context
 

fish farmer

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
3,698
Reaction score
5,402
Location
Brandon, VT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's not necessary to have an ato it is necessary to keep your salinity stable. I use this for my 2gal pico, their cheap no sensors etc. Even if I was going to top daily by hand I'd probably have something like this in case I go away for a week or weekend. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B083TFLF9N?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I designed something like this for my first 38 gallon reef, but on a bigger scale which sat over a sump. No sensors to keep clean, just make sure it is airtight. Look at poultry watering options, they make similar designed items that could fit on a bottle for small simple ATO's.

I started dripping kalk into my 38 gallon for three day weekends. I used a small round wine bottle. It worked ok most of the time, but either didn't drip or dripped too fast.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 27 50.9%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 28 52.8%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 10 18.9%
  • None.

    Votes: 12 22.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 5.7%
Back
Top