I hate ATOs, please tell me which ones you like and why -

[GuppyHJD]

Both stuck at the same time?

That is what I said...when my alarm went off, the return pump was low. Yep, both were stuck. I bought a different valve type, and am testing it now.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

What float valve?

 

[GuppyHJD]

I use an Eshopps 5 gallon ATO container with a float valve in the sump.

I top off the container. It gravity feeds the float.

Anything electronic is asking for trouble.

My highest risk is having 5 gallons of water enter the system and that's something I can work with. Minimal damage if any at all.

Ask me how I know .......

My gravity feed float valve has failed a few times on me.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Thank you. I will try it. I have three from BRS now that have given me problems.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

My gravity feed float valve has failed a few times on me.

Really?! The horror. What happens does it fail on or off?

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Really?! The horror. What happens does it fail on or off?

I've had this happen both ways with swamp coolers (I used to do maintenance on these for extra money as a teenager). There was more pressure involved there, but failing ON was more likely than failing off. Granted those usually had a little lower quality valves than what BRS sells and what you linked.

 

[JCM]

I'm definitely not reading all 106 replies, but my advice...

Regardless of what ATO you run, don't trust it. If mine stops working I see bubbles in the tank, it didn't evaporate enough to hurt anything. If it decides to empty my entire ATO container, my SG dropped to 1.023 and nothing will die.

Don't ever have a single failure point that can wipe out your tank.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Okay I think you’ll like these then. I only have one under a lot of pressure when I filter water for the reservoir. I have three active at the moment.
One in the frag tank
One in the display tank
One in the rodi/ato reservoir
Haven’t had a fail yet (knock on wood)

 

[Captmcfly]

Three optical sensors one to trigger my solenoids to come on one to override the first one if it goes too far and send me a notification that it’s gotten too high and One to turn a pump on and pump water out of my sump into the houses main drain line and to alert me that things have gone bad! The first two that control Solenoids are plumed directly into my rodi booster. That is also on a timed outlet from my apex to come on for 1 hr a day. It can’t make enough water to over fill my sump in that time. So with the multiple levels of fail safes and controls I feel it will be just what I need.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Three optical sensors one to trigger my solenoids to come on one to override the first one if it goes too far and send me a notification that it’s gotten too high and One to turn a pump on and pump water out of my sump into the houses main drain line and to alert me that things have gone bad! The first two that control Solenoids are plumed directly into my rodi booster. That is also on a timed outlet from my apex to come on for 1 hr a day. It can’t make enough water to over fill my sump in that time. So with the multiple levels of fail safes and controls I feel it will be just what I need.

That third one I would not automatically pump out unless you have other verifications like a leak sensor also going off simultaneously. You could get salt creep from sump splashing on that sensor or the ir transistor fails closed and pump water out when the level is actually okay. That is something that I would personally only do with manual intervention.

 

[KenBabich]

I use the XP Aqua Duetto on both of my tanks and have never had any issues with water levels in 2 years of use.

Glad to hear that! I bought one and installed a week ago. No issues. Works as planned. Hope to get 2+ years like you!

 

[Freddy0144]

I have run a Tunz on my tanks for years, I have 0 complaints, the water in the sump does not drop below where I want it to and has been reliable to this point.

 

[Captmcfly]

That third one I would not automatically pump out unless you have other verifications like a leak sensor also going off simultaneously. You could get salt creep from sump splashing on that sensor or the ir transistor fails closed and pump water out when the level is actually okay. That is something that I would personally only do with manual intervention.

The way the program is written all three would have to be closed before the pump comes on.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I can't seem to find a "trust worthy" ATO. I'm currently running a reefbreeders that's not the prism, it's the magnet with the eye piece, and it's constantly missing the mark. My system is big enough that I usually catch it pretty quick. I'm running an apex but their ATO seems like waaaay too many pieces. I want something simple. I also have an old Tunze ozmolater laying around, but I think it's the nano version, it's also caked in kalkwasser (don't ask). So I guess I'm in the market for a new ATO. I've never found one that makes me warm and fuzzy.

I just can't bring myself to trust one. I manually top off all my setups twice daily. I'm lucky enough to use my well water, and don't have to dose my setups due to the high calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, etc in the well water.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

The way the program is written all three would have to be closed before the pump comes on.

Still a little risky. I would at the very least limit the runtime with a When statement to a few minutes.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Really?! The horror. What happens does it fail on or off?

they failed closed...which allowed the water to get low in the sump. The return pump fortunately did not fail, but ran dry for over a day.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

they failed closed...which allowed the water to get low in the sump. The return pump fortunately did not fail, but ran dry for over a day.

My nightmare is it failing on

 

[WyoMt.Chef]

I have had a good run with my hydros ATO. Not a solution for anything but a hydros user. Optic sensor failed at 18 months so that was annoying but it hasn't screwed the pooch so to say and hurt the tank..... Or floors.

 

[Guy25]

I've used this one for a couple years on different tanks and had no issues ( it one of the sensor ones. just have to make sure its someplace no snails can crawl up too, as they will set it off ).

ATO link

 

[arafas]

I made my own with relays and float valves with triple redondancy.