Need recommendation

[n2585722]

I wonder if it's the "Family" type you have selected?

I have the same type setup on an XP8 output and it has the power range settings in the output. I posted it here on post #14.

 

[kp73]

The launch can't?

So I get how the controller would turn the heater on or off. My concern is turning it and the return pump off if the water level drops in the AIO to aspecific level, like the run dry I just experienced. I'm not sure if my heater burned our or not because I am still out of town. But it would have been exposed to the air for at least 3 days.

Are you say that the XP8 could detect if the pump
Or heater is dry by a change in electrical co sumption?

 

[tbrown]

Not necessarily, but with a Hydros temperature probe you can detect when the water in the DT gets too hot and shut it off. With a level sensor in the rear chambers you can detect when the water gets to a "too low" level and shut off one or more plugs. Meaning yes, you could shut off both the heater and the return pump.

However, if you set the "safe" running power for a plug and it starts to overdraw, you can have it alert you and/or shut that plug off. I'm not sure how the power changes on a pump or heater if they go out of water.

 

[n2585722]

So I get how the controller would turn the heater on or off. My concern is turning it and the return pump off if the water level drops in the AIO to aspecific level, like the run dry I just experienced. I'm not sure if my heater burned our or not because I am still out of town. But it would have been exposed to the air for at least 3 days.

Are you say that the XP8 could detect if the pump
Or heater is dry by a change in electrical co sumption?

I have the heater setup in the depends on setting so if the return goes off the heater output will also go off. The heater also has a minimum off time setup in the advanced settings. If it is forced off with the depends on that countdown does not start until the depends on is released which in this case is the return pump being turned back on. The return pump will turn off if the low level sensor I have setup on my Hydros system goes dry. There is also another input for the return pump power that turns it off if the leak detector is not dry. So if a leak is detected or a low level in the sump is detected the return pump turns off and so does my heaters and my skimmer using the depends on in the respective output.

 

[tbrown]

Two level sensors - one in the return chamber for an ATO and one in the heater section - would probably be ideal in this situation. The one on the return would turn on the ATO, if the ATO doesn't keep up or is empty, the second would allow it to run until it got to your level of comfort above the heater and return pump before shutting them off. Adding a third in the ATO tank that shuts off your ATO (or setting a "max run time" on the ATO adds additional protection for the ATO and keeps it from running dry.

 

[n2585722]

Not necessarily, but with a Hydros temperature probe you can detect when the water in the DT gets too hot and shut it off. With a level sensor in the rear chambers you can detect when the water gets to a "too low" level and shut off one or more plugs. Meaning yes, you could shut off both the heater and the return pump.

However, if you set the "safe" running power for a plug and it starts to overdraw, you can have it alert you and/or shut that plug off. I'm not sure how the power changes on a pump or heater if they go out of water.

I don't know of a way to automatically shut of the output if the power gets out of the range you set but you can do that with the override in the app after getting the alert if you want. I think the output will shut down if it overcurrents but that be the extreme situation.

 

[n2585722]

Two level sensors - one in the return chamber for an ATO and one in the heater section - would probably be ideal in this situation. The one on the return would turn on the ATO, if the ATO doesn't keep up or is empty, the second would allow it to run until it got to your level of comfort above the heater and return pump before shutting them off. Adding a third in the ATO tank that shuts off your ATO (or setting a "max run time" on the ATO adds additional protection for the ATO and keeps it from running dry.

My heaters are in the sump but they are where they will not get above water level even with the return pump turned off but since the pump is not running I do not want the heaters on either. The low level sensor, ATO sensor and high level sensor on mine are in the same compartment in the sump as the return pump. All three sensors are below the water level in the other chambers in the sump.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I went on vacation (Murphy’s Law loves when I go on vacation). One of the several things that happened was my ATO failed (had been working fine for months). I have a 25gal mixed reef and the water evaporated out and the person taking care of my place was only told to keep an eye on the ATO jug and when it got low, to move the pump to the other ATO jug (back up). She kept saying it was more than halfway full. About 5 days into my trip I realized what was happening, but it was too late. She added 6 gal of RO water to get it back up to the levels it needed. A reefing friend drove 4 hours (2+2) last night to access everything. All fish dead, most inverts dead, coral seems fine, maxima clam dead, my favorite anemone dead. Needless to say, he said it smelled bad. He got it cleaned and tested everything and added Tropic Marin Nitrobiotic. Today it is clear, but even my pumping xenia (yes I know how bad that is) is as limp as a [insert joke here].

When I get back, I was going to get the Osmolator 3155 to replace my ATO. But I also want a dry protected pump and something to turn the heater off when the water is too low (heater in the AIO). My UV probably fried to with no water running through it. Now that I need to spend money to restock (once I change the water make and make sure params are good), I can’t spend $1000s on equipment. Is there something someone can suggest? The pump I have now is 2.95” x 1.71” x 2.17” and just fits. Most of the dry protection pumps I found online are larger for at least a 210gph pump. So that is when I decided to maybe go the controller route. Ideally would love to have something WiFi connected so I get alerts, but that is probably too expensive.

Thought?

Im Not promoting any products but seriously love the reliability of my Red Sea ATO+. As I travel frequently, it has yet to let me down

 

[kp73]

Im Not promoting any products but seriously love the reliability of my Red Sea ATO+. As I travel frequently, it has yet to let me down

I did look at that, but it is too large for my AIO. Plus, I really wanted something integrated instead of its own controller. The pump is actually what caught my eye because it looks “robust” than the little return pumps on most ATOs.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I did look at that, but it is too large for my AIO. Plus, I really wanted something integrated instead of its own controller. The pump is actually what caught my eye because it looks “robust” than the little return pumps on most ATOs.

For Aio, Innovative Marine hydrofill system

 

[n2585722]

I did look at that, but it is too large for my AIO. Plus, I really wanted something integrated instead of its own controller. The pump is actually what caught my eye because it looks “robust” than the little return pumps on most ATOs.

The Hydros will do ATO and you can use the pump of your choice for ATO as long as it can be powered by a drive port or AC outlet. I currently use the Sole for ATO. My DI reservoir is in the garage as is my ATO pump. The tubing is run up through the attic and down to the tank which is over 35ft from the DI reservoir in the garage. I have also used the Hydros simple doser for this also. There are a lot of great settings for ATO such as the maximum on time setting, maximum off time setting and minimum off time setting in the output setup. This will limit the amount of ATO that can be dispensed over a given time and if setup to do so will send an alert if maximum on timer or maximum off time is exceeded. Since the Sole is a smart doser I used 2 outputs for my ATO the first one is control only for the second output which sets up the Sole as run constantly at a given flow rate. Then the depends on is set to the control output to turn it on and off. The control output has 5 inputs and since it is set to the AND combiner mode all the inputs have to be in their active state setup for this output for the output to turn on. The inputs are a sump ATO level sensor, leak detector at the tank, leak detector at mixing station in garage where the pump is at, DI reservoir low sensor and sump overfull sensor. I don't use a schedule with this output so nothing is setup there. I do have advanced settings enabled. The minimum off time is set to 5 minutes so the output has to remain off for at least 5 minutes after turn off. Maximum off time is set to 3 hours. If the ATO does not run in a 3 hour period I want to know. This setting will not turn on the output but will send an alert if that setting is setup which I have that set. More on that later. Minimum runtime is set to 35 seconds so it will run at least that long if it is turned on regardless of the inputs. I use a dosing pump set to 55ml a minute flow rate so 35 seconds is not a lot of top off. Maximum on time is set to 3 minutes and run past max on time is set to off so it will only run for 3 minutes and turn off and then send an alert since I have it set to send a yellow alert. All the modes this output is still active. It is disabled during the AWC using the depends on and the ATO OK output. The ATO OK output is only on when it is ok to do a ATO auto water change is one of the times it is not ok to do a ATO. So the Hydros ATO setup can be very complex if that is what you want like I have it here. There is a ATO type output setting you can use if you do not need all the inputs and also if I was using a standard type pump the ATO output could control the output device directly without the second output for the Sole.

 

[tbrown]

I use an aftermarket ATO with Hydros as my "backup" level shut off.

 

[tbrown]

If the ATO level sensor fails (weirdly enough, most so...) and the level gets 1/2" above the sensor, my Hydros level sensor shuts off the ATO plug.

 

[BryanM]

Thank you

Well that is the thing, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the options when I was looking at BRS and have a tendency to go overboard.

So far:
Apex and Hydros are the brands I have been recommended.

Just so I am understanding. Ideally I am looking for a controller that has outlets for things like the heater and pump (maybe skimmer) with a low water probe? Is the Osmolator overkill if a get a controller or still a good idea? I know it has high and low water sensor, but not WiFi. I know Alexa can listen for beeping appliances, not sure how great it is though.

Personally if I were starting now I would go Hydros for one very simple reason: Their support is great.

Osmolator is still "required" equipment with or without a controller.

 

[tbrown]

Personally if I were starting now I would go Hydros for one very simple reason: Their support is great.

Osmolator is still "required" equipment with or without a controller.

Hydros and Neptune both have their own ATOs. Osmolator is great, but can be forgone with the Hydros ATO kit as well if he goes that route.

 

[kp73]

Hydros and Neptune both have their own ATOs. Osmolator is great, but can be forgone with the Hydros ATO kit as well if he goes that route.

Hydros is what I am going to do. So I will use their ATO with both the tri-optical and float switch for low ATO RO.

I have been over at the Hydros DIY forum and gotten some good suggestions there on how to do what I want to do.

I appreciate everyone.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Hydros and Neptune both have their own ATOs. Osmolator is great, but can be forgone with the Hydros ATO kit as well if he goes that route.

Hydros is what I am going to do. So I will use their ATO with both the tri-optical and float switch for low ATO RO.

I have been over at the Hydros DIY forum and gotten some good suggestions there on how to do what I want to do.

I appreciate everyone.

Good choice. I’m late to the thread but I came here to say that I used the hydros with water level sensors. I went that route because I’ve had both over filling and underfilling issues .

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I wanted to add the only gripe I have with my hydros is that sometimes if my WiFi goes out it fails to auto reconnect. I used to have to j plug it and replug it, but now I have it connected to a WiFi switch to power cycle if when that happens :p

 

[n2585722]

I wanted to add the only gripe I have with my hydros is that sometimes if my WiFi goes out it fails to auto reconnect. I used to have to j plug it and replug it, but now I have it connected to a WiFi switch to power cycle if when that happens :p

When I was having wifi issue I could reboot my router to fix them. I have never had to reboot a controller and I currently have 15 Hydros controllers. I replaced my router in December 2023 and have not had any wifi issues since replacing my router.

 

[tbrown]

I've only had to reboot 2 controllers out of 5 one time and that was through the app.