Using ATO to increase Salinity?

[slaag]

Hi all,

I made a rookie mistake by not knowing I needed to calibrate my Refractometer. It cost me a Cleaner Shrimp in the process... My salinity was at 1.018. I did a ~5gallon water change (This is in a Fluval 13.5). I was able to bring the water up to 1.21 in that change (trying not to swing it too big), however I am going out of town on vacation in a couple of days and am wondering if I can use my ATO I picked up yesterday to slowly increase the salinity. I am not sure what the math would be, but for examples purpose, if I add 1 cup of salt to 5 gallons of RODI and mix it up, over the span of two weeks with the stock lid on it, there would be minimal evaporation so the increase in salinity wouldn't be dramatic but I am thinking it would be a helpful way of doing that. When I return, I can check the salinity and do a water change again.

What are more experienced reefers thoughts on this approach?

Thank you!

 

[jabberwock]

I would not install a new piece of equipment when I would not be there to monitor it for several days. With out the ATO, evaporation will naturally increase salinity. Do you have the stock lid on it?

 

[slaag]

I would not install a new piece of equipment when I would not be there to monitor it for several days. With out the ATO, evaporation will naturally increase salinity. Do you have the stock lid on it?

Yes and a lid on my 5 gallon RODI bucket used for ATO. Yeah, I understand the concern, which is why I am proposing such a minimal amount of salt in the RODI bucket, substantially less than 1.025.

 

[jabberwock]

Yes and a lid on my 5 gallon RODI bucket used for ATO. Yeah, I understand the concern, which is why I am proposing such a minimal amount of salt in the RODI bucket, substantially less than 1.025.

How long will you be gone, and how much top off do you need for that period of time?

 

[slaag]

How long will you be gone, and how much top off do you need for that period of time?

11 days, and probably ~1/2 gallon

 

[jabberwock]

11 days, and probably ~1/2 gallon

I would fill as much as you can with regular salt water, and don't install the ATO. Hopefully your heater and pumps are submerged enough that they will not be effected by evaporation. If the ATO goes haywire when you are gone, it could overfill the tank. Make a mess. I installed a new ATO a few weeks ago and left for three days. I was millimeters away from a tank overflow...

If you have someone aquarium competent tank sitting, then maybe not such a big deal.

 

[slaag]

I would fill as much as you can with regular salt water, and don't install the ATO. Hopefully your heater and pumps are submerged enough that they will not be effected by evaporation. If the ATO goes haywire when you are gone, it could overfill the tank. Make a mess. I installed a new ATO a few weeks ago and left for three days. I was millimeters away from a tank overflow...

If you have someone aquarium competent tank sitting, then maybe not such a big deal.

Interesting, okay I could probably go that route. I have the Tunze Osmolator Nano setup. But yeah, maybe I'll just top it up a bit more than usual and turn the ATO off and let it go. The pump and heater will be a non issue with where they are placed. No chance evaporation will affect them in that amount of time.

I have an auto feeder setup (battery), my lights on a timer(which i can monitor remotely). All is working well. No one will be tank watching but I might be able to make a call to have it checked out a couple of times while I'm gone.

 

[slaag]

FYI, I appreciate your thoughts and sage advice. Cheers.

 

[Miami Reef]

I have the Tunze Osmolator Nano setup

I don’t trust that one. The manual float tends to get stuck. I had a lot of trouble with it.

The regular Tunze ATO is very good and reliable.

 

[jabberwock]

FYI, I appreciate your thoughts and sage advice. Cheers.

Best of luck, update when you get back. Have a good trip!

 

[slaag]

I don’t trust that one. The manual float tends to get stuck. I had a lot of trouble with it.

The regular Tunze ATO is very good and reliable

The nano turns off after running for a minute and won’t turn on again without manual intervention. So say the instructions anyway.

 

[jabberwock]

The nano turns off after running for a minute and won’t turn on again without manual intervention. So say the instructions anyway.

Sounds like a roll of the dice...

 

[Miami Reef]

The nano turns off after running for a minute and won’t turn on again without manual intervention. So say the instructions anyway.

That was my issue. It would get stuck on and then it wouldn’t fill up. I came to my tank with the water severely evaporated.

I totally regret not spending the extra for the most popular Tunze ATO. I thought I could save a little on my nano QT. It was the first time I ever used an ATO, so I thought any would be fine.

The laser eye system will rarely, if ever, fail. I use it for my 260 gallon tank. I never had a problem as of yet.

 

[jabberwock]

You have a lid, and I am guessing a fairly humid climate in Vancouver. Evaporation should not be significant.

 

[mike550]

Hi all,

I made a rookie mistake by not knowing I needed to calibrate my Refractometer. It cost me a Cleaner Shrimp in the process... My salinity was at 1.018. I did a ~5gallon water change (This is in a Fluval 13.5). I was able to bring the water up to 1.21 in that change (trying not to swing it too big), however I am going out of town on vacation in a couple of days and am wondering if I can use my ATO I picked up yesterday to slowly increase the salinity. I am not sure what the math would be, but for examples purpose, if I add 1 cup of salt to 5 gallons of RODI and mix it up, over the span of two weeks with the stock lid on it, there would be minimal evaporation so the increase in salinity wouldn't be dramatic but I am thinking it would be a helpful way of doing that. When I return, I can check the salinity and do a water change again.

What are more experienced reefers thoughts on this approach?

Thank you!

It’s going to take you a while to move from 1.018 to 1.025. Even if you changed 5G all at once your salinity only moves to 1.021. A 2.5G change gets you to 1.019