XP Aqua Duetto ATO experience

Bobblehead

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
76
Reaction score
70
Location
Vancouver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi everyone, I just wanted to share my experience with this ATO

I bought this unit at least a couple of months for a 10g QT tank that I was setting up for a mandarin. I ended up picking up some live rock with good sized colonies of acropora from a local so I decided to try dosing kalkwasser through the ATO.

The first couple of weeks were normal other than the odd time when it would slightly overfill, usually because of the microbubbles that were stuck to the sensor.

A little over a month ago, I came down one morning to find the water level above the entire sensor. No bubbles on the sensor so I just chalked it up to being a one time thing but I did reach out to the company to let them know. The rep told me to move the sensor away from the HOB so the water level is not so turbulent, along with checking a few other things. After making the changes, the same thing happened again a week later. This time, the rep mentioned that this ATO may overfill smaller tanks and suggested that I buy their media reactor to fix this problem. $75 for a little plastic box and small pump to fix a possible incompatibility that I couldn’t have known about until I read the owners manual? Ouch…

Ultimately I decided not to buy the thing and to keep running it the way it was. The overfilling happened again and finally the acros died, probably due to the many fluctuations with the kalkwasser. I wasn’t too torn up as the corals were free but still, this stinks.

The rep mentioned a few times that if the sensor were faulty that it would fail every time, not once a week. And that the ATO can overfill smaller aquariums. I just don’t understand this. I’ve seen the pump run and it’s more than capable of pumping for a couple of seconds only, not nearly long enough to overfill. Not to mention, it can operate at the proper level for a week and then one day poop the bed. I mentioned this a couple of times in our correspondence but he never directly addressed this question at which led me to believe he didn’t want to give a straight answer.

I am writing all of this not to say buy or not buy this unit but to share my experience for anyone researching ATOs.
 

HD_Reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
424
Reaction score
697
Location
Frisco
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had the same issue when I first got mine installed. The solution for me was to unplug the power from it, fill the water to just below the bottom sensor, then power the ATO back on. When it came on, it ran for just a few seconds to bring the water level up to the sensor, then shut off as normal. Haven't had the over fill issue since.
 

rockdiver

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
920
Reaction score
525
Location
chicago
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This does have a max on timer.
How to set it is the way HD_reefer said.
This first time it runs will set how long it stays on.
Mine runs for like 20 seconds then shuts off. if it's not done it will beep till you hit the button to run it more.
 

DougiesREEF

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 8, 2021
Messages
94
Reaction score
21
Location
New Brunswick
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've had mine for about a month and I found the same thing. If you set it just above the setpoint and let it run for 5 second when you turn it on it keeps the water level pretty consistent. I also like to wipe my sensor every few days when cleaning to make sure no scum builds up on it.
 
OP
OP
B

Bobblehead

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
76
Reaction score
70
Location
Vancouver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok, thanks for the input everyone, I will try this later tonight and see how it goes. As it happens though, the darn thing has been working just fine for the last week or so!
 
OP
OP
B

Bobblehead

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
76
Reaction score
70
Location
Vancouver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I tried what was suggested here but no luck. Again, it seemed to work fine for a few days but just this morning I came down to find the tank overfilled. I’m sure mine is faulty but the rep tells me that what I’m experiencing is within spec so that’s that. Based on my experience with this ATO, I wouldn’t use it again for a 10 gallon tank that holds sensitive corals as the possibility of ODing on RODI or kalkwasser is there.
 

rockdiver

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
920
Reaction score
525
Location
chicago
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sorry to hear that. I picture of where you have it might help us.
I have 2 of these 1 on my 30 and 1 on my 120 they work flawlessly and I have total trust in them.
 

tinyfellows

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
315
Reaction score
288
Location
woodway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m having the same problem with my duetto were able to find a solution l?
 
Back
Top