ATO doubling as Water Changer?

[pjewett]

Hi All,

Well I finished my ATO and it seems to be working very well. I have 2 floats (1 is a backup) and it all feeds into the next room where I have a 13 gallon plastic garbage bin that is fed by my RODI. I placed a double outlet where the ATO pump plugs in and put a small LED light that is velcro'd to my magfloat (on the display) so that I know when the ATO is operating.

My wireless webcam can see it so if my WaterBug 200 (VIA APEX controller) goes off and emails me that there is water on the floor I can hit my website and see if the ATO isn't going off. Can't remember but if this camera allows me to create "motion detection" hot spots in the viewing area (like my EvoCam camera in my office) than it could maybe email me when the ATO light goes on. Don't know if this was a useless idea or not but I felt like getting creative.

My real question is can I use this ATO rig to do my water changes? I could mix salt in the ATO resovoir to the right salinity and then using a powerhead with a hose on it I could drain the sump into 5 gallon buckets all the while setting off the ATO (now with salt) so fill it back up.

I guess I would need to clean out any salt build up in the resovoir when using as ATO.

Does this sound like it would work?

Thanks

 

[tosiek]

Yeah, there is no reason why it shouldn't. Its just filling the water back up for you.

 

[cali_reef]

ATO= Auto Top Off, it's add the correct amount of RO water to compensate for evaporation.

For auto water change, you would need a way to mechanically remove the water in the tank and add the same amount of fresh saltwater back in, while disabling the ATO during this process. You can do it via Apex but requires a bit more equipment and a sewer drain close by.

 

[noelskii]

every time u mix saltwater in your ATO reservoir, you'd have to clean it out so u can use it for freshwater top off again...

 

[Keith P]

Are you using the Apex to control the top off, or something else, like a JBJ ATO?

I would use the apex for the whole process and just have 2 separate pumps and containers. Let the apex do the pumping and refilling.

 

[pjewett]

Are you using the Apex to control the top off, or something else, like a JBJ ATO?

I would use the apex for the whole process and just have 2 separate pumps and containers. Let the apex do the pumping and refilling.

Well right now I'm using an autotopoff.com rig with no integration with my APEX yet. My plan now that I've just purchased another APEX EB8 is to plug the ATO switch into it so that I can program it to shut off if my Waterbug 200 senses water on the floor. My autotopoff setup has a backup switch but may pickup yet another back up and wire it into my breakout box so that I have yet another backup.

I was thinking along the same lines as you and may pickup another 13 gal container...add a "T" with ball valve to the pvc connection going into the ATO resovoir and when I want to do a water change I'll just shut the ball valve on the ATO line, open the one on the salt line and plug in the pump.

Still will have to remove water from the sump via a powerhead with a hose on it into 5 gallon buckets for now so it's not fully automated.

Just don't have any place to drain the water to really without cutting another whole in the wall and adding another pump to sit in my sump for waterchanges (though I guess I could create another line out of my return).

 

[Awibrandy]

Why do you guys keep coming up with so many complicated things?LOL

I keep 44 gallons of RO/DI water ready at all times in my basement with a heater, and a water pump that is connected to a python which I use to pump the ro/di water up to my first floor where my tanks are. To do a water change I simply unscrew the python at one of it's junctions, and use it to drain the water out of the tank. Once the water is drained I reconnect the python plug the pump in to the outlet, and pump the water into 5 gallon buckets while adding and mixing the salt. I then use the pump from my ATO to pump the mixed water into my sump. The floats for my ATO stops the pump once the water reaches the level it is suppose to be at. Been doing it like this for 3 years now. Might take me all of 20 min. to do a 30gallon water change on my 155.