# Smart ATO top off in planted tank



## SDIESEL77 (22 Aug 2018)

Hi All,
I'm wondering if anybody is using a smart ATO to compensate water evaporation in their planted tank?

I have an Aquascaper 900, open top, and it's generating quite a lot of evaporation.

I was thinking to add something like this:
http://www.hinterfeld.com/hinterfel...tomatic-easy-refill-top-off-system-smart-ato/

Anybody using it or something similar? What do you think?


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## DutchMuch (22 Aug 2018)

also looking for one but in America.


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## SDIESEL77 (22 Aug 2018)

DutchMuch said:


> also looking for one but in America.


I think this website delivers globally


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Aug 2018)

I ran the TMC one for a year or so until the float got stuck down and emptied 25lts into the tank and floor.  They need weekly cleaning to have confidence in them.
Doing by hand is safer or a glass lid reduces evaporation a lot 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## SDIESEL77 (22 Aug 2018)

Iain Sutherland said:


> I ran the TMC one for a year or so until the float got stuck down and emptied 25lts into the tank and floor.  They need weekly cleaning to have confidence in them.
> Doing by hand is safer or a glass lid reduces evaporation a lot
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


This is also my fear. It seems that the one I posted the link above is fully digital, no float, I think it should reduce the risk...


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Aug 2018)

Sorry didn't look at the link, was not aware digital ones were a thing... as such I have no advise to offer 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## SDIESEL77 (23 Aug 2018)

It doesn't seem to be a very popular gadget with Aquascapers...


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## ian_m (24 Aug 2018)

When the "marine boys" use auto-top up units, they will generally have an overflow to outside in the tank or sump. If the top off unit fails to on, excess water will overflow safely out of the tank, rather than onto the floor, as would happen to most aquascapers tank.

I would be quite reluctant to trust one of these devices, even infrared detector one, without some form of fail safe in case it jams on.

Again the "marine boys" use auto top up but often have two float switches for redundancy as well as limiting the time the pump can run for to as to prevent tank overflow.

Thus Tunze top up unit (@ £169) has two sensors, infrared and float switch, as well as limiting pumping time & alarms to prevent overflowing the tank if there is a sensor failure.
https://www.tunze.com/GB/en/catalogue/katalog-ii.html?user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter036


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## SDIESEL77 (24 Aug 2018)

ian_m said:


> When the "marine boys" use auto-top up units, they will generally have an overflow to outside in the tank or sump. If the top off unit fails to on, excess water will overflow safely out of the tank, rather than onto the floor, as would happen to most aquascapers tank.
> 
> I would be quite reluctant to trust one of these devices, even infrared detector one, without some form of fail safe in case it jams on.
> 
> ...


Yep I used to have this one when I had a reef tank


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## zozo (24 Aug 2018)

Yup as ian_m says, relying on mechanical devices and water without an overflow is crying out for problems on the long run. Compare it with a simple toilet reserviour, it's the same principle.. At one point you are always happy it uses an overflow. (It's not invented for the fun of it) And there are very few that do not spill some at one time caused by dirt build up or mechanical wear. Even if it's only a drop every 2 seconds you hardly notice in a toilet reserviour.. But put a bucket under a dripping tap and you'll be surprised how much that is in a day.

Building all that into a display tank aint realy representative. You best have a sump and a sewage pipe in the tanks vicinity for the safety overflow.


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## leedsrhinojohn (24 Aug 2018)

go to www.reefloat.com, fantastic piece of kit, although primarily a marine site, it works just as well in fresh.
I use it on my marine tanks and customer service is first class from Gordon.


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## SDIESEL77 (24 Aug 2018)

leedsrhinojohn said:


> go to www.reefloat.com, fantastic piece of kit, although primarily a marine site, it works just as well in fresh.
> I use it on my marine tanks and customer service is first class from Gordon.


A bit pricey but indeed looks really good. I might get one Soon!


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## leedsrhinojohn (24 Aug 2018)

SDIESEL77 said:


> A bit pricey but indeed looks really good. I might get one Soon!


worth every penny mate, you wont be disappointed


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## SDIESEL77 (24 Aug 2018)

I just sent him an email to know if it would work on my tank (Aquascaper 900) as the water is just 5mm down from the edge


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## Andrew Butler (24 Aug 2018)

As @ian_m says ATO with only the optical sensors are a little risky and if you have a sump then the Tunze is the way to go so you have both mechanical and optical however if you don't have a sump they are not just unsightly but also almost impossible to get them running anywhere near the top of the tank so your water level would be at the very least 50mm down.
I have been running 3 of the auto aqua smart ato micros for a couple of years now and so far no problems.
They do alarm if they detect a problem, keep the sensor clean and I think you should be okay.
https://charterhouse-aquatics.com/shop/aquatics/filtration/autoaqua/autoaqua-smart-ato-micro

They are expensive but worth every penny in my opinion.


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## becks (26 Aug 2018)

I used a float valve ato on my marine tank and it never once caused me issues, i use to clean it every few months. (Mini aqua ato)

I would use one on an aquascaper without hesitation. Some people had them controlled by apex which would only allow the pump to run for a maximum set time before switching off the socket, others used leak detectors in the sump.

My sump was big enough that if it did stick on, it would not flood my floor, as my sump had the extra capacity


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## rebel (26 Aug 2018)

It might be fine if you have a drilled overflow that goes back to the ATO unit. It can never flood your floor.


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## SDIESEL77 (29 Aug 2018)

I just check view much top up water I have to add and roughly it is close to 2L daily.
Is it normal for a 200L tank (Aquascaper 900)?
Is it ok to use tap water only or with conditioner?


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## Andrew Butler (29 Aug 2018)

SDIESEL77 said:


> I just check view much top up water I have to add and roughly it is close to 2L daily.
> Is it normal for a 200L tank (Aquascaper 900)?
> Is it ok to use tap water only or with conditioner?


How much evaporation depends on lots of factors; heat, humidity etc (someone with scientific knowledge will be able to fill you in more)
The hotter and drier it is the more you will find water evaporating.
As for the conditioner question - I treat my ATO storage tank when I fill that up.


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## ian_m (29 Aug 2018)

SDIESEL77 said:


> Is it ok to use tap water only or with conditioner?


If you want to do it "100% properly" you are supposed to use RO water so as to not add more "salts" (eg hardness), as adding tap water will increase the accumulated "salts" in the tank.

However in the end, if doing frequent weekly water changes, and adding weekly say 6 litres tap water a week in 900litres is only about 0.5% so, b*gger all really.


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## SDIESEL77 (29 Aug 2018)

ian_m said:


> If you want to do it "100% properly" you are supposed to use RO water so as to not add more "salts" (eg hardness), as adding tap water will increase the accumulated "salts" in the tank.
> 
> However in the end, if doing frequent weekly water changes, and adding weekly say 6 litres tap water a week in 900litres is only about 0.5% so, b*gger all really.


The tank is actually 205L but indeed I'm not ready to use RO water. 
I'm doing 50%-70% weekly water changes


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## Andrew Butler (29 Aug 2018)

ian_m said:


> If you want to do it "100% properly" you are supposed to use RO water so as to not add more "salts"


I did in my marine but I don't think it's worth the hassle for what little you introduce compared to Saltwater.


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## zozo (29 Aug 2018)

SDIESEL77 said:


> Is it normal for a 200L tank



I'm 0.5 litre less with a 125 litre setup.. That's a 110 litre open top tank with a 15 litre open top planted sump. So i guess it's pretty normal to be between 1 and 2 litres of water a day. I easily could go for a auto top off in the sump regarding water connection, but unfortunately i do not have easy access to drainage.. So it's a no go for now.

Another thing you could take into consideration is building a sump.. Than the water level in the tank stays as is, but it lowers in the sump instead. This way you can play a little with volumes and reduce topping it off to once or twice a week.


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