Just Another Simple DIY ATO

[reefatschool]

Just a little background info. I have a 8 gallon biocube that i personally installed a 70watt metal halide into and i have noticed a dramatic increase in water loss and was topping off every day to keep things stable in the tank mainly due to my high flow of air from the fans. I eventually got tired of this and thought that I'd look into a ATO system for it. Noticing that ATO systems don't come cheap and are probably more for bigger tanks i came to this site for a little more help once again. I eventually ran across the battery powered ATO forum here but then when i searched for a battery powered air pump the prices with shipping were kinda steep for what i wanted to spend and i ended up on ebay which resulted in me turning this into an electrical ATO instead of battery because i found an air pump for 4.60 or so shipped and its new(but some off brand but what the hey ) heres the link to that. The total cost for my project was around $20 plus an empty jug from the trash. I mention this because according to Wets prices there are float switches out there for $2 which i found no where and the lowest priced one i found on the internet was around $12-13 but then i would be ordering directly from a company that manufactures them and i wasn't sure how high on there list i would be for shipping when they probably place orders for hundreds at a time. I then once again turned to my trusted source of Ebay and ended up getting a Float switch for around 11.50 with shipping from Canada and it only took about 5 business days to get here (iowa). Here is the link to that.

Right now my switch is just glued a little to a suction cup in which i also bought from Ebay and got 2 for 3.99 shipped i believe here they are. sorry but i kinda like Ebay because they sellers often ship out that day or the next and if you order on a Monday its there by wed or thurs and its usually cheaper than the store.

Overall i just followed the rest from the forum and doing the wiring is basic stuff. I can take a picture and label it i just didn't feel like taking it apart again. But here are some pics of how mine looks and for it being up for the first day I'm loving it and it works like a charm especially for the price.

 

Heres what it looks like in my tank. I haven't really found a way to hook the hose onto something yet but since its really stiff it just stays in place for now. Its in the 3rd chamber if anyone is interested, That the only chamber that seems to move up and down according to evaporation.

 

Heres a pic of the lid of the jug i used. Lowe's was out of the pieces i need so i had to improvise and ended up gluing some copper things that i bought that fit the tube onto the lid so the tubing could be easily connected and disconnected.

 

Here is a pic of just the inside of the pump. I just picked a wire and cut it, stripped it and soldered the float switch to it, and covered it with electrical tape for added support.

[d0ughb0y]

Did you wire the float switch directly in series to 110V AC line? I know the switch says rated 300v.

 

The ebay seller sells a kit that wires the switch to a 9v relay that isolates the 110V ac line. With the kit, you can plug in a power head or minijet submerged in the top off water (at the risk of running dry though if water level goes too low).

 

What is the dimension of the float switch? (diameter and height)

 

good find on the parts. I will try this.

 

thanks

[CarterNichols]

i may not know what i am talking about about, but you said you used copper, wouldn't this like eventually introduce copper into your aquarium there by killing everything?

[MichiganReefer]

+1 Not everything, but the inverts. Especially the CUC. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong?

[reefatschool]

d0ughb0y

Ya i did just wire the switch to the pump, it seemed the easiest and cheapest.

The Diameter and height seem to be 1" x 2". I could be slightly off but no more than an eighth of an inch.

 

CarterNichols

Yikes, Just kidding, thanks for the catch but its not copper now that i look at the package, its brass. I hope that doesn't leek anything. If it does could someone let me know please. Then ill just switch to plastic(may do it anyway)

 

Thanks guys

-Aaron

[Mr. Fosi]

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

 

It would be better to use plastic for this application. LFSs sell rigid air tubing that is ideal for this application. I have used (and currently do use) it for this very application.

 

EDIT: I hope your float is rated for the voltage you are running it with. If not, it will eventually fail because the leads aren't designed for that load or the arc produced when it opens/closes.

[reefatschool]

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

 

It would be better to use plastic for this application. LFSs sell rigid air tubing that is ideal for this application. I have used (and currently do use) it for this very application.

 

EDIT: I hope your float is rated for the voltage you are running it with. If not, it will eventually fail because the leads aren't designed for that load or the arc produced when it opens/closes.

 

Crap thanks Mr fosi for the info on the brass. I will be changing that tonight. About the switch It says its rated for 300 volts and the pumps 116 so I'm pretty sure it should work.(i'm not an electrician but i think that makes sense, correct me if im wrong please)

thanks

-Aaron

[Mr. Fosi]

Sounds like you should be good to go on the switch. Use it in good health.

[enigma70x7]

Crap thanks Mr fosi for the info on the brass. I will be changing that tonight. About the switch It says its rated for 300 volts and the pumps 116 so I'm pretty sure it should work.(i'm not an electrician but i think that makes sense, correct me if im wrong please)

thanks

-Aaron

 

You also have to make sure that the switch can handle the current required by the pump. This link explains everything. http://www.floatswitches.net/SpikingVoltage.html

[Mr. Fosi]

About the switch It says its rated for 300 volts and the pumps 116 so I'm pretty sure it should work.

 

 

I said the same thing to him.

[d0ughb0y]

thanks for the info.

 

The air pump you use only requires 13milliamps, so I don't think the on/off switching of the float siwtch contact will overload and melt any contact. Poweheads carry 110v lines into the water and are safe, so this should be no different. So I think you should be ok with your wiring.

 

regarding use of metal fittings, I think it is just safer to avoid it altogether. If you used a powerhead instead of an air pump, then you will only have the hose from the pump into the tank, and no other pipe fitting needed, an no need to have an air tight container. I think the side effect of using the air tight container setup is even after the float switch opens and the air pump is off, water will continue to flow into your tank until your fresh water container pressure equalizes with normal surrounding air pressure. The other possible risk is if your air tight container is not air tight, then water will never get pumped into your tank, perhaps a murphys law while you are on vacation.

 

 

d0ughb0y

Ya i did just wire the switch to the pump, it seemed the easiest and cheapest.

The Diameter and height seem to be 1" x 2". I could be slightly off but no more than an eighth of an inch.

[reefatschool]

And here is the new and improved lid. I like it much better even though the pieces were about $2.50 each but in the end i think that it was worth it because i like these much better than the metal ones. They are quick disconnect and made entirely of plastic or pvc maybe. Lol after looking at the pictures there is a little metal of some sort but that doesn't touch the water its just to hold the tube in when its pulled.

 

d0ughb0y

yeah about the power head idea. I thought of that but then i wanted cheap and also i just wanted to use a small container(And i knew i had one laying around). I also figured that the turning on and off of a power head wouldn't be that great, not saying its ok with the air pump either but its cheaper to replace. Also i would have to worry about the speed a which the water went into the tank because of the thicker tubing and more powerful pump, i didn't want it to add too much. I also actually like the idea of the jug pressurized due to the fact that it will put a little more water into the tank(It doesn't really put enough in to affect salinity though so i should be good on that) mainly because then the pump wont be going off as often, and i did think of that when i was planning it so it wasn't unexpected.

Thanks though for the info

 

Here are some pics of them on the lid with the sealant drying around them.

 

Heres the top

 

And heres the bottom

 

Thanks for looking

-Aaron

[d0ughb0y]

Aaron,

 

I purchased the switch from Aquakits on ebay, and after the bidding closed, I got an invoice and the seller tacked in a required insurance charge that was not mentioned anywhere in the listing. Did you get the extra insurance charge?

 

I see the seller got a negative feedback as a scammer by charging full amount for separate shipping but sent all items in one box. It is obvoious that the shipping charge is inflated to compensate for the lower item price.

But to add additional charges not mentioned in the listing is just plain unethical and unprofessional.

 

Anyone else bought the switch from Aquakits?

 

thanks

[reefatschool]

No I just did a buy it now for the $5 one and paid the 6.50 for the shipping below is a picture of what i was charged just in case you want proof but I always thought that insurance was optional. I know that usually i have to select it if i want it, And in the past year i've bought about 30 or so things and never had a problem with miss charging or defective products and they have always came within a weeks worth of time which is why i like it so much.

 

I do remember that the email company that he uses sent me an email because it wasn't sure if it could trust the company(comcast internet) i used as my email,they must not use it in Canada, but I just did the automatic response it said to do and within minutes, i believe, it sent an email back saying i was clear to contact them if needed but I don't believe that has anything to do with it thats about the only thing that i had problems with.

 

I would try and ask them why you where charged since on all of the auctions that i looked at it said that insurance was optional. Did you only buy one or did you buy more than that? Because the more you buy the more you get charged for shipping but I'm assuming that you knew that.

 

 

I hope you get this resolved because now i feel bad for telling people about him if hes going to try and rip them off.

 

Also did you try paying through ebay or did you use the invoice that they sent you in your email. I always go through ebay because it seems to be the easiest and the ebay check out should only charge what was on the listing?

[d0ughb0y]

The seller updated the invoice and removed the insurance.

 

I emailed a few other buyers who got the same item, and got a couple replies that they did got the extra insurance charge added but they did not complain and just paid it. I guess it is common practice for ebay sellers to list an item for $0.99 to minimize listing and commission fees and just over inflate the shipping. But one of the buyer that got upset because he purchased 2 units of the float switch and paid the high shipping twice but received both switches in one shipping. It would not have been a problem if he received it in two separate packages. But the addition of extra charges not mentioned in the listing (no matter how small the amount is) I think hurt the trustworthiness of the seller. I have used ebay for a long time and this is the first time I have encountered a seller willing to risk ruining hist reputation for a small amount.

 

I guess for others who will buy from this seller, you can email the seller first to confirm the total cost before buying in order not to have a surprise charge after you click buy.

 

thanks.

 

 

 

 

No I just did a buy it now for the $5 one and paid the 6.50 for the shipping below is a picture of what i was charged just in case you want proof but I always thought that insurance was optional. I know that usually i have to select it if i want it, And in the past year i've bought about 30 or so things and never had a problem with miss charging or defective products and they have always came within a weeks worth of time which is why i like it so much.

 

I do remember that the email company that he uses sent me an email because it wasn't sure if it could trust the company(comcast internet) i used as my email,they must not use it in Canada, but I just did the automatic response it said to do and within minutes, i believe, it sent an email back saying i was clear to contact them if needed but I don't believe that has anything to do with it thats about the only thing that i had problems with.

 

I would try and ask them why you where charged since on all of the auctions that i looked at it said that insurance was optional. Did you only buy one or did you buy more than that? Because the more you buy the more you get charged for shipping but I'm assuming that you knew that.

 

 

I hope you get this resolved because now i feel bad for telling people about him if hes going to try and rip them off.

 

Also did you try paying through ebay or did you use the invoice that they sent you in your email. I always go through ebay because it seems to be the easiest and the ebay check out should only charge what was on the listing?

[d0ughb0y]

I got the switch ($7.49 shipped) after 15 working days (3 weeks!, I actually forgot about it already) and set it up with this pump http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=45303 bought on sale at a local store for $4.99. Works great. I did not realize my tank was evaporating so much water. My 1 gallon top off water container is used up in about 4 days. Thats about 4 cups a day.

[reefatschool]

I got the switch ($7.49 shipped) after 15 working days (3 weeks!, I actually forgot about it already) and set it up with this pump http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=45303 bought on sale at a local store for $4.99. Works great. I did not realize my tank was evaporating so much water. My 1 gallon top off water container is used up in about 4 days. Thats about 4 cups a day.

 

Wow im sorry it took so long. Yeah i never realized how much water i was losing either until i was constantly filling my top-off water(i think i need a top-off for the top-off ) Happy it all worked out for ya though.

But man am i happy i did this DIY cause it does make my life easier.