Air Powered Auto Topoff

[Nanoreefwanabe]

well crafted, not sure you need a float switch though....for example...i know my tank evaps 1.5 liters a day..so this very same setup could be done with a timer and the air pump...figure out how long the pump has to run to dump .75 or .5 liters at the height you need and just set the timer to go off 2 or 3 times a day for that amount of time...then you dont have to worry about a float switch get stuck or submerged in the event of the air pressure causing the fill to last longer then it should..

[Mr. Fosi]

That "timer only" setup is fine if your tank is in a climate controlled room where the humidity and temp don't vary.

[mp216]

The float switch is definitely the most important part. My tank evaporates more (just as Mr. Fosi suggests) when the humidity in the room is very low. Since I have radiators providing heat in my apartment, the humidity is never static. I also run my tank with no top, which contributes to the evaporation. I would rather use the float switch and have it top off perfectly.

[eswong]

This looks like my next project

[cptbjorn]

Holy crap old thread, I was just getting my drivers license in may of 2003

[Mr. Fosi]

Old but good. My air-powered topoff is still going strong.

[Jasoncgnu]

+1

 

Mine has been going strong for close to 2 years and it can lift the water over 5ft!

[Meech]

This may be a silly question but, for the life of me, I can't figure it out.

 

How does one get the airline tubing to stay rigid in the arc shape as in the photo

 

[Rick Shaw]

Thats acrylic tubing not the flexible air tubing. Most LFS should have it around.

[Meech]

Is there any way to acheive something similar with basic airline tubing? Or an recomendations on a good way to affix the return airline tubing?

[Rick Shaw]

Eh, not really. You could make a acrylic bracket like stated earlier on but even then its pretty sketchy. When I get around to making mine it will be similar to the pick but the acrylic tube will go through the bracket and the whole thing will be welded together.

 

Attaching to the bottle? super glue was used in this build but I was going to use a airline connector or elbow (what ever is in reach at the time).

[Mr. Fosi]

I have my air tube jammed between a bit of my closed loop plumbing and my light fixture. Not a good setup, but that's the best I can do without doing more fab work than I want to.

 

Seriously, just stop by your LFS and spend the $1-2 on a piece of rigid airline tubing. You can use a heat gun, your range top (careful!) or even a candle (be even more careful!) to heat and bend it into whatever shape you want. Just take it slow so you don't crimp and collapse the tube where you are bending it.

[medachef]

I have my air tube jammed between a bit of my closed loop plumbing and my light fixture. Not a good setup, but that's the best I can do without doing more fab work than I want to.

 

Seriously, just stop by your LFS and spend the $1-2 on a piece of rigid airline tubing. You can use a heat gun, your range top (careful!) or even a candle (be even more careful!) to heat and bend it into whatever shape you want. Just take it slow so you don't crimp and collapse the tube where you are bending it.

 

I used the airline tubing bracket from an old maxijet pump i had and welded it to my float switch bracket. that hold my waterline in place. i'll take a pic for you when i get home. it's been more than two years and it has out performed my JBJ autotopoff hands down, it's not as pretty as the JBJ ATO, but you gotta love the DIY... BTW anyone want to buy a JBJ ATO??? hehe

[Meech]

Thanks guys... I'm all over the keep it cheap theme here.... To be honest I've never seen acrylic airline tubing before and I checked at the local Big Al's and LFS... that leads me to believe that when I do find it, it may be expensive.

 

Float switch bracket was my next question... I've got two to put in series so I'll likely wind up making something for them too as I want to keep the CUC away.

 

I was also planning on putting it on a timer as another redundancy. I've seen this on some people's threads and it seems like a good idea. Any opinions on what kind of timing I should set it up for(I know this will depend heavily on how much evap I experience). Thanks for the tips... this is my first real DIY and I'm nervous/excited to see how it works out.

[scott26]

Okay I have one question why do some people just an "air tight jug" and pump air that pushes water with the Tom Pump and other just dip the line in the ATO tank and let if pump in?

[nor_cal_nano]

Wut?

[bmcduffy]

Hello wiltell. Thank you for sharing this amazing yet simple solution. I plan on building mine right away. I have two questions if you don't mind.....

 

I went to the website you provided for the float switch but I'm not sure which one to order.

 

Lastly, when you take the lid off the carboy to refill it, do you have to manually run the airpump for a while to build the pressure back up, in other words to prime it?

 

Thanks again for sharing.. It's people like you that makes this such a great website.

[dsim]

if i use a regular 1.5L/2L soft drink plastic bottle as the fresh water reservoir, would this cap on ebay work? (assuming it fits the bottle) it saves the trouble of having to drill holes on the original soft drink bottle cap, and insert the tubes with silicon to seal offf gaps.

 

item1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIY-CO2-system-Kit-Generator-parts-Bottle-Cap-and-B-planted-aquarium-/360670335311?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item92b6a6f744

 

item2

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/DIY-CO2-System-Kit-Generator-Part-Bottle-Cap-with-Tubes-for-Planted-Aquarium-D9-/370966184017?ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:CA:1123

[thadscottmoore]

if i use a regular 1.5L/2L soft drink plastic bottle as the fresh water reservoir, would this cap on ebay work? (assuming it fits the bottle) it saves the trouble of having to drill holes on the original soft drink bottle cap, and insert the tubes with silicon to seal offf gaps.

 

item1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIY-CO2-system-Kit-Generator-parts-Bottle-Cap-and-B-planted-aquarium-/360670335311?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item92b6a6f744

 

item2

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/DIY-CO2-System-Kit-Generator-Part-Bottle-Cap-with-Tubes-for-Planted-Aquarium-D9-/370966184017?ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:CA:1123

 

I dont see why not- it would make for a clean look. The one I made- I just shoved air tubing through the drilled holes- no gaps and no silicon involved. installed dual float switches and wired into my SL2 and programmed into my RKE to handle the ATO function control.