Illuiix Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 This setup is awesome...btw I used to work at radio shack for a 1.5 months. Good experience and very chill but I think they're going to go outta business soon....I'd say a year or two if they keep handling the business the way it is. Link to comment
dixie reefer Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 DIY ATO - How I did it. Kiss - Keep It Simple Stupid. Parts: Switch assembly - assembly..... You're awesome! Thank you! Safety thoughts - There are several advantages doing it this way. Its snail proof Its cheap Its effective Use a limited water supply in case of failure or stuck switch- keep from flooding and minimizes Salinity swings. i used a 3 gallon trash can from Walmart. No converters to buy, runs on 115vac. The switch is protected from the water by being enclosed in the box (use silicone RTV over the openings) I used a low volume pump, 40 gph. got it for $5 on eBay. To finish this up, I used a piece of wire to run one side of the electrical cord to the switch. The other thing that can be done is to add a female plug to the end of this so you can just plug in any 115v pump. There are lots of ways to modify this slightly for your own application. Have a great day! You're awesome! Thanks! Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 This setup is awesome...btw I used to work at radio shack for a 1.5 months. Good experience and very chill but I think they're going to go outta business soon....I'd say a year or two if they keep handling the business the way it is. Thank you Illuiix! I sure hope you are wrong about RS, I get lots of my little odd and ends there!! DIY ATO - How I did it. You're awesome! Thank you! Your Welcome Dixie, it was fun!! Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 DIY ATO - How I did it. Holy balls, that is genius and simple. Love it!! Now to see if I can find a float switch like that on Digikey or somewhere! Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 Holy balls, that is genius and simple. Love it!! Now to see if I can find a float switch like that on Digikey or somewhere! Holy balls, that is genius and simple. Love it!! Now to see if I can find a float switch like that on Digikey or somewhere! Home Depot and / or Lowe's has the float, it's just a swamp cooler water level float, it's like $5. But use the cheap plastic one, the other one is brass and for some reason I when I looked at it I didn't think it would work as well..... or maybe it just cause it was brass. Radio shack has the switch and the box for like $4 each. Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 I don't think I have a Radioshack near me, the one that I know was here a few years ago didn't really have anything like that, they just sold a lot of small electronics. Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 www.cablesandconnectors.com/22900-22.htm There are several choices on this page that will work! Link to comment
Creeper Ky Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Looking good. I love the attention to detail even in the sump. Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 That is a really cool float ATO, nice ingenuity. Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 Looking good. I love the attention to detail even in the sump. That is a really cool float ATO, nice ingenuity. Thank You both! I read a lot of other DIY's on ATO's and listened to their thoughts and concerns. There is one more thing I will do soon to this ATO, I will run it through a timer, this will add a one more layer of safety. Only allowing it to be powered for a limited amount of time several times a day will ensure that if there is stuck float or bad switch the pump will be less likely to pump out the reservoir. I saw a digital timer at Lowe's the other day that had like 12 memory settings on it, that should work nicely ! Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I read a lot of other DIY's on ATO's and listened to their thoughts and concerns. There is one more thing I will do soon to this ATO, I will run it through a timer, this will add a one more layer of safety. Only allowing it to be powered for a limited amount of time several times a day will ensure that if there is stuck float or bad switch the pump will be less likely to pump out the reservoir. I saw a digital timer at Lowe's the other day that had like 12 memory settings on it, that should work nicely ! Thats a good idea. I used a gravity fed float based ATO before I found an ex-demo Osmolator Nano and never had any issues but you can never have too much security. Even now my skimmer and ATO run on timers, they only function during 8am and 10pm, mainly so they don't keep me up at night but it also limits how often the ATO can attempt to top off if the float gets stuck. Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 Tank parameters for the last two nights. Sunday I put all 9 gallons of the water I took out of the frag tank and the cardiff. it looks like it made just a little swing in the NO3. I think I will add the last bit of ammonium chloride I have tonight for a bit more ammonia. Sunday June 1st Monday June 2nd Link to comment
Lowkeycoral Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 This build is awesome I'm def gonna use it for some inspiration on my 50 cube I'm shopping for. RnMB, what kind of light hanging kit is that? It looks great. Are you gonna run a controller? Your wires and plumbing all look so clean. Does your power-strip have switches for each outlet? Lol Excited to see what's next Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 This build is awesome I'm def gonna use it for some inspiration on my 50 cube I'm shopping for. RnMB, what kind of light hanging kit is that? It looks great. Are you gonna run a controller? Your wires and plumbing all look so clean. Does your power-strip have switches for each outlet? Lol Excited to see what's next I'm glad you can use some of this for your inspiration, that makes me very happy!! My light is an AI Hydra - the original, not the new Hydra 52 oh well. I hung it with there light kit, its a bracket and two aluminum bars that fit together, its a real clean mount and I LOVE it! The Hydra is a full control light, I can make just about any light comboI want, along with lightning storms, clouds, sun rise and sun sets, coral acclimatization mode...and more. its just a kick ass light!! I did spend the money to get power strips with individual switches, its great, I can off or on what I want, when I want, and the strip has one outlet that is on ALL the time, even if the main switch is off!! Nice!! I still have some tidy work to do with the sump, so the wires will get even neater! I want people to just as impressed with whats under the cover as well as what in the water!! Thanks for stopping in! I hope you follow along for the adventure!! Link to comment
Lowkeycoral Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Always tempting with the new light models coming out but I always think, do I really need this if my coral are growing and look great?! Your custom sump is very cool I'm gonna try and mimic that a bit on my build having extra room for macro algae is sweet! Can you set up the herbie drain system without drilling the stock equipment? Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to what's next! Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 Always tempting with the new light models coming out but I always think, do I really need this if my coral are growing and look great?! Your custom sump is very cool I'm gonna try and mimic that a bit on my build having extra room for macro algae is sweet! Can you set up the herbie drain system without drilling the stock equipment? Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to what's next! The Herbie could be done without drilling a larger hole, but remember this, the second drain is the emergency/safety overflow, if you make is smaller than the primary there is a chance that it will not be able to handle all the flow in the case of a complete blockage of the primary drain. Now if you use the smaller diameter return as the primary and it won't handle all the flow, then your larger diameter will always have some flow through it and that might lead to some unwanted noise. It is not hard to drill a tank at all, I did it successfully having never done it before, that being said, most window/glass shops can drill it for you for not a lot of $. Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 This is the test from last night June 4th, it looks like I finally have a cycle started. I added some more ammonia, not a lot but its enough to kick it some more. WOOP WOOP Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 So today, I did a repeat of last weekend. The additional Ammonia will help make the cycle better, because it will geo more bacteria , BUT it will also cause a larger swing in Nitrate and Nitrite as seen in my first water test today. http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/B5F6C256-127E-4E16-AD18-FE3C5372B1E0_zpsttqfijnc.jpg.html'> I removed 9 gallons of water and replaced it with the 9 gallons of ware from the Cardiff and the frag tank at 11 am. The water test looks like this at 5pm http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/A145C03A-F389-412D-A8E7-F6508E1F8CCF_zpscbgdf2rd.jpg.html'> I will give it another day or two to continue to change the Nitrite into Nitrate and when the Nitrite is down to .5 or less I will do about a 10 gallon water change. It will then be ready for its first life form. Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 One week later I have a completed cycle, here are the tests: Tuesday Thursday and Sunday morning: Right on time. I used the water from the the other tanks water change along with 5 gallons of new salt water and did a massive 14 gallon WC. Time to add some life and bio load, in goes some Dragons Breath, Red Grape, one of the Ocean Live Rocks I got from a guy in El Paso (John) who has this stuff flown in straight from the ocean... nice rock PACKED with life!! Also put in a rock covered in GSP, an Acan, A mushroom and two Green Chromis........ I know, I know.......PICS!!! Sorry for the Blue shots, I have to learn to take pics again......lol Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 I finally moved everything from the Cardiff and some of what I had stashed in the Frag Tank over to today.... Man its looking SWEET!!!! Front http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/DSC01229_zps1ce5ec79.jpg.html'> Right Side http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/DSC01231_zps04b3a5d3.jpg.html'> Left side http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/DSC01232_zps16c96b4e.jpg.html'> Top down http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/DSC01233_zps0c83eb07.jpg.html'> Top Down http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/DSC01234_zps1a62c9a3.jpg.html'> Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 So what I didn't post cause it was late was this. Yup, that a baby banggai cardinalfish!! So if thats a baby, then I must have a mated pair!! too cool!!! I stumbled on him while I was cleaning out the Cardiff, and he was actually in the overflow area, not out in the main tank area. He almost went down the drain! I love this hobby!!! I ran out and got a breeders box so he would be food for mom or dad..... I will put up with the box in order to have new fish for the frag tank! Link to comment
RollaJase Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Really cool! THey must have spawned a while ago for the baby to progress that far. Link to comment
RnMB1988 Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Well Sad news. The young fish lasted three days and it died. Not sure why but I suspect it was the food or lack of it. I was feeding cyclops and reef plankton because I did not have any baby brine shrimp. I will next time. Everything else is doing well so far.....here are a few new pics! Zoa corner http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/2F56153A-EB3C-4179-883A-8EB4BE56CB2B_zpswepqgqly.jpg.html'> http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/227877A5-3446-4316-B518-5118BDF3E859_zpsbpr2lwfl.jpg.html'> http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/D0A797D8-BA66-4B16-920E-90019FE9B11E_zps6rmmqeir.jpg.html'> http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/E8A3393C-2C16-42F0-B386-24E726E6B787_zps8mv2atf8.jpg.html'> http://s1317.photobucket.com/user/rcgliderguy/media/Hexahedron/FA17B1A7-E84A-411C-A546-8C5BC1597702_zps84zlm965.jpg.html'> Link to comment
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