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ATO malfunction please help asap


Nanoreefjoe

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gulfsurfer101

Nope! Remove your water to level it should be then take a few gallons in a 5g bucket and raise the salinity. Add it back to your tank to raise the tanks salinity. If it's still off then repeat. I've taken salinty from 1.020 to 1.024 this way in a matter if minutes. The next you want to do is throw that toms deco pump in the garbage where it belongs. If your using a diy top off system remember your not supposed to run 110w through the switches. Other than the fact having 110w in your tank could possibly kill you horribly, your switches will not last very long before they fail you.

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The salinity dropped to 1.23 which isn't horrible i keep my tank at 1.26 so i mixed a batch of saltwater and put it in my ATO container and i am going to let it slowly add the water back in. I am doing this because i know that where the salinity is right now isn't a bad place its just low for my tank. I am using a Tunze osmalater.

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All solutions to this problem are acceptable.

 

If you'd had a massive drop, to 1.010 for instance. It's best to raise the salinity back up over the course of a few days to prevent shock from sudden swings. This can be done by leaving the tank evaporate topping off with salt water. Or taking a jug of water out, adding some salt and mixing and slowly pouring the jug back into the tank over the course of an hour and repeating 2 or 3 times a day for a few days to bring it back into line.

 

The Tunze osmalater are considered very reliable from what I've read, do you know what happened and is there anything you can put in place to prevent it happening again?

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The top off hose doesn't terminate below the water level in your reservoir does it? This is a common mistake people make and end up with back-siphoning.

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The top off hose doesn't terminate below the water level in your reservoir does it? This is a common mistake people make and end up with back-siphoning.

That would be the opposite problem though - could overflow the reservoir. He overflowed the tank.

 

It does seem like a strange issue... Do you know what failed?

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That would be the opposite problem though - could overflow the reservoir. He overflowed the tank.

 

It does seem like a strange issue... Do you know what failed?

 

Could happen, wouldn't technically be a back syphon though.

If the reservoir is higher than the sump/outlet of the feed pipe. Once the waters flowing it would syphon even once the pump stopped. Like using one of those battery operated gravel cleaners. But the problem would have happened the first time the ATO turned on unless the reservoir had just been moved for some reason.

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Could happen, wouldn't technically be a back syphon though.

If the reservoir is higher than the sump/outlet of the feed pipe. Once the waters flowing it would syphon even once the pump stopped. Like using one of those battery operated gravel cleaners. But the problem would have happened the first time the ATO turned on unless the reservoir had just been moved for some reason.

 

True, true... It's pretty uncommon but surely a possibility...

 

Actually this thread has at least some of the makings of a troll... Sounds like the the OP has things under control whatever the case is...

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True, true... It's pretty uncommon but surely a possibility...

 

Actually this thread has at least some of the makings of a troll... Sounds like the the OP has things under control whatever the case is...

 

Well you'd only make the mistake of setting your ATO up that way once lol, same with the leaving the outlet under water creating a true back syphon.

 

It is odd the OP hasn't responded to any of questions asking how a reasonably reliable ATO came to fail.

Could just be they don't get on NR much, who knows. But either way can't be that much of a disaster as you say buddy.

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I am also curious what happened. I have been using my tunze for like... 4 years???? without fail.

 

 

I'd also like to know how that happened. You don't really hear about tunze failing.

 

 

The Tunze osmalater are considered very reliable

 

fwiw

my problem was the float switch not falling to trigger, increased distance between the magnets and still no help. so i got the digital sensors and have the tunze board attached for the timer limit.

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bryantkalagian

I actually had the Tunze nano fail me two days ago. A piece of carbon got lodged in the switch and emptied about 3 gallons into my tank, about 2 of which ended up on my carpet. Salinity went down to about 1.020 and I got it raised up with a few small water changes with 1.035 water.

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I actually had the Tunze nano fail me two days ago. A piece of carbon got lodged in the switch and emptied about 3 gallons into my tank, about 2 of which ended up on my carpet. Salinity went down to about 1.020 and I got it raised up with a few small water changes with 1.035 water.

 

I've heard similar stories about the nano, that unit only has a float switch right, no back up. The bigger brother unit has an optic sensor and a float switch as a back up if I remember correctly. Why they never seem to fail, the optic sensors are all but idiot proof and never seem to break.

Good move with the saltier water changes, makes for a nice gentle adjustment.

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bryantkalagian

 

I've heard similar stories about the nano, that unit only has a float switch right, no back up. The bigger brother unit has an optic sensor and a float switch as a back up if I remember correctly. Why they never seem to fail, the optic sensors are all but idiot proof and never seem to break.

Good move with the saltier water changes, makes for a nice gentle adjustment.

Correct just the float switch. I was kicking myself because I saw some carbon floating around the sump and didn't take it out. Then at 3am was woken up by water sloshing onto my floor haha

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Correct just the float switch. I was kicking myself because I saw some carbon floating around the sump and didn't take it out. Then at 3am was woken up by water sloshing onto my floor haha

 

Won't be making that mistake again lol.

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