Coralife BioCube 29 ATO sensor mount location ?

[J Fox]

Just filled my BC today... Thinking I may have overbought for this little tank. I don't know where to mount sensor eye unit for Tunze ATO. Chamber one has heater, and temp and PH probes for Apex. Chamber two has InTank media basket and Tunze 9001 skimmer. Chamber three is no good due to the extreme fluctuating water level. Hoping somebody has ran across this and has a solution. Thanks in advance ! Jeff

[jcreefer]

Chamber three is no good due to the extreme fluctuating water level. Hoping somebody has ran across this and has a solution. Thanks in advance ! Jeff

You want it in the chamber that has the fluctuating water level, otherwise it defeats the purpose of topping off with water. Put it in chamber three.

 

Jeff

[J Fox]

What I was talking about by the "fluctuating" water level was when pump was off it refills that chamber and would submerge sensor. Which I don't care about as I can have it go off with main pump via the Apex. Never having had a tank like this with chambers on the back, I don't know if when overall water level drops (evaporates), the water level in pump chamber (3) would infact be lower or if those levels always remain static when pump is on. I just can't picture in my head how that would work. Thanks

[jcreefer]

If the main return pump turns off, the water level in the rear chamber would raise to equalize, and thereby submerge the sensors. Then the alarm in the Tunze will go off until you turn the pump back on. It's a bit annoying, but you get used to it.

 

As long as the pump stays on, it will maintain the display tank volume, but once it's off, the higher volume of water in the display will flood back to the rear chamber via the overflow grate and your return nozzle until it equalizes.

 

The water level in the third chamber is the one that fluctuates with evaporation, hence that is the location of the ATO.

 

Jeff

[J Fox]

Perfect -- thank you for the schooling !

[ReefWeeds]

Just filled my BC today... Thinking I may have overbought for this little tank. I don't know where to mount sensor eye unit for Tunze ATO. Chamber one has heater, and temp and PH probes for Apex. Chamber two has InTank media basket and Tunze 9001 skimmer. Chamber three is no good due to the extreme fluctuating water level. Hoping somebody has ran across this and has a solution. Thanks in advance ! Jeff

 

You definitely have to put the ATO sensor in chamber 3 since the other chambers will stay steady.

 

And I just saw that others stated the same thing I had mine in that chamber on my biocube and it worked great!

[jcreefer]

I put mine up close to the rim of the tank so I can have as much volume as possible.

[HarryPotter]

I put mine up close to the rim of the tank so I can have as much volume as possible.

 

 

But then it goes above the baffles of the biocube, no?

[jcreefer]

No, the baffle is about an inch below the rim. Due the massive size of the magnet, the actual eye sensor is ~an 1in below the baffle. So the sensor and the float switch is actually about 2 in below the rim.

[J Fox]

But by keeping the sensor that high you avoid that empty space in chamber 3 when pump is on which is a good thing. Right now mine is at least 1/2 empty. So I should set the sensor higher and add water ( premix) up to it while pump is on. Then turn on ATO...

[masterbuilder]

Also what helps is to open up the case (as per instructions for small tanks) and turn down the water flow to a minimum.