GobyMan Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 I'm looking to add an automatic topoff system to my 5 1/2 for when I am away for 10 days in October. I was just wondering what everyone else uses. Thanks! Link to comment
tinyreef Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 an IV drip with distilled H2O and a 37 yr-old brother with more experience than I! Link to comment
Crakeur Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 I finally bought a small pump and a float switch for when I go away but I never set it up. I haven't gone away for more than two days since my trip to St. Barths. Somehow, when I went away then I had very little evaporation. Alas, I did lose my anthelia polyps but nothing else. Link to comment
GobyMan Posted August 19, 2002 Author Share Posted August 19, 2002 I'm going to look into a pump and float switch. I'm also thinking of lowering my photoperiod when I am gone in an attempt to reduce evap. I was thinking about alk/calcium levels too. I am adding 5 ml per day of b-ionic to MAINTAIN my levels. I was wondering if my corals would be ok without my daily additions during the period I am gone. I guess I can just use Kalk as the makeup water but I have never used it before and am a little apprehensive. Link to comment
tinyreef Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 i'd go with the b-ionic premix before kalk due to the extreme pH of the kalk. 10 days is a looong time, you should defnitely go with some kind of auto top-off or tank maintenance service. how much could they charge for a nano? Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 We charge $85 per service regardless of size. For just watching a tank for 10 days I think we would charge around $50 per week so about $75 for 10 days. Get a bucket, drill a hole in it at the bottom put an airline and a needle valve on it and set it to a VERY slow drip. place this bucket next to the tank on an elevated surface. Should be fine, and save you some dough during your vacation. HTH, Toy Link to comment
Djm9288 Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 honestly howw many people want an ugly bucket right next to something so beautiful? its just unsightly. Daniel Link to comment
Strife Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 heres my float switch that i got from grainger... the water is pushed up by a rio 200 but soon upgrading to a rio 800 Link to comment
Physh1 Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Here is mine on my 7 bow. I made them myself using a grainger switch. http://www.californiareefs.com/evaporation7reef.htm http://www.californiareefs.com/forsale.htm Cameron Link to comment
NanoReefer53 Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Hey strife, used my set-up idea glad i could help. I also bought my float switch from Cameron. Thx Cam ! Link to comment
Physh1 Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 No prob. Looks good. Cameron Link to comment
Djm9288 Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 ya i bought one from Cameron, and I love it!! Daniel Link to comment
GobyMan Posted August 19, 2002 Author Share Posted August 19, 2002 Well that is easy enough...guess I need to jump on the web site and place my order!! Thanks Link to comment
Korbin Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 I made a lid with a 2''x1'' opening for my 3 gallon, and I only need to top off a tiny bit every week. Make a lid. Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted August 20, 2002 Share Posted August 20, 2002 DMJ, I was under the impression this was for a 10 day vacation. if you aren't home who cares waht the tank looks like while on vacation? Toy Link to comment
GobyMan Posted August 20, 2002 Author Share Posted August 20, 2002 Exactly, I'm just going to use it over vacation periods when I am out of town.....doesn't matter what it looks like..... Link to comment
gt3073b Posted August 21, 2002 Share Posted August 21, 2002 I too am using the grainger float switch, but I'm using a tetra deep water air pump and a kent salt bucket. Just drill 2 holes slightly smaller than air tubing in the lid of the bucket. Push 1 piece of tubing with a weight on the end through the hole in the lid (should be hard to do) all the way to the bottom of the bucket. Put the other end above your tank (mine feeds into my skimmer to mix the fresh water with the salt before it hits the tank). Push a second piece of tubing through the lid but only about an inch down. Attach this one through a check valve to your air pump. Fill the bucket and snap the lid on (the kent salt buckets have a rubber gasket in them and they snap on really tight). When the float switch drops, it turns on the air pump. It pressurizes the air in the bucket and forces the water up the tube from the bottom. After about 10 seconds it begins to trickle water out of the tube. If the bucket is on level or slightly below it should work fine. Most air pumps can do about 18-24 inches before they stall out so you wont be able to put the bucket too far below the tank. The biggest advantage of this setup over the powerhead rigs previously mentioned is that you can pump kalk without grinding your powerheads apart with the precipitate. There are no moving parts ever in contact with the topoff water. If you want to use kalk (I don't, but might) , you might lift the pickup tube a couple inches off the bottom so you get good kalk water without all the precipitate that settles out. If the lowest part of your topoff system must be more than a couple feet below the top of your tank or refugium (whichever is lower) then you should use the powerhead system as they can usually pump water with much greater head. I whole-heartedly recommend a top off system. For 15 bucks I got the switch, I had the pump, and the bucket was $1.50 at my lfs (sold for hauling ro water). It has been up for 3 weeks and my water parameter have suddenly gone ultra-stable. My macro and coralline algae have doubled their growth rates and my false perc looks much healthier. I also see TONS more little pods and such in the tank. Even the little sand sifting stars. My tank was in a slow decline for the 5 months I've had it and the top-off solved major problems. I believe the salinity swings were the major cause. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps. Bryan. Link to comment
Physh1 Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 Ok.....I juts figured I'd post this for those who are interested. I've got my fused float switches available and they have been well tested and doing well. Dave is getting one for his tank to goof around with and give me some feedback on but otherwise they are ready. Basically, the new fused setup isn't really protection for the pump BUT more for your fish and yourself. In case of any short or pump explosions (like we all know LARGE rio's can do) the fuse will blow and break the circuit. The reason for the fuse not pretecting the pump, for those who are wondering, is this.... Most powerhead pumps we use in our tanks are inductive type motors which HATE to stop. What I mean by "hate" is that the current flow doesn't like to be cut so a large current spike occurs at the shutoff point which is a minimum of 2x the running current. If I ran a fuse close to the switches rating (.3 amps/~28w) the larger spike would prematurely wear the fuse....wouldn't be reliable or long lasting. The fuse is a 1 amp fuse and will be large enough to avoid real premature wearing issues but will readily blow if something bad happns. This fuse will save the switch from blowing out, you fish from shock, and you if you happen to go diving. I needed an additional safety feature just in case even though I've never had a problem like this before. You just never know. This will not effect pricing. Any ?'s lemme know Cameron Link to comment
printerdown01 Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 Is heat a prob with your tank?? If not, it might be cheaper to just put a glass cover over the thing to stop evaporation... Leave a small hole, but nothing major!! -just another option... Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...omatic+top+offs yet another thread....... X) Link to comment
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