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DIY ATO Reservoir Container?


Brian1313

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So I am looking to DIY a 2ish gallon size ato reservoir for my 20 gallon tank.  I want something that i can hide under the tank in the stand as I have a toddler and dont need her playing in the water ha!  I found this garbage can that is the perfect size.  I want something tall and skinny as there is not a lot of room under my stand.  I think if i drill a hole in the lid and feed the tube through it it should be just fine.  I have the IM Hydrofill ATO

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JYTMNJM/ref=twister_B07JZS5J1M?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

 

Thoughts?

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You may want something white or clear so you can see if it starts getting funky inside over time... also may want food grade if it’s plastic so it doesn’t leach anything. I’m not using an ATO at this time, but I was using one of these below. I use the extras for my saltwater/distilled. Not sure if they are available individually though. 

 

 

B0F446E1-3483-46B3-BC6A-9FFB929C5A55.jpeg

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I use a narrow semi-clear Rubbermaid container, I think it is used for cereal etc.

 

The top fits snug to keep kalkwasser fresh. Holes are drilled into the top for the ATO wire and tubing.

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I used something simliar to this for mine:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Plastic-Slimline-Container-2-5-Gallon/dp/B007AORIGI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1550632709&sr=8-3&keywords=water+container+for+refrigerator+with+spout

 

Yes, it has the spigot, but you could also seal it if you were worried about it.  What I liked is the lid opening was wide and could drop in a small fountain pump.  I went the powerhead/pump route as opposed to air pressure method.  

 

 

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I don't have an ATO yet, but when I do, I'm planning on using one of these clear restaurant food containers.  They are cheap, food safe, come in all different sizes, and have snap on lids.  You can pick these up at any restaurant supply store locally.  I currently use one as a salt container for my instant ocean salt.

They look like these:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/3087/food-storage-containers.html?filter=color:clear

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check Uline...they might have some high volume clear containers or buckets you can use.

 

as a small DIY project, get a food grade 5 gallon bucket and cut a strip out of it and then seal it with a piece of clear acrylic.

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  • 1 month later...

Never understood why plug and play reservoirs sell for hundreds when you can get something like a garbage can or custom make a glass box for a fraction of the price.

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1 minute ago, choconut74 said:

Never understood why plug and play reservoirs sell for hundreds when you can get something like a garbage can or custom make a glass box for a fraction of the price.

because it's specialized...and if it's custom, as mentioned previously, it doesn't have the volume which is needed for better pricing tiers.

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On 2/20/2019 at 10:09 AM, Friendly said:

as a small DIY project, get a food grade 5 gallon bucket and cut a strip out of it and then seal it with a piece of clear acrylic.

I never understood why you need a clear container for your ATO. I've been using an orange homer bucket for like 7 or 8 years and used an old spackle bucket before that. If you shine a flashlight at the side of it or just turn an overhead light on, you can see very clearly where the water level is.

 

Or, you can just do like I do and wait until the pump is sucking in air (peristaltic pump - no harm in sucking air), which makes a lot of noise, and then fill it back up.

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I will add I spray painted my clear/blueish container black on nearly all sides, save for a vertical section/sliver on one end.  This allowed me to easily see water level and, if need be, shine flashlight to illuminate the interior.  Mostly I did this though as I was getting some green algae developing in the container, which was coming from both the Kessil and window a few feet away.  

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