Filter in your ATO reservoir?

[AaronRV45]

Do you use a filter in your ATO reservoir?

I have a new 10g Innovative AIO. I set up a 5g ATO reservoir for it. I started with a 1g but it doesn't last long enough for a week+ if I leave town. The water in the ATO reservoir is cloudy after about a week. I am using RO water for it. I am not sure why it looks cloudy but I am considering some type of carbon filter for the reservoir. It may be because I have a dog that sheds. The main tank's water specs are perfect.  

 

EDIT: To be honest I made a 10g Nano from a standard 10g glass aquarium, drilled a hole in it for an overflow using PVC, and ran a 10g refugium below it, with a 5g ATO I homemade with a float switch that worked better than this AIO. You can find that in my posts from 20 years ago if they still exist. Not as pretty though. My username would probably have been Freakaccident way back then.

[Staticmoves]

1 hour ago, AaronRV45 said:

Do you use a filter in your ATO reservoir?

I have a new 10g Innovative AIO. I set up a 5g ATO reservoir for it. I started with a 1g but it doesn't last long enough for a week+ if I leave town. The water in the ATO reservoir is cloudy after about a week. I am using RO water for it. I am not sure why it looks cloudy but I am considering some type of carbon filter for the reservoir. It may be because I have a dog that sheds. The main tank's water specs are perfect.  

 

EDIT: To be honest I made a 10g Nano from a standard 10g glass aquarium, drilled a hole in it for an overflow using PVC, and ran a 10g refugium below it, with a 5g ATO I homemade with a float switch that worked better than this AIO. You can find that in my posts from 20 years ago if they still exist. Not as pretty though. My username would probably have been Freakaccident way back then.

I’ve not heard of any water in an ATO turning cloudy.

interested to see what others say.

there must be contaminants from somewhere entering the ATO. Hmmm…. 
sparky isn’t drinking from it are they.

Was the container used for anything else…. Possible bacteria build up?

[AaronRV45]

The dog can't reach it. The water tests fine but just looks cloudy. I initially thought the pump backwashed into it but the salinity reads zero. I wonder if it's just being stirred up enough. 

[empresto]

What I think you said is, you add clear RO water to your ATO and after a week that clear water has gone cloudy.  Pure RODI in a clean container that doesn't leach anything into the water should not go cloudy.

 

My first thought is that your RO water probably has some trace niterate and/or phosphate causing some kind of bacterial growth in the water column. Is it only RO water, or are you using full RODI? Have you tested the RO water with a TDS meter and does it test zero?

 

Second thought is, if the container you are using for the 5g ATO was formerly used to store anything else, whatever that was may have left a trace in the container which is clouding the water somehow.

[mcarroll]

Is the container covered to prevent mold, algae spores and other kinds of dust from entering?

 

Assuming your RO filter is operating correctly (double check!) I would sterilize the RO tank with a light bleach or 70% alcohol wipe down the next time it's empty and see if that helps.  If the container is sterilized AND covered, nothing should grow.

 

Also, double check that the feed tube from the ATO into the tank to make sure it IS NOT underwater.  The ATO should discharge through open air, into the tank or sump.  Back-siphoning is almost guaranteed if the ATO line is submerged.

[AaronRV45]

On 12/29/2023 at 2:03 PM, mcarroll said:

Is the container covered to prevent mold, algae spores and other kinds of dust from entering?

 

Assuming your RO filter is operating correctly (double check!) I would sterilize the RO tank with a light bleach or 70% alcohol wipe down the next time it's empty and see if that helps.  If the container is sterilized AND covered, nothing should grow.

 

Also, double check that the feed tube from the ATO into the tank to make sure it IS NOT underwater.  The ATO should discharge through open air, into the tank or sump.  Back-siphoning is almost guaranteed if the ATO line is submerged.

The reservoir is open to the air. The cloudiness doesn't seem to bother the water quality.  How can I seal this? Plastic wrap maybe? The res is a standard 5g glass aquarium.

 

The R/O filter is operating properly. PH is good, no contaminants that I can test for. 

 

The dump tube is above the water level and the ATO kit I bought has a check valve in place. 

[mcarroll]

11 hours ago, AaronRV45 said:

The reservoir is open to the air. The cloudiness doesn't seem to bother the water quality.  How can I seal this? Plastic wrap maybe? The res is a standard 5g glass aquarium.

Maybe.  It doesn't have to be air tight....in fact that would probably cause issues.  

 

You just want to prevent "dust and bugs" from getting in....so a simple loose-fitting cover should do it.  A standard glass canopy/plastic tank hood would be an obvious choice, but not the only one.  👍