Hi...I got a 55 gallon tank and im considering getting an auto top off system. I am trying to make one myself. My cabinet on which the tank is standing on is a media cabinet. Its very sturdy, plus I reinforced it. The only problem is that space is limited in the under cabinets. How is it possible to make a ATO, relatively small, and what kinds of materials do I need?
DIY Auto Top Off Question
- Thread starter Jkedra
- Start date
- Location
- Garden city
I'm following this my problem is under my 75 gal their is no room for a bucket and I can't have it else where in my tiny apt
- Location
- Staten Island
something like this would work, i would just modify it by drilling 2 holes 1 on top and 1 on the bottom and connecting 2 90 degree elbows and some airline, so you can see water level.
http://www.rei.com/product/605745
here are the fittings
http://www.eldonjames.com/html/smallfittings_4.html
http://www.rei.com/product/605745
here are the fittings
http://www.eldonjames.com/html/smallfittings_4.html
- Location
- Staten Island
you can always make a glass tank to fit your needs.
- Location
- Garden city
Can u explain in more detail how this might work
- Location
- Staten Island
what the glass tank or the diy
- Location
- Garden city
The diy ato
- Location
- Garden city
Say ur using the esshopps float switch with the tubbing it comes with what kind of fitting do u need for ur container ? A bulkhead that goes down to air tubbing ???
- Location
- Staten Island
here are the 2 other things you would need.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0020ML744/?tag=reefs04-20
http://www.customaquatic.com/estore/control/product/~product=WP-TT1137
i'm sure the vendors here have these as well, these are just for showing how it would be used.
here is a pic of how it would look,
you see the water container above is not clear so it's hard to tell how much water is in their. so you would put 1 elbow facing up on the bottom, and another 1 on top facing down, then connect them with airline tubing. now when the water starts to emoty out in the container this tube will show you how much is in the container.
the aqua lifter pump delivers 3.5 gallons an hour, you would need to calculate how much water is evaporating from your tank over a course od 2-3 weeks.
Then using the timer set it to go on and off .
lets say your evaporation for the tank is 1 gallon a day. take 1 gallon and divide that by 24, you get .04 gallons an hour. the aqualifter would be set to go on for 1 minute
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0020ML744/?tag=reefs04-20
http://www.customaquatic.com/estore/control/product/~product=WP-TT1137
i'm sure the vendors here have these as well, these are just for showing how it would be used.
here is a pic of how it would look,
you see the water container above is not clear so it's hard to tell how much water is in their. so you would put 1 elbow facing up on the bottom, and another 1 on top facing down, then connect them with airline tubing. now when the water starts to emoty out in the container this tube will show you how much is in the container.
the aqua lifter pump delivers 3.5 gallons an hour, you would need to calculate how much water is evaporating from your tank over a course od 2-3 weeks.
Then using the timer set it to go on and off .
lets say your evaporation for the tank is 1 gallon a day. take 1 gallon and divide that by 24, you get .04 gallons an hour. the aqualifter would be set to go on for 1 minute
- Location
- Staten Island
no problem, if you need any more help just ask. just keep an eye on it, this way you can be very accurate with the top off. Good Luck.
- Location
- New Jersey
Another option is to have CustomKing build one to spec. That's what I did. Although I went too small and I'll have to have him make me another one.
- Location
- UES, Manhattan
Just wanted to say thanks, Richie - just set this ATO system up and it works wonderfully. No need for a float switch at all - very economic and, more importantly, simple 
With a minute by minute, day by day timer programmer, it's going to be a piece of cake to automate this, even with a small 10g with barely any evaporation.
With a minute by minute, day by day timer programmer, it's going to be a piece of cake to automate this, even with a small 10g with barely any evaporation.
- Location
- Mt Sinai, NY
Is the timer that rkaragozler posted a minute by minute timer?
got to setup something, going on vaca soon
got to setup something, going on vaca soon
Last edited:
- Location
- UES, Manhattan
Like I said in my post, the timer is accurate to the minute and can be set on a per-day basis.
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