Should I invest in a float switch??

[ReefGimp]

I am going on vacation the beginning of October for 10 days and I have been trying to figure out how I will address the top off issue in my tank. First off I have a 5 1/2 "nano" with mostly SPS, a couple cleaners and an emerald. The past couple weeks my daily top off has been about 1/4-1/5 a gallon per day. I was trying to decide between two options...

1. Float switch

2. Some kind of DIY drip method...ie fill a bucket with about three gallons of water and adjust some kind of drip rate


Advice/suggestions???

 

[HKS]

Float switch...works miracles :wink:

 

[Nelliereefster]

When float switch fails, reef tank becomes frshwater reef tank, a biologically rare entity.

Why not get the neighbor to top off while you're away? Or pay the LFS maintenance guy to stop in? The cash may be worth the piece of mind.

 

[fishfarmer]

I'd go with a float switch over a drip system. If you will be gone for 10 days I would definately try to find a tank sitter to check in on the tank every few days. If I'm going to be gone more than five days I make sure someone is checking the tank.

 

[Bill2]

I go with the float switch with the neighbor looking in day to day.

 

[ChrisRD]

When float switch fails, reef tank becomes frshwater reef tank, a biologically rare entity.

I agree - I'm too paranoid to use a float switch. I got a 5 gallon plastic gas can, drilled/tapped it for a hose barb fitting, and ran some line to an air-valve over the sump. I adjust the drip to match the evaporation rate. Works great - cost was less than $20. No neighbor required.

 

[Iron]

ultralife float switch. Just keep it in a small containers=1/4gpd a 5g container would be fine. a 33g container if it fail would ask for trouble. flats are pretty dependable, its when they get dirty or fall in. i would clamp it on.A1 tsnami(sp) is suppose to use a vaccum and auto shut off when it get full or covered with water. But I've never used on. Another way is just use a kent marine float. You can rig a gravity feed to the float and it will shut of but its kinda large. A drip methoid you can't control the water. But a drip methoid may work I would just set it up and have someone check once or twice and have extra water around.

 

[Enzo]

Hi,
I made my top off system with not spending a dime. I got a bottle with a fairly air tite cap(2liter, 20 ounce, whatever you can get your hands on). Than I drilled two small holes, about the size of airline tubing, at the top of the cap. Next, I put a piece airline tubing in one of the holes( the tubing should be about a foot long. This piece should only come down an inch down the bottle. After all that is done, get a one and a half foot piece of airline tubing. Stick a straw at one of the ends of tubing. stick the straw down the other hole in the cap. Push the straw down to about a half inch from the bottom of the bottle. Here comes the hardest part, put some kind of liquid glue on the top of the cap so all of the tubing is air- tite. Now get a one inch thick piece of tubing that is about 3 to 4 inches long. Find a way to attach the bug tubing to the airline tubing. I taped it to each other with a little bit of duct tape and a little bit of scotch tape. When you have all that done. Put the end of the big tubing where you want your water leval to be. You are going to have to get it to stay there somehow. I used a suction cup. Than put the longer piece of airline tubing in the water. Before you do fill up the bottle of water to about an inch of the shorter piece of airline tubing. Next with the longer piece of airline tubing get the whole tube filled with water, you do this by sucking on the end of the tube until it is all the way fille up than pinch the end of the tube closest to your mouth and sitck it in the water and let go. If you want to test it siphon some water out and let it fill back up on it's own.

John

 

[hossfly]

I used a 3 liter soda bottle. put hole in cap ..place bottel upside down in sump and mark hole just below water line. drill small(1/4") hole in bottle at mark and fill with top off water. replace filled bottle upside down back in sump. simple operation. .. as water evaporates below hole in side of bottle. It will break the vaccum and alow water to flow from hole in cap. when water lever comes back up to cover hole in the side of hte bottle. the flow will stop. this small system only works for a couple days but it does work and refills top of water slowly only as needed.

 

[Anonymous]

I dig the float switch thing. Float switch and neighbor checking in is a good idea. No matter what you do it COULD fail, and you will find stories of it failing. Nothing is fool proof.

On my new system I am going to have a double float switch. One will work the top off, and the other will shut down the top off if the first one sticks.

RR

 

[jamesw]

OK, so which do you trust more - the neighbor, or the float switch??

I can repeat some "neighbor stories" here if you want - but I have never had any trouble with my float switch - 6 years and running. Knock on wood.

Just make sure it can't fall in the water (or it will never run) or a snail can't climb on the little float (will always run).

Cheers
James Wiseman

 

[ReefLion]

There is a third option: dosing pump. More expensive, but more reliable than a float switch, and it will become your favorite piece of equipment by basically eliminating daily top-off. Works great for acclimating things, too.

I've had several over the years, but settled on the little square yellow kind. I forget the manufacturer but it's not the Spectrapure. The Spectrapure is good, too, just a bit noisy for my needs.

Tim

 

[ReefGimp]

Thanks for all the replies...

Does anyone have some information on dosing pumps...I will do a quick search but would like to hear some personal experience...

thanks!!

 

[scooterr]

There is a third option: dosing pump. More expensive, but more reliable than a float switch, and it will become your favorite piece of equipment by basically eliminating daily top-off. Works great for acclimating things, too.

I've had several over the years, but settled on the little square yellow kind. I forget the manufacturer but it's not the Spectrapure. The Spectrapure is good, too, just a bit noisy for my needs.

Tim

2 little fishies Vario Doser. ~$200 if I remember correctly. I use it to keep tank topped off. It is set to go on for a few hrs a night with a timer. I've used mine about 4 years and the inner tubing has become shaped so that it doesn't work anymore. I'm trying to contact 2LF as you read.


easy to adjust gpd, dependable, expensive.
HTH

 

[scooterr]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...een=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=TLF-VARIO

http://www.twolittlefishies.com/tlf_prod_pumps.html
HTH

 

[fishfarmer]

Let's bring this one back to the top.

My ultralife float switch just failed for the first time. I've had it for a couple of months. I've been using it with water topoff/kalk doser controlling a small microjet pump in a 5 gallon container. It added water to the sump where the switch is located. It has been working great, but just heard it switch on and stay on. I ran to find about an extra half gallon or so water in my sump. The float was in the up(closed) position, no algae, snails or other hinderances to it's operation. I unplug the pump. I then pull the float out, it is clicking, so I assume it is still good. I place back in sump and plug the pump back in. It works fine.

What gives?

I tried the slow drip kalk dosing thing for a while. I'm sorry but I can't get a perfect drip rate that will stay put for more that a day or two and evaporation always changes.

I tried a vacuum/gravity water bottle approach. Cheap and relatively reliable, but sealing the bottom tube can be a pain and having the PVC valve fail made me want to try something high tech.

Dosing pumps? Will they fail? Ever? I really don't want to shell out money for something that is going to soak the downstairs neighbors.

 

[scooterr]

hey, I just found this link burried in my bookmarks

http://www.ankoproducts.com/pages/pumps.html

If you are willing to do a little research and investigating I bet this could save you somre money.

http://www.marinedepot.comhas Varios for $239.

 

[SPC]

Fishfarmer, I use a LitreMeter dosing pump. It comes with a float which can be used as a back up in case the unit ever fails.
Steve

 

[newkie]

Well I've been using a Sipedon (since out of bussiness) Float Switch for years. I've also built my own (very simple). I've never once had a problem with it sticking in the 3+ years I've used one. Buuuuuut if you were the paranoid type here's an idea. Run the output thru a Kent Floatvalve ($15) and set it about half way in your sump. This way at worst you give your pump a hard time instead of flooding your sump. They really are trustworthy IME/IMO. You can even build a box around the float if your worried about it getting stuck (similar to lifereefs I beleive).

For such a small tank the NURSE topoff system may be a good idea. FWIW