Auto top off for Nanos

[beastium]

I was wondering if anyone can help me build a simple gravity powered top off system for a 3g picotope. Do you think there can be just something as simple as a. Filled raised Poland spring with tube at desired level?

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[Donewiththisplace]

Good idea...gonna follow along see if anyone has some ideas.

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

How much water do you evaporate a day on your 3G? if its less then 1G IMO i don't see a reason why to set ATO tank that size. But that's my own opining thou im not telling you not to set one up.

 

[beastium]

It's a jbj picotope, I have no lids on the display or hang on filters and replace about an inch of water every other day totalling about a gallon a week. I saw something on danoreef.com he used a hamster bottle with tip n it worked he assures, but ended up using a larger version with the same tip. But added vinyl tubing( removing the nipple effect). So would a body of water attached by a tube make it a singular column without a downpour of freshwater? I think it may depend on the size of the spout and the height of it because the higher it is, the more gravity. I'm gonna be away for two weeks midsummer so I needa figure this out

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[isnyc300]

2 weeks is a long time to leave a picotope alone. what kind of livestock do you have? your best bet would be to let someone look after it.

 

[beastium]

I have two damsels (I know, OD, but I had to house a loose fish), 2 nassarius 2 Turbo 1 mex Turbo 1 nerite emerald crab blueleg hermit acan zoos Xenia gsp echinata mushrooms Monti and 1 other sps. I have LR Chaeto in my hang on filters on a reverse light cycle.
I'm locking my room to avoid unwanted crashers. What do u think about the water bottle

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[johnsonlee42]

Can you give your keys to a friend or something? Surely you have someone you trust that won't go about messing up your room...

 

[beastium]

U know how these stories end up...

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[beastium]

Anyone know anyone who's done this? Just tube gravity ATO

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[guarda]

here's a link to a petco water bottle mod. positioning is key.

http://danoreef.com/blog/?p=152

 

[nanoreefer22]

If you can follow along here's what I did for my 7.5 gallon tank, 1 gallon lasted 5-6 days depending on how hot my apartment got.

Supplies:
Gallon jug with screw on cap (doesn't have to be screw on but is preferable)
4 feet of air line tubing
1 air line valve

1. Take the cap from the gallon jug and drill two holes in it. The holes should allow the airline tube to fit snug through the holes (you want it to be air tight)
2. Cut one piece of airline tubing about 4 inches long and stick it into one hole. About 2 inches inside the cap and two inches outside.
3. Cut another piece of airline tubing. This piece will have to be run through the second hole in the cap, it must go all the way to the bottom of the gallon jug and then run it to your tank.
4. Attached the air line valve to the end of the long piece of tubing near the tank
5. Open the valve all the way.
6. Fill up your jug and place the cap on it
7. Find a place to rest the jug above the tank, the bottom of the jug must be ABOVE your tanks water line.
8. Blow into the shorter piece of tubing to pressurize the jug and you'll see water start to flow out of the piece that is over the tank
9. Once that happens, set the air line valve so you get 1 drop every 20 seconds or so.
10. Watch it over a couple days and adjust the amount of drops as needed.

I had mine at roughly 1 drop every 10 seconds and it was a 7.5g.


This should last you about 2 weeks.



Kris

 

[Paolissimo]

This is what I did buy a cheap water level sensor from ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-Liquid-...845?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6de60c45

Get a battery operated air pump
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Hush-To...723?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc5f71f53


Once you hook up everything, you will need a water bottle. Put two holes in the cap, and run two tubes through it. One tube will go from the bottom of the bottle to somewhere in the tank (this will put fresh water back into the tank.) The other tube will go, from the airpump to the bottom of the bottle (this will put air into the bottle which will push water out of the bottle and back into the tank)what will happen is that when the water level drops, the pump will pump air into the bottle, and the air will push the water out of
Once you get both item, splice the wire of the pump, connected it with the water sensor and you have your self a battery operated ato.

I can take pics of mine, tomorrow when i go back to work it has worked great for about a year in my 3gal pico.