Top off system

[BlueHorizon]

I'm looking into installing a more automated top off system for my tank. Right now I have a 'manual' system in that I have a 15g reservior set up next to the sump (mounted a little higher than the sump) and am doing a gravity drip of RO water. It's a bit of a hassle to manage, but works far better than doing small additions of water 2x daily. Anyone have any success with doing this on a relatively low budget. I've seen the high tech stuff would prefer to go low tech if a viable alternative exists.

Thanks!

 

[mojoreef]

Hey Blue. The best and easist way I know is to plump your RO/Di unit directly to a kent float valve in your sump. That way it pumps in the water aonly when the level of water goes down. The kent float valve is only around 10 bucks to


Mike

 

[BlueHorizon]

Hmmmm.....sounds like a good option. Now all I need to do is put a 'T' in the water line so I can but a hose bib on for the water supply, run the 'bad' water line into the sink (no accessible floor drain) and then run the good water line 17' to the tank. This would be a lot easier if I had a fish room like someone I know!! LOL

Will the RO drip okay running that far? I have good water pressure but I've heard of people having issues with it not working when running a line very far. Any ideas on that one?

 

[MtnDewMan]

I use this, it works great. I run from an RO unit to this unit to a Kalk Reactor to my sump. Whenever topoff is needed, it opens the solenoid, and I get a kalk mixture topoff.

http://www.spectrapure.com/St_alc_p1.htm

 

[Katchupoy]

I dont want to discourage anybody but just as a reminder... the point here is for you (bluehorizon) to also consider the problem and maybe you can go around with it.


a while ago I read an article from RC (reefcentral) about a big mishap that happended to this reefer... to make the long story short...

He has a top off system that also delivers RO/DI with kalkwasser to it for supplement. The skimmer is on the main tank (not sure). The skimmer malfunc... and it overflows. All the water that were displaced (on the floor) are being re-supplied by the top-off system with kalkwasser. The reaction throw off the PH balance and he had a spike. He was saying around 40g of water were displaced. And this cause the death of many of his priced corals.

 

[BlueHorizon]

Thanks for the tips.....I'm not ready for kalk just yet. I know a lot of people are using it and I plan to, just not yet.

I've got to get a drip in place here soon. I have a lot of long hours at work ahead of me at work and I don't want to have to worry about pouring RO water in the sump 2x a day.

 

[Doug1]

I have a 32 gal trash can next to the tank, tubing to a float vave similar to a Kent. It feeds the return area of the sump that is sectioned off so that it only hold 3 gallons of water approx. Given that total system volume is over 100 g that doesnt cause a significant dilution. And yah , wife hates it there, I want to move it outside and run the line in thru the wall

 

[jazznreef]

top off

I have a digital dosing unit that works really well for me. it was 50 bucks used from someone on this board. all it does is pull from my top off container which usually has kalk or water/calcium mixtures. it just keeps pulling at a defined rate with no risk of over dosing. i've been quite happy with this set up and doesnt have most of the risks that more automated systems have.

 

[NUGIO]

hey bluehorizon I am now in the situ you were in.Just curious as to what route ya took and how that worked out for ya
TIA