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View Full Version : JBJ ATO yes/no?

merfish101
01/13/2011, 07:59 PM
I want to add an ATO to my sump. Any thoughts on the JBJ ATO unit? Is it worth the price or should I try my hand at a DIY top off? Will I need an additional pump for it to operate?
Mr. Wiggles
01/13/2011, 10:21 PM
I have the JBJ ATO. It does the job and has worked well so far for about 2 years. You will need a separate pump for the JBJ. A friend has the Tunze ATO which comes with a pretty good pump (at least for a small tank). I think if I were to do it again I would get the Tunze.
hanley0019
01/14/2011, 02:22 AM
If i were you id get a reefkeeper. It is a little bit more expensive but it can work as a top off and much more. Marine depot has the reefkeeper lite on sale now for 170 which is a hell of a deal.
merfish101
01/14/2011, 03:26 AM
thanks guys
frankpayne32
01/14/2011, 07:41 AM
JBJ ATO are great. Very reasonably priced. Mine has been working flawlessly for over three years. One of the best investments I've made in my tank.
nanojg
01/14/2011, 08:29 AM
i like the jbj ato, never had a problem with it
fishsuse29
01/14/2011, 08:35 AM
Ive used the JBJ ATO for last 2.5 years and never had any problems with it. One thing you can do to make it more failsafe is use the second float as a back up. To do that you need to flip the second one over.
nanojg
01/14/2011, 08:37 AM
Ive used the JBJ ATO for last 2.5 years and never had any problems with it. One thing you can do to make it more failsafe is use the second float as a back up. To do that you need to flip the second one over.

But it is pretty safe even without this because it will shut the pump off after about 4 minutes even if the float switch is not triggered. When this happens the system will have to be restarted for the pump to turn back on.
fishsuse29
01/14/2011, 01:16 PM
But it is pretty safe even without this because it will shut the pump off after about 4 minutes even if the float switch is not triggered. When this happens the system will have to be restarted for the pump to turn back on.

Thats true you can also adjust the pump run time by taking the back cover off and adjusting the screw
spartyblaze
01/15/2011, 12:20 AM
Check Autotopoff.com - they're inexpensive and simple, I have one with the backup and never fails. It's easy to get a secondary pump.