PDA

View Full Version : Going away, need advice please. (ATO, Dosing, feeding?)


MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 11:06 AM
Hello. I am getting married next month :love1: and I was hoping I'd have somebody reputable watch my tank when I go on my honeymoon. I found somebody that can visit maybe two times a week and wanted to keep things as stable as possible. I was thinking easy for now. I'll set up something more elaborate and reliable when I get back and have more funds. But for now I am thinking easy. A reservoir of water on a stand gravity fed to the sump using an eshopps float valve to maintain water/sump level. Do you think this would work without the pressure of the water overpowering the float valve? I was going to set this up now so I can monitor it prior to my trip. Any thoughts? Thank you

Also dosing daily will be a challenge, any ideas besides buying dosing pumps right away?

Feeding the few fish I have I was going to use a cheapie auto fish feeder, but I know these guys will survive weeks without eating. I can have my friend feed them a few times that week and they should be fine. Unless there are other suggestions.

FullBoreReefer
03/22/2014, 12:03 PM
I use a mechanical float valve and a 5gal bucket, never had any issues. Same valve for years.

As for dosing, I would say do a decent water change before you leave and let it be. No reason to have someone dump to much in.

Feeding, measure out the amount of food for your tank sitter in individual baggies or tuperwares for the days they show up. Then your tank wont be over fed. The days they cant come your livestock should be fine.

MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 12:07 PM
Fullborereefer- so just a float valve (not switch, that's what you mean by mechanical?). And a bucket plumbed to it will work by gravity?

Water change no doubt before I go.

The food will absolutely be pre measured and labeled for which days to feed.

Thank you

FullBoreReefer
03/22/2014, 12:12 PM
Heres how mine is setup...

5gal bucket drilled, using a uniseal. A few pvc adapters to a john guest fitting. Then RO tubing to the float valve.

I do have a few float switches setup only for alerts but not control. I personally dont think any ATO is 100% failsafed. But I can personally say I have never had any issues with my gravity fed system, it is going on 2.5yrs with not a single issue. Neither under or over filled...

The reason I setup float switches were more or less to alert me if my skimmer stopped, which would raise the water level. Or if my return pump stopped, again raising the level, which would also trigger the skimmer to shut down and be delayed after restarts, feeding modes, etc...

MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 12:18 PM
I am looking to do this setup for at most a week and a half. I'll set something more permanent when I get back. I am confident this will work for my needs. By chance do you have a picture of your setup? Just to be sure. Thank you

FullBoreReefer
03/22/2014, 12:19 PM
I am looking to do this setup for at most a week and a half. I'll set something more permanent when I get back. I am confident this will work for my needs. By chance do you have a picture of your setup? Just to be sure. Thank you

gimmie a few minutes and ill take and upload some...

MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 12:21 PM
Thank you. No rush. But I do appreciate the assistance.

FullBoreReefer
03/22/2014, 12:34 PM
Inside of bucket, I use a float switch in here to alert me when its within a gallon or so via my apex when its time to refill. I refill manually once a week just about...
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p576/Dane_Brillhart/20140322_142035_zpsf3fe7885.jpg

Outside of bucket, I forgot to mention I also installed a ball valve so I can manually shut it off during water changes since the water level in my sump drops...
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p576/Dane_Brillhart/20140322_142056_zpsde14bb86.jpg

Then it goes to the float valve mounted in my sump...
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p576/Dane_Brillhart/20140322_143231_zps7019eae2.jpg


By the looks of my sump pic, I think I need to give it a good scrub down lol!

MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 01:33 PM
Awesome! Thank you for posting the pics. Looks amazing. So the float switch in the bucket is just for alerts when water is low. In all the research I've been doing that switch would be setup with an ATO to kill power to the pump in the reservoir if the water dropped to a certain level. But in your case it's just an alert.

Perfect thank you again. I'll set this up as soon as my float valve arrives

FullBoreReefer
03/22/2014, 01:52 PM
Yes that switch in the bucket tells my apex to text my phone saying its low, time to refill, which then i refill the bucket. If for some reason I ignore that alert and go another day or two my "sump low" switch would trigger, which also sends me a text message saying sump low.

Some use pumps for their top off which yes, that switch could be used to kill the top off pump. I use mine as an alert. To each their own...

MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 06:02 PM
I am intrigued by your text messaging controller. What model APex is that? I'd like to look into something along those lines that alerts me with changes. Very cool

origreefer
03/22/2014, 08:03 PM
I get one vacation a year and I take 2 weeks at a time. All I have my tank sitter/checker do is make sure the ATO reservoir has water and check to see if a pump failed,, etc. No feeding needed. No additives needed. Just do a good water change before you go. If you don't have a ATO just have a bucket of RO water made and show your sitter the water line on the sump you want and have them manually add water to keep the level at that line. Two times a week will be fine unless you evap a bunch, then 3 visits would suffice.

FullBoreReefer
03/22/2014, 08:32 PM
I am intrigued by your text messaging controller. What model APex is that? I'd like to look into something along those lines that alerts me with changes. Very cool

I just have the apex lite. Didnt think i needed the extra ORP/ph port and other extra ports. I think their doing away with the lite version though. They still support it just dont think their gonna continue to produce it. Saved me some money though. Although I do need another eb8 lol

MauiReefer
03/22/2014, 09:03 PM
Origireefer- Thank you. I just purchased the parts to do a gravity fed auto top which I will set up and try before I leave. If for any reason its not working properly I will default to the container with water and my friend will have to manually fill it.

FullBoreReefer-Thats great. I will look for an APex Lite. Maybe I can get a good deal on one if they discontinued. If you hear of anyone getting rid of one, let me know please. And thank you for all your advice and pictures. Very helpful.

MauiReefer
03/28/2014, 05:54 PM
FullBoreReefer-I was just thinking about adding supplements to my top off. Do you or have you done this? if so what?

Yeroc9
03/30/2014, 12:29 PM
I've got something similar that I am setting up for topping off. I put a 66 quart Tupperware on top of my kitchen cabinets, fed by a line from my ro/di with a float valve so I always have 15ish gallons of ro/di ready to go. There is a shutoff valve on the line feeding it, as well as the line going to the sump. And I have another float valve ( haven't installed it yet though) for in the sump
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/31/8yjunude.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/31/atepyses.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/31/ataha5et.jpg

origreefer
03/30/2014, 05:37 PM
I recall reading a story about a crew who was demolitioning some apartments that were destroyed during a hurricane, 1.5 years after. They discovered a tank in a home with fish and creatures living just fine. No electricity, no pumps, no nothing for 1.5 yrs. I think during vacations we are just fine, just need someone to check for something catostrophic, like pump failure, leak, etc. I bought a D-Link web camera at Best Buy and point it at the tank and cabinet with doors open. I can view it on my cell phone from anywhere and the clarity is pretty clear. It's like me being there.

jgalen0025
03/30/2014, 05:52 PM
I dont know where you heard that but people with no electricity lose their reef tanks in a few days so I highly doubt that has any relevance to our tanks. If a pump were to fail there is no way you would be able to tell unless you had an apex with leak detection or an alarm based on amperage usage via apex
Tank sitters from your local club are best. Next best thing is to buy a sitter and pre measure everything for him or her to dump in the tank.