Tunze Auto Top Off programming advice

[hoooop54]

I would love some advice on my Tunze Auto Top off. Right now, I have it in the first outlet and just have it set on. Is there a reason I would do anything other than just setting it on? What type of safety controls could I put in?

[aleithol]

Apex can't tell what the Tunze ATO is doing directly as there is no interface to it to connect to. I have Set ON as well -- IMHO what you have to decide for your self is if you want Fallback ON or OFF should the Apex loose contact with your EB. Comes down to how well you trust your ATO and to what degree you may desire to potentially override your ATO unit should something else fail in your system. In my case, I have added logic that if my leak detector senses water on the floor I turn off my ATO (along with other external pumps) just in case until I go see what is going on. I have also added independent high/low float sensors in my sump, and if the sump is too high, I also turn off my ATO, again, just in case until I can determine the problem. I trust my Tunze ATO, but having secondary systems makes me all that much happier. As such, I have Fallback OFF for my Tunze ATO, since alerts will notify me if power goes out or other unusual conditions happen, and it's not the end of the earth for my ATO to not do its thing for a short while until power comes back on or I check and resolve what else is going on in my tank.

[Eyesell]

I too have my Hydrofill ATO in plug 4, but also have code written in that if the ALD senses water to shut down. This goes true for my skimmer, main pump, etc. Not much more you can do with a ATO and your APEX unit....aleithol outlined it best above

[LorenK3]

I turn off my return pump when feeding and the water level in the sump rises above the Tunze ATO alarm point. So...

Fallback ON
Set ON
If FeedA 007 Then OFF

turns off the ATO during feeding, pausing a couple minutes for the water level in the sump returns to stabilize before turning it on.

[RandoReefer]

I have the Tunze ATO and have it programmed like:

Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Outlet SumpPump = OFF Then OFF
Defer 003:00 Then ON

If you leave it on when the sump pump shuts off, (depending on your float valve placement), it turns on the alarm the entire time. I have it set to defer 3-mins to allow the sump to balance.

Works for me.

[pete33]

I use the OSC program to omly turn on pump for 5 minutes every half hour. I figure if the floats fail, it can only pump water for 5 minutes.

[RandoReefer]

I use the OSC program to omly turn on pump for 5 minutes every half hour. I figure if the floats fail, it can only pump water for 5 minutes.


With the Tunze 3155? Doesn't the system already has a built in fail safe that stops it's own pump after 5mins of ON time? I believe that's what I read in their specs.

[RandoReefer]

I guess tank volume and evaporation rates play in a little here. I evaporate about 1.5-2gal per day, which means my ATO is always running here and there throughout the day. I couldn't limit it to an OSC function because it would constantly be playing catch-up. Doesn't make sense to me why I would want to limit a system that was manufactured to limit itself....

[Fishmommy]

I have it so the outlet shuts off during FeedB or FeedC
FeedB is when I have the return shut down for water changes, and FeedC is when I shut down my skimmer for sock changes. Both cases the ATO would be confused by sump level changes so I want it powered down during those times.
I also have it so it delays 15 minutes before turning back on so that the sump has a chance to return to normal level before the ATO comes on.

[jbaca]

I have a 120 gallon tank w/a sump, but can't get the out/return section of the sump to maintain a certain water level. My question is, "Should I move my ato sensors to this compartment and will this cause the other compartments to overflow, due to too much water being added to the system?" Thanks for any suggestions!

[GatorAlum05]

Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Outlet ReturnPump = OFF Then OFF
If FeedA 005 Then OFF
Defer 005:00 Then ON
If FeedD 000 Then OFF
If Smpsw1 OPEN Then OFF
If SmpSw2 OPEN Then OFF

Here's my set up. I have multiple redundancy. I have 2 float switch at two different levels inside the sump. They are also programmed into my return pump and skimmer.

FeedD is my maintenance which is 45 minutes long. And to make sure the alarm doesn't go off on my tunze after any unusual activities that may cause my return pump to go off.

[aleithol]

I have a 120 gallon tank w/a sump, but can't get the out/return section of the sump to maintain a certain water level. My question is, "Should I move my ato sensors to this compartment and will this cause the other compartments to overflow, due to too much water being added to the system?" Thanks for any suggestions!

I may misunderstand your post, but I suggest you need to resolve creating at least one area of your sump that can maintain a stable water level before attempting to install your ATO or program floats associated to an ATO with your Apex. It's a fruitless effort otherwise, since you won't know what the real high and low water levels are to place the floats and therefore the ATO can't operate in an expected manner.

If your question therefore is more about sump design and how to make a compartment in your sump maintain a consistent level, that probably has nothing to do with Neptune, an Apex or a Tunze Osmolator. You'll likely get more help if you post that question along with a description of the symptoms you're encountering, some pictures and describe all the ins & outs (pumps and plumbing) you have going between the compartments in a different subform like this one (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=212). ...then come back here or go to Neptune Community Forums if you need help with the programming aspect of the Apex. First things first. Good luck!