Ato in centre chamber of sump help

fishkeeprian · 02/10/2018, 11:04 AM

Hello I have notice when I put my ato in my return section it goes off every few minutes. I have the tunze smart eye ato.

It's almost look's like the water line fluctuate's slightly. I have moved in into the centre camber and it seems OK. But will this affect the sg at all?

Thanks

Watchm@n · 02/10/2018, 11:55 AM

Does the centre chamber water level ever drop?
Mine doesn't.. Its constant... So if I put my ATO there it would never go off and never top up..

Is there anything else in your return section that could be causing the level to fluctuate which in turn would set the ATO off?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

moondoggy4 · 02/10/2018, 12:01 PM

Too simplify thins.
!st chamber is where the water comes in.
Second chamber between baffles skimmer section, water level should be constant
Third chamber is the return that is where the ATO goes.

Is this how your sump is setup?

oldhead · 02/10/2018, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishkeeprian

Hello I have notice when I put my ato in my return section it goes off every few minutes. I have the tunze smart eye ato.

It's almost look's like the water line fluctuate's slightly. I have moved in into the centre camber and it seems OK. But will this affect the sg at all?

Thanks

Sounds like it is working the way it should

fishkeeprian · 02/10/2018, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

Too simplify thins.
!st chamber is where the water comes in.
Second chamber between baffles skimmer section, water level should be constant
Third chamber is the return that is where the ATO goes.

Is this how your sump is setup?

Yest that right.

fishkeeprian · 02/10/2018, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watchm@n

Does the centre chamber water level ever drop?
Mine doesn't.. Its constant... So if I put my ATO there it would never go off and never top up..

Is there anything else in your return section that could be causing the level to fluctuate which in turn would set the ATO off?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Thinking about it now the centre chamber doesn't drop. There's nothing else in the return section.

fishkeeprian · 02/10/2018, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldhead

Sounds like it is working the way it should

Every few minutes? Surely it does evaporate that much every few minutes?

Watchm@n · 02/10/2018, 02:24 PM

Yep.. Centre chamber shouldn't change. That will stay constant.

Can you place the ato in a different position in the last chamber?

Do you have any snails?
I had a snail get into my drain line... And when it moved it made the water either slow abit or speed up... Which in turn effected how often my ATO was kicking off... I closed all my drain lines... And then open full and the snail flushed out... Been good since..

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

fishkeeprian · 02/10/2018, 02:25 PM

I've opened up the full syphon channel to allow more water into the sump and taking away the trickle from the open channel, this has raised the water in the return chamber but it still keeps kicking in. It's got to be so meting to do with the open and closed channels but what and to solve it?

But now when the water is running into the weirbox it sounds like a running tap.

fishkeeprian · 02/10/2018, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watchm@n

Yep.. Centre chamber shouldn't change. That will stay constant.

Can you place the ato in a different position in the last chamber?

Do you have any snails?
I had a snail get into my drain line... And when it moved it made the water either slow abit or speed up... Which in turn effected how often my ATO was kicking off... I closed all my drain lines... And then open full and the snail flushed out... Been good since..

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

No cuc in their yet do Deffo not that.

It's something to do with the open and closed channel that is affecting the level.

CleanReef · 02/10/2018, 04:31 PM

I custom made my ATO however I have power of the ATO on a timer in the timer goes off two times a day. This keeps the pump from turning on all the time and saves the ATO from constant wear. Good luck.

xabo · 02/10/2018, 04:40 PM

Have mine in the center/skimmer section with no problems at all.

Watchm@n · 02/11/2018, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xabo

Have mine in the center/skimmer section with no problems at all.

How does that work... My centre section stays constant... So float would never drop which would mean it would never top up..

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

xabo · 02/12/2018, 11:24 AM

My center section doesn't..........using a Tunze ATO.

mcgyvr · 02/12/2018, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xabo

My center section doesn't..........using a Tunze ATO.

Is that where your return pump is too?

If not your system is messed up.. (leak between baffles or whatever)
As that should NEVER happen..
ONLY the return pump section should change from evaporation..

Or you are leaving some other detail out...

The ato sensor ALWAYS... repeat ALWAYS goes into the return pump section.. Anything else is wrong or some wacky baffle configuration that I can't even think of right now
Or you have the proper sections of the sump switched and don't have the return pump in the section that is designed to be the return pump section..

mcgyvr · 02/12/2018, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishkeeprian

Hello I have notice when I put my ato in my return section it goes off every few minutes. I have the tunze smart eye ato.

It's almost look's like the water line fluctuate's slightly. I have moved in into the centre camber and it seems OK. But will this affect the sg at all?

Thanks

I don't have that specific ATO so I don't know what is hysteresis/sensor range is but... Forget the time..
If its keeping the return section water level stable over a day.. a week,etc.. then its totally fine.. <--plain and simple..
Some float switch systems require like a 1/4" drop before the sensor changes states.. Some opticals "can" be much more precise..
If its doing its job and its every 5 minutes or whatever then its doing its job..

If not then something is wrong..

And stop monkeying with stuff as it likely causing more problems.. get your overflow/valve setup and quiet,etc.. then just leave it..
Then put the ATO sensor in the return pump section and leave it and check it during the day.. If its keeping the level stable then its working just fine..

jacksonpt · 02/12/2018, 01:45 PM

Check your thread in the DIY forum - ATO sensor needs to be in the return section.

jacksonpt · 02/12/2018, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

And stop monkeying with stuff as it likely causing more problems.

Completely agreed. It took me a long time to learn (and accept) this, but it's probably the best lesson I've learned in my years of reefing.

xabo · 02/12/2018, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Is that where your return pump is too?

If not your system is messed up.. (leak between baffles or whatever)
As that should NEVER happen..
ONLY the return pump section should change from evaporation..

Or you are leaving some other detail out...

The ato sensor ALWAYS... repeat ALWAYS goes into the return pump section.. Anything else is wrong or some wacky baffle configuration that I can't even think of right now
Or you have the proper sections of the sump switched and don't have the return pump in the section that is designed to be the return pump section..

Yes it is.

02/10/2018, 11:04 AM	#1
fishkeeprian Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: England, Earl Shilton Posts: 1,452	Ato in centre chamber of sump help Hello I have notice when I put my ato in my return section it goes off every few minutes. I have the tunze smart eye ato. It's almost look's like the water line fluctuate's slightly. I have moved in into the centre camber and it seems OK. But will this affect the sg at all? Thanks

02/10/2018, 02:25 PM	#9
fishkeeprian Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: England, Earl Shilton Posts: 1,452	Adjusting full syphon channel I've opened up the full syphon channel to allow more water into the sump and taking away the trickle from the open channel, this has raised the water in the return chamber but it still keeps kicking in. It's got to be so meting to do with the open and closed channels but what and to solve it? But now when the water is running into the weirbox it sounds like a running tap.

02/12/2018, 01:45 PM	#17
jacksonpt Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 3,679	Check your thread in the DIY forum - ATO sensor needs to be in the return section. __________________ Jackson - All advice I give is based on my first hand experience. YMMV. Current Tank Info: 38g (mostly LPS) with a 20g sump/fuge and all the other standard goodies

02/10/2018, 11:55 AM	#2
Watchm@n Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 129	Does the centre chamber water level ever drop? Mine doesn't.. Its constant... So if I put my ATO there it would never go off and never top up.. Is there anything else in your return section that could be causing the level to fluctuate which in turn would set the ATO off? Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

02/10/2018, 12:01 PM	#3
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	Too simplify thins. !st chamber is where the water comes in. Second chamber between baffles skimmer section, water level should be constant Third chamber is the return that is where the ATO goes. Is this how your sump is setup?

02/10/2018, 02:24 PM	#8
Watchm@n Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 129	Yep.. Centre chamber shouldn't change. That will stay constant. Can you place the ato in a different position in the last chamber? Do you have any snails? I had a snail get into my drain line... And when it moved it made the water either slow abit or speed up... Which in turn effected how often my ATO was kicking off... I closed all my drain lines... And then open full and the snail flushed out... Been good since.. Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

02/10/2018, 04:31 PM	#11
CleanReef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 67	I custom made my ATO however I have power of the ATO on a timer in the timer goes off two times a day. This keeps the pump from turning on all the time and saves the ATO from constant wear. Good luck.

02/10/2018, 04:40 PM	#12
xabo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wash. D.C. Posts: 637	Have mine in the center/skimmer section with no problems at all.

02/12/2018, 11:24 AM	#14
xabo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wash. D.C. Posts: 637	My center section doesn't..........using a Tunze ATO.