ATO systems

ok i'm looking around for a ato system i really do not want to spend more then 120 dollars.

this is what i found.

JBJ Auto Top Of System about 84 dollars

a ATO system found autotopoff.com about 40 dollars.

coralvue auto top off. for 60 dollars.

Aqua Medic sp 3000 niveaumat. for about 150 dollars.

i really like the JBJ system. i would like to know your thoughts.
i have a 30g tank btw.

 

Try the Blueline Typhoon AT-1, that's what I use. Champion Lighting sells it.

 

I got mine from Autotopoff. I have the double switch and use 2 solenoids.
It has performed flawlessly for almost 3 years now.

Do you plan on hooking this directly up to your RODI or to a container with a pump or to a gravity feed container?

 

right now i plan on hooking this up to a container with rodi water until i get my rodi system.

 

You don't really wanna go straight to the RODI. More TDS creep that way, shorter DI resin life, shorter RO membrane life.

RODI units work best when run for larger runs for that reason.

Plus, straight from RODI to tank, you can flood. Imagine your ATO failing, and you don't realize it for 8 hours while you're away. Bad news.

My ATO only has 5 gallons, but my sump has an extra 10 of capacity. That means my tank can survive a full ATO dump PLUS a return pump failure or power outage without flooding my living room.

Best setup is RODI with an ATO on a container, then the container has an ATO to the tank.

 

i have the JBJ ATO its been a great little unit. SO easy to set up and use. im really happy with it. i have it set up in a container that holds 5 gallons of ro/di water which than adds the needed water to my sump. i lately have been doseing my calcium and mag and coral food threw the ato water. i feel it puts it in slower and keeps things more even. i have a extra small pump in that container keeping the water stirred. i have a 35 gallon tank, but it uses a lot of ato water. 1 1/2 to 2 gallons a day

ph and kh i dose myself what ever is needed directly to sump each morning.

 

Blackraven is correct about the TDS creep. If the ATO sits and cycles all day long, your TDS will creep up much faster than if it runs once a day.
A way to correct this is to hook it up to a timer. This way it will only operate the RODI once a day.

As for flooding, that is true, there is always a possibility. I do extended trips that make it impossible to not hook it directly up to the RODI. To battle this, I use 2 solenoids. If one fails, then the other will still stop the flood. If they both fail... well, hell has frozen over anyways.

The more redundancy you build in, the more expensive.

 

Only on a bigger tank with high evaporation. I evaporate about a gallon a day, so if I did this, I wouldn't be clearing out the extra TDS by the time my gallon was done being added. I could see it working when you need 5+ gallons, but definitely not less.

 

I have the ATO from Eshopps and it cost me about 25 dollars. I bought a heavy duty container from HD and it cost me about 11 dollars. Mine is gravity fed.

 

keep in mind with most you will need to buy a small pump. i think one company it came with the pump.