Importance Of A Auto Top Off

I've been wondering lately why since I got into this hobby I have repeatedly heard about water parameter stability coming with age of a tank. And I do agree with that for the most part but also I feel that a aged tank indicates knowledge in the way of husbandry. But I feel that auto top offs are over looked in the stability of water parameters. Obviously I havent had one the whole time I have been in the hobby, really only for the past 2 months out of 9 months have I had one. And it isnt the convenience alone that I find to be important about it. Yes I can go away for a day or two. But the important part is with a ATO you do not get the daily or weekly salinity swings that I feel you get from manually topping off. For ever drop of water that is lost a drop of water is replaced to balance the salinity. When manually topping off a cup or more in some situations could be lost causing a swing even if very small it still is a lack in STABILITY.

 

2+ years here of manual topping off. Inconvenient, yup total PITA. But my parameters have always been stable enough so that my mixed reef thrives. Like a float valve, when my water gets below a certain level I top off

 

I definitely agree that manual top off is successful as long as you pay attention. But even if you do pay attention you aren't topping off 15 times a day as small amounts evaporate which means there is some salinity fluctuation even if minimal. Meaning a ato should keep a much more stable salinity. I am curious how much fluctuation the ocean has salinity fluctuation.

Btw please no one be offended by this post i'm not saying manual top off is bad

 

I'm considering adding one, but I am not sure what type to get or even where to find one, any suggestions?

 

Manually topping off for me was always a big PITA, I was constantly checking to make sure I wasn't over filling or under filling, with a Biocube it's really difficult.

I went to Lowes and Ace Hardware today and neither of them carried any type of float valves. If my fuge was deeper I could probably config a toilet float switch in there but they are too tall. I was rather disappointed they didnt have any float switches that simply open a valve when the float drops, and close the valve when the float raises.

 

Personally im all about DIY stuff. That goes for ATO's too, no point buying what I can build for 1/2 the price. I use float valves on both my tanks with a gravity fed system. I buy these valves from my LFS Adjustable Float Valve for Reverse Osmosis Systems - English I buy poly urethane 1/4" tubing from home depot, a bucket, a threaded fitting for 1/4" tubing, and a shut off valve and blam done.

 

Is the shut off valve for maintenance? Was thinking about putting one or two on the DIY Overflow but basically there would be no real need for it.

ATO are very easy to make especially if your tank is low enough to put a bucket of some sort higher. I have a perfect set up right now I just need to get the float valve and I'll be done.

Only concern with creating my own ATO is that every time I top off I make a Kalk-mix of my RODI water. 1 teaspoon for 1 gallon of RODI -- this I then drip feed into my tank for maybe a rate of 1 inch per hour or roughly 100 drops per minute .

If I did not need to top off the water myself, I don't think I would be using my Kalkwasser

 

try autotopoff.com they have some really affortable units there

 

I can't imagine life without my eshopps ATO.

 

yes

IMHO an ATO adds to the stability of the system. Very few people have the time necessary to maintain the replenishment that is necessary in our aquariums. And those with the time often forget. I've always added an ATO as soon as I could afford it.

By the way - The ATO is not an item to skimp on. The results of failure can be real messy and difficult to clean up.