+KimP Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I've read that it's important to keep rodi water sealed. I'm planning on getting an ato hooked up to my tank and am trying to figure out what I can fit in my super small stand as a reservoir. What do y'all use? How do you keep it sealed with tubing coming out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+etannert Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I've used a Rubbermaid container with a lid that I got at the Dollar Store. I drilled a hole through the lid that fits pretty closely with the size of tubing I use. I don't worry about keeping it 100% sealed and there seem to be no ill effects on my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 i use the typical 5gal jug found at LFS's, and use PVC to position a float valve at the bottom to stop the ATO pump from running when empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 i use the typical 5gal jug found at LFS's, and use PVC to position a float valve at the bottom to stop the ATO pump from running when empty. Do you just leave the lid off? How did you fit a pump through the hole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaJohn Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 if its sealed then the water would not be able to come out. I think they just mean you want ir covered. Unless you are doing the method where you have one tube that transfers the water and the other is in the sump at water level so that when the water level drops it alows air into the tube that then travels to the ato res. that then lets water out till it fills the sump up and blocks air from going into the tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 With respect to keeping it sealed, reminded me of my first job as an engineer. I had just completed a 4 year Marine Engioneering program at one of ten Maritime Academy's in the US and thought I was "knowed up". I worked for a third party engineering design/construction company. The 300MW combined cycle power plant, used gas turbines with waste heat steam turbines, belonged to Dow Chemical and all power used went into salt water cells to manufacture chlorine gas. This plant was state of the art in 1972 and used quality instrumentation in the water treatment lab. With a sample of boiler water drawn from the vacumn tank of the steam turbine, I watched the pH readout steady drop from 7 to 5 because of carbon dioxide going into solution with this purified water that was hungry for molecules. Each pH unit represents a ten fold change in pH. In 15 minutes, I watched purified boiler water get 100 times more acidic by just absorbing CO2 from the air in the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaJohn Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I work at a place that makes cusom plastic water tanks so I can cheat. You can go as simple as a water bottle. there are tons of how to's on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 i use an Aqua Lifter pump: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/pumps-and-plumbing/dosing-pumps-and-auto-top-off-systems/aqua-lifter-vacuum-pump-top-off-pump.html the pump is outside of the jug... the intake is connected to airline tubing, which is then connected to hard airline tubing so it's opening is at the bottom of the jug. i can take a picture of my setup later today when i get home from work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Sounds funny, but i'm thinking about getting one of the 10-20gal little tanks from petco and using it. Right now i'm just using a regular 5 gallon bucket. But I have to fill it up every 2-3 days, looking for something that would last the whole week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 On Brs, they used acrylic sheets like what you would get at a local hardware store, and used aquarium silicone to make a custom resevoir to the size you can have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 i use an Aqua Lifter pump: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/pumps-and-plumbing/dosing-pumps-and-auto-top-off-systems/aqua-lifter-vacuum-pump-top-off-pump.html the pump is outside of the jug... the intake is connected to airline tubing, which is then connected to hard airline tubing so it's opening is at the bottom of the jug. i can take a picture of my setup later today when i get home from work. If it's not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it! Okay, thanks for all the help. I hadn't thought of you tube, that's a good idea. I'm sure an ato is really simple, but I'm a little lost right now, just starting to look into it. I have a small, approx 4.5 gal, glass tank that is really skinny and tall that should be a good fit in my stand. It just doesn't have a lid. I'm not sure if those 5 gal jugs would fit, but I have an extra of those. I don't have a sump. Hmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I just keep mine covered not air tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesreyn Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I keep mine uncovered in a 5 gallon tank from petco. I've done this for years without anything negative happening. I have to refill it about once a week for my 100 gallon. Is there a reason it needs to be covered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Kim, you can take a look at mine on the Solana. Just a standard 5g jug from the LFS with an autotopoff float valve and aqualifter pump for moving the water. Aqua-dome normally has aqualifters in stock or can get them for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemirn Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 (edited) I've been using a 5-gallon jug with a Tom's Aqualifter plugged into a light timer. The timer is set to turn on the Aqualifter at the same time every morning and run for several minutes (just 1 increment on the timer). The Aqualifter feeds freshwater from the jug to the sump through an airline tube with a small valve on it. (Actually the water drips onto the leaves of mangroves in the sump, to keep them hydrated... simulated rainfall ). It is very easy to tweak the valve so that the topoff almost exactly matches the amount of evaporation. Even if it's off by an ounce or two, it's a negligible change in SG (unless you are running a 3-gallon pico or something). Also, I keep the water level pretty low in the sump so that in the unlikely event of a timer malfunction (ie, stuck in the "on" position), the sump will not overflow. I previously used the float switch method but this is actually a lot simpler. Edited January 21, 2012 by nemirn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaJohn Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Well the only reason to keep it coverd would be to stop dust bunnies and to slow down evaporation. Unless you are using lime water. In that case you want as little contact with air as you can get. The air will reduce the potency Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 I tried the little glass tank I have and it won't fit. I'm going to have to get creative if the container is going to be any bigger than a 2L bottle. This is an interesting project so far. Thanks for all the great discussion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 here's the pic of my ato jug... attached thru the jug cap, i have PVC which at the end is a float switch (connects to my Apex) and airline tubing (intake for aqualifter)... i simply switch out new RODI jugs as needed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjohn Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I use a Home Depot 5 gall bucket and set the lid on top. It won't close cause the tube for the water just lies on the edge. I hooked a light into mine so that whenever the pump runs, the light is on. If the light stays on for more than 20 ses or so, I know that I need to refill the bucket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I will be sing a 3 gallon acrylic tank that is tall and skinny,I'll just build an acrylic lid with the router in my garage and set it on. If the tank doesnt fit my spaces I'll sell it and build a custom acrylic res just like I built my custom acrylic sump..... Acrylic I found is FUN to work with once you get the hang of it, sorta trying to build as much as I can lately too see the final results! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa1tx Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I bought a 10 g ice bucket from ace restaurant supply. Think it was $19. It fits in the stand of my 125 and has a lid. It's food grade plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I just use a clear 1.5 gallon waste bucket without a lid. This sits on my second shelf where I can tilt the shelf and use a plastic watering can to refill it. You can have mine if you want since I'm upgrading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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