Two ATO's on the same tank??

gibson981 · 09/07/2009, 07:01 AM

I asked this in the equipment forum, but nobody sems to know what I am talking about. Maybe I am crazy, but here goes anyway. There was a thread I saw on here on RC not too long ago where someone had a dual auto top off. One ran directly to the sump. The other was controlled by a pH controller and ran through a kalk reactor for when his pH got too low. I can't find it now. Does anyone know where it's at?

Tswifty · 09/07/2009, 11:26 AM

I'm not sure, but hooking your Kalk Reactor up to chase pH is a bad idea. Depending on where your pH probe is, you would overdose the tank as it would take a while for your pH reading to rise and stabilize out.

Usually people use 2 ATO float switches for safety. One controls the ATO pump and tells it when to turn on and off. The other is located slightly higher, and is a failsafe that would shut the ATO pump down in the event the pump sitcks on or the first float switch fails.

09/07/2009, 07:01 AM	#1
gibson981 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: west side of Indianapolis Posts: 451	Two ATO's on the same tank?? I asked this in the equipment forum, but nobody sems to know what I am talking about. Maybe I am crazy, but here goes anyway. There was a thread I saw on here on RC not too long ago where someone had a dual auto top off. One ran directly to the sump. The other was controlled by a pH controller and ran through a kalk reactor for when his pH got too low. I can't find it now. Does anyone know where it's at? __________________ Gerald Current Tank Info: 90g, built in overflow, 2 Reeflux 20k 250w, 2 Ice Cap 250w elec ballasts, 2 Hydor Koralia's 3 and 2, 29g sump, RIO 3100 return, AquaC EV180 w/Mag 9, GEO 612 Ca Reactor, 85# live rock (half Fiji, half Kalieni), 180# live sand.

09/07/2009, 11:26 AM	#2
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	I'm not sure, but hooking your Kalk Reactor up to chase pH is a bad idea. Depending on where your pH probe is, you would overdose the tank as it would take a while for your pH reading to rise and stabilize out. Usually people use 2 ATO float switches for safety. One controls the ATO pump and tells it when to turn on and off. The other is located slightly higher, and is a failsafe that would shut the ATO pump down in the event the pump sitcks on or the first float switch fails. __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover