ATO setup with reservoir 12' below display tank?

[NickRummy]

I kind of blew off the ATO thing while setting up my new tank thinking it wouldn't be a big deal. Well I'm adding water CONSTANTLY to keep the last chamber in my sump filled and it's driving me nuts. I tried ignoring that this last chamber was going to be small for my setup but hey, live and learn I guess.

I've read up on the automatic top offs and it all makes sense but my problem is I have no room for a reservoir near my tank.

I did place my tank in the living room almost directly above where my Ro/DI unit and all my water holding containers are so my thought is to use a hole that's in the floor already (was big enough for a cable tv plug) and run a 1/4" line (like what's used on RO/DI units) down to the basement. Down there I could have a 10g tank setup right now with my RO/DI water. I could setup my return pump in that 10g and pump the water back up to my sump.

My main question is what kind of pump could I use to get water up to my sump if it's a good 10-12' above the reservoir? Maxi-jets say around 3' max head height but would that be different if I'm only using 1/4" line?

I tried doing some reading on the forum but the search won't look for three letter words like "top" and "off"

 

[cmor1701d]

A dosing pump should handle that just fine, though they are not meant for constant duty. You could try using the maxijet just to see if it will work, but I doubt it.
Also check out the BRS dosing pumps.

 

[neilanh]

12' is a long way to push. I wonder if those dosing pumps (even the BRS ones) will do it. My BRS pumps get really hot on 15 minute duty cycles, not sure how they'd do in this application.

Also, would it be better for them to push or pull?

 

[mr_X]

they will do it, but it's definitely the wrong pump for the job. the pump you are going to need is going to run you well over 100 bucks i'm afraid. can't you just put a container in a cabinet somewhere and run that little piece of tubing sideways instead of up a floor?

( for neilanh) look here...this dosing pump has a max head of 30 feet-
http://www.marinedepot.com/dosing_p...c_SP_3000_sp3000_niveaumat_reef_doser-ap.html

 

[neilanh]

I see now the BRS ones claim 20' as well. Never thought a peristaltic pump could do that.

 

[cmor1701d]

Yep,

"The BRS Top Off Doser is a peristaltic pump with a slow predictable flow rate that ensures gradual and subtle changes to water chemistry which makes it ideal for auto top off applications. It is completely silent and handles head pressure well. BRS Top Off Doser Specs

• 20ft max head
• 50mL/min flow rate is ideal for most top off systems
• Will not back siphon"

 

[NickRummy]

What's the deal with the dosing top off pumps? Do you just put them on a timer or something?

I really have no room at all....... There is nothing near by that I can hide things in either. The tank is on a wall which has the bathroom on the other side. I wonder if I could hide something in the cabinets in the bathroom and plumb through the wall....... Do they make any bulk head type fittings for walls?

 

[austinsdad]

I'd strongly suggest using more than a 10g tank for your top off water. I prefer to use a reservoir that'll give me at least a week and a half before I have to re-fill it. You should be able to gauge how fast a 10g will empty from your recent and frequent top-offs you described.

 

[NickRummy]

That's what I'm trying to do now but since I'm still moving things around and getting the tank started it's hard to gauge exactly what I'm using. I use a 20g breeder for mixing water so I'm planning on building a stand for (2) 20g breeders. One for RO/DI water and the other for mixed.

Should the tank with RO/DI be covered or can it be covered I should say? Same with mixed water? I want to get a couple canopies for them to keep junk out.

If I go with a Mag Drive motor do they have to be submersed to work or can they draw water into them from a couple feet away? What if I were to mount the pump on floor joist so it only has a head height of say 3' max and then it would draw water from the reservoir that's say 3' below it?

 

[cmor1701d]

The dosing pumps should be on a timer. You probably want it set for twice a day to keep up with the top offs.

I use a 45 gallon BRUTE trash can for my top off water. That lasts 3 -4 weeks for my 125. As this will be in the basement, why not use something like a BRUTE 20 gallon trashcan for the top off water?
BRUTE by Rubbermaid are all food grade so don't have to worry about leaching, even from RODI water.

 

[mr_X]

no, you can't do that with a mag, since it's not a self priming pump.when you shut the pump off, the water that is inside the tube below the pump will go back into the water tank and the next time it goes on, it will suck air.
they also are not recommended for external use.
mag drives aren't that good anyway. i have no idea why they are the popular pump.


you can run it through the wall, into the bathroom, as you said above. you wouldn't want to attach bulkhead fittings to the wall though. it would be like running any other pipe through the wall. they sell plastic ornamental things that make the sheet rock look nice around pipes.
i think that is your best idea so far. then you only need a weak pump like a mj1200, and you can attach the R.O.D.I. right to the bathroom sink and store it under the cabinet with the reservoir.

 

[NickRummy]

Do you guys run any powerheads in your top off containers or is that water just sitting there being used?

If I can do that I think it's the way I'll go. We're actually planning on remodeling our bathroom here in the next couple months and I'll be tearing it down to the studs. That'd be a good time to figure out what plumbing for my top off

 

[mr_X]

i do. always have the water moving and a lid over it so no light gets in.

 

[cmor1701d]

I have a power head in the trashcan to move water to my tank. The top lid is on tight and I cut a hole just large enough for the tube coming out.