Need a DIY auto topoff solution that doesn't include a faucet connection

[murgus]

I am going to be away on vacation for 2 weeks and my little reef suffers from some serious evaporation.  The location of the tank precludes using a timer hooked up to a faucet.  Some things I was thinking about:

• Using a raised, air-tight and inverted 2L pop bottle (or some other vessel) with a hose inserted in the cap.  The other end of the hose would be at the water level that I desired in the tank.  At first blush, it would seem that the water would gush out and flood the tank.  However, I have a dog water station that is essentially the same setup and that is not the case.  I think it has some to do with the location of output of the hose, the fact that the inverted vessel does not allow air in unless water comes out and the air pressure (but I am a computer & electrical engineer and I did not pay much attention to my fluid dynamics and mechanics courses!).

• Using a Coralife Float Valve & Auto Shut-Off Valve Kit (http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18142/si1320155/cl0/coralifefloatvalveautoshutoffvalvekit) attached to a raised, air-tight and inverted vessel.  Essentially the same as the above but it seems more comfortable having an actual mechanical switch at the other end!  But it is rather expensive.

Thoughts?  Better ideas (Lord knows there has to be!)?  I do not want to get into float switches and whatnot, I am perfectly fine topping off manually as it gives me a chance to add some Reef Roids and sundry other things.  This would be a temporary setup so K.I.S.S. applies as does K.I.C.S.

Thanks,
Andrew

[darkdep]

I don't know if he reads this board, but I know bitterman has an auto-waterchange/topoff system running at his house that he built recently, and if I remember correctly he did it very cheaply. 

[groan]

someone slap him and get him in this thread!

[porcupinepuffer]

A 2 litre pop bottle would last me about half a day as an auto top off... 2 weeks with no top off would bring my salinity insanely high, if there was even any water left in my sump.
Mine is extremely simple.
I purchased http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18142/si1315920/cl0/coralifepurefloiifloatvalve

I bought about 4 feet of the 1/4 inch hose, drilled a hole through the bottom of a big rubbermaid garbage container (18$), and installed a 1/4 plastic valve/ custom bulkhead at the bottom of it. I just made sure the bulkhead from the garbage container was higher then the where the float was located in the sump. This allows for a proper siphon... Works flawless, and is extremely simple without any mechanical nonsense to worry about. I have no fluctuations at all. I can fill well over a weeks worth of top off water, but I mix kalkwasser in it, so I don't mix more than will be consumed in a week.

[murgus]

porcupinepuffer, that is exactly what I need - do you have pics of your setup?  Where did you get the float valve (online or one of the local BA?) and bulkhead/valve thing?

Thanks,
Andrew

[C-Dog]

lemme in on that action aswell!!!!!

[mlee]

I use a cheap ($18) magnetic float switch to toggle a relay which turns on a small pump sitting in a 5 gal pail.  I made sure to put a tee in the line to vent it so that the pail couldn't siphon to my sump or vice versa.  I set this up at Christmas as I was going away for a week and it worked great.

[Alchemist]

I use a cheap ($18) magnetic float switch to toggle a relay which turns on a small pump sitting in a 5 gal pail.  I made sure to put a tee in the line to vent it so that the pail couldn't siphon to my sump or vice versa.  I set this up at Christmas as I was going away for a week and it worked great.

Got a pic of this?  Where did you get the switch from?

[mlee]

Got a pic of this?  Where did you get the switch from?

I ordered the float switch from Digikey

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?Ref=31713&Row=170937&Site=CA

Here's a few pictures showing the switch in the sump (mounted on the end of the pvc tube) and the jug behind the tank.


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[Saltcreep]

Hi,

It's a long read but, buried in the link below are the instructions for a gravity-fed top-off I built. Still working perfectly after almost six months.

http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=13309.0

[RoxyDog]

um, get someone to come in and check on your tanks and do a top up?    you guys and your gadgets. 

[Alchemist]

I ordered the float switch from Digikey

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?Ref=31713&Row=170937&Site=CA

Here's a few pictures showing the switch in the sump (mounted on the end of the pvc tube) and the jug behind the tank.

Hi Mlee...that link didn't work for me....what's the name or part number?

Thanks

[mlee]

Hi Mlee...that link didn't work for me....what's the name or part number?

Thanks

Sorry...the part # is 374-1000 it's a Meder Electronics float sensor.

Mike